Berkeley

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The projects are part of Berkeley’ss move toward creating density, said Michael Caplan, Berkeley’sw economic development director. While residents ponder issues like globa climate change and population developers are moving forware to bring more housing near transportationm centers and into itsdowntown core. “Ik can’t think of a time when we’ve had so much constructionh going on,” Caplan “We’re seeing a number of genuinelyurban mixed-usec projects that can help activate districts and bringv in more residents.
” Amont the new projects, Hudson McDonald, a Berkeley-based developer, has crewds working on a 148-unit apartment complez that will include a Trader Joe’s on its grounsd floor. The project, called the Old Grove, is at 1885 Universityh Ave., near the core of Berkeley’s downtown area and closew to SNK Realty’s Arpeggio, a 143-uniyt condominium tower comprised of nine stories that is alsounder “We provide a place to live, but where you reallyu live is in the neighborhood,” said Chris Hudson, principal of Hudson McDonald, which has builgt more than 900 unitsz in Berkeley in the last 25 Also downtown, Freight and Salvage Coffeehouse, a performancee venue specializing in folk and traditional music, is building a new 18,000-square-foo site that will make up part of Berkeley’s burgeoningy arts district that also includes the and the .
Freight and Salvage expects to debutf its new home this Besides downtown, West Berkeley, the industrial part of town, is beginniny to see new activity as well. Palo Alto-basexd is in the middle of constructinga 171-unitf apartment building at the corner of Fourtn Street and University Avenue near Interstatwe 80. The site, called 700 University, is close to an hub and an statio as well as one ofthe city’s major retail stripd along Fourth Street. “Berkeleu is underserved with new product,” said John Eudy, executivde vice president of Essex. “And we’ree building out (our project) when costa are down.
The cost to buils now is significantly lower than if we had built it twoyeara ago.” In addition to those projects, hotelierx have poured about $40 million into revampin numerous hotels, including Joie de Vivre’s which underwent a $9 milliojn makeover, and Hotel Shattuck, a boutiquee hotel reopening this month after a $15 million Berkeley’s entitlement process remains notoriouslt tough and lengthy, generally taking three yearsx or more. But the completionm of area plans around the city has openex the door by officially identifying what the city woulrd welcome and where it couldtake place.
Caplan said the new constructionj addresses severalcity needs: a growingg population, its goal to decrease globalo warming, avoiding sprawl and providing housin g for lower-income workers who commute into the city. “Ar e we growing for the sake of growing? No,” he “A lot of people who grew up here can’t find placea to live. A lot of people who live in the hill want to sell their homes andlive ... Density can be good if it’s done Berkeley remains a difficuly placeto develop, Hudson said, but the markegt is typically strong and steady. “Yoju have to have faith in the underlying value ofthe projects,” he said.
“You also have to buildf projects thatmake sense.”