New renderings have been revealed for the eight-story mixed-use infill at 2587 Telegraph Avenue in South Berkeley, Alameda County. The project will replace the low-slung commercial structure with 48 homes and live/work housing. The Rhode Island-based Gilbane Development Company is the project applicant.
2587 Telegraph Avenue street view, rendering by KTGY Architects
The 89-foot tall structure will yield around 111,120 square feet, with 108,380 square feet for housing and 2,810 square feet for ground-level live/work units. Parking for 175 bicycles and no cars will be included, contributing to the city’s public transit while reducing congestion. Unit sizes will include 28 four-bedrooms, 13 five-bedrooms, and seven six-bedrooms. This composition aims to capture the region’s housing demand for students and young professionals.
KTGY Architects is responsible for the design. The large building will rise over the busy commercial artery, with its facade carved by balconies. Exterior materials include profiled panels, wood-like cladding, plaster, and masonry veneer.
2587 Telegraph Avenue sidewalk activity, rendering by KTGY Architects
2587 Telegraph Avenue facade elevation, illustration by KTGY Architects
The ground level will include a large lobby, a fitness center, an amenity room, and bicycle parking. Three live/work units will face along Telegraph Avenue. The rear property will fit a landscaped courtyard into an irregular shape. Additional open space will be created on the eighth floor, facing north toward the UC Berkeley Campus.
Five units will be designated as affordable for very low-income households earning around 30-50% of the Area Median Income. The application uses the State Density Bonus Program and SB 330 to streamline ministerial approval and increase capacity.
2587 Telegraph Avenue, image via Google Satellite
The 0.43-acre property is between Parker Street and Dwight Way, close to the bustling Southside neighborhood and People’s Park. Residents will be across from The Laureate, a recently-complete five-story residential project at 2556 Telegraph Avenue.
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It is nice that they have some large units, for larger families or people who want to share a place. The only thing I personally don’t care for is they are ugly. The patchy two-tone light grey does not bode well for the building. They should stick to one shade of grey or better yet some other color as there is already a bunch of grey buildings in that area. The grey also clashes with the brown on the first floor.
Butt ugly.
I like this model (these student apartments with large numbers of bedrooms are an affordable and fun option), but I really wish Berkeley would legalize multifamily housing in more areas so new apartments don’t require the demolition of existing apartments!
So the target buyers are landlords and investors? Will students and young professionals afford to buy a 4, 5, 6-bedroom apartment? This is creating even more social economical inequality.