The pre-application has been filed for a new eight-story residential infill at 2462 Bancroft Way in Southside, Berkeley. The project will replace an existing vacant commercial structure. Details remain scarce for the project, with just Zengs Berkeley LLC listed as the project owner and applicant.
The eight-story apartment infill will rise from a 0.15-acre parcel to create 66 new homes above commercial retail. The site includes an activity bank ATM, though the commercial space has been boarded up for over a year.
2462 Bancroft Way, image via Google Street View
The application will determine if the project can make use of Senate Bill 330 or the Housing Crisis Act of 2019 authored by State Senator Nancy Skinner. The bill states in its first sentence that it “prohibits a local agency from disapproving, or conditioning approval in a manner that renders infeasible, a housing development project for very low, low-, or moderate-income households or an emergency shelter unless the local agency makes specified written findings based on a preponderance of the evidence in the record.”
Plans for 2462 Bancroft Way will also utilize the State Density Bonus program, allowing plans to increase by up to 50% above base zoning if it includes a certain capacity of affordable housing.
The proposal is located directly across from the UC Berkeley campus and a few blocks from the Downtown Berkeley BART Station. The retail-dense Telegraph thoroughfare is only around the corner. As well, construction crews may have company with the recently-revealed plans for 2480 Bancroft Way, designed by Studio KDA.
YIMBY has contacted the representative for Zengs Berkeley LLC and has not received a response of the time of publication.
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Great that Berkeley is making more housing close to public transportation. Hopefully the plans will include secured parking for lots of personal forms of transportation like bicycles.