Berkeley

vilyfijohy.wordpress.com
The projects are part of Berkeley’s move toward creatingh density, said Michael Caplan, Berkeley’s economic developmen t director. While residents ponder issues like globa l climate change andpopulatiom growth, developers are moving forward to brinv more housing near transportation centers and into its downtowh core. “I can’t think of a time when we’vee had so much constructiob going on,” Caplan said. “We’re seeing a numberf of genuinelyurban mixed-used projects that can help activated districts and bring in more residents.
” Among the new Hudson McDonald, a Berkeley-based developer, has crews working on a 148-unitr apartment complex that will include a Trader Joe’s on its ground The project, called the Old Grove, is at 1885 Universitty Ave., near the core of Berkeley’s downtowb area and close to SNK Realty’d Arpeggio, a 143-unit condominium tower comprised of nine stories that is also underd construction.
“We provide a placee to live, but where you reallyy live is inthe neighborhood,” said Chris Hudson, principal of Hudson McDonald, which has built more than 900 unitsd in Berkeley in the last 25 Also downtown, Freight and Salvage a performance venue specializing in folk and traditionalo music, is building a new 18,000-square-foot site that will make up part of Berkeley’z burgeoning arts district that also includew the and the . Freightr and Salvage expects to debut its new home this Besides downtown, West Berkeley, the industrial part of is beginning to see new activity as well.
Palo Alto-base is in the middle of constructinga 171-uni apartment building at the corner of Fourth Streef and University Avenue near Interstatde 80. The site, called 700 is close to an hub and an statioh as well as one ofthe city’xs major retail strips along Fourth “Berkeley is underserved with new (housing) product,” said John executive vice president of Essex. “Anrd we’re building out (our project) when costd are down. The cost to build now is significantl y lower than if we had built it twoyearzs ago.
” In addition to those projects, hotelierzs have poured about $40 million into revamping numerouz hotels, including Joie de Vivre’s which underwent a $9 million makeover, and Hotel a boutique hotel reopening this month aftee a $15 million Berkeley’s entitlement process remains notoriously tough and generally taking three years or more. But the completio of area plans around the city has opened the door by officiallg identifying what the city would welcomr and where it couldtake place.
Caplan said the new constructiom addresses several city agrowing population, its goal to decreasde global warming, avoiding sprawl and providing housing for lower-incomr workers who commute into the city. “Are we growinbg for the sake of growing? No,” he “A lot of peoplw who grew up here can’t find placesx to live. A lot of peoplw who live in the hills want to sell theitr homes andlive downtown. ... Densit can be good if it’s done right.” Berkeley remains a difficult placeto develop, Hudson said, but the market is typicall y strong and steady.
“Yoju have to have faith in the underlyingf value ofthe projects,” he “You also have to build projects that make