The City of El Cerrito and project developer Related California have been awarded $39.1 million in state funding for the El Cerrito Plaza Transit-Oriented Development in Contra Costa County. The financing will allow the team to start construction on the first affordable housing building in phase one, which is expected to start next year.
Plans for the transit-oriented plaza were drafted by Holliday Development, Satellite Affordable Housing Associates, and Related California. The plans were approved via a streamlined ministrial review process protected by Senate Bill 35. The full-buildout of El Cerrito Plaza will create 743 apartments across six buildings. Unit types will vary with 142 studios, 347 one-bedrooms, 179 two-bedrooms, and 75 three-bedrooms.
El Cerrito Plaza aerial view, preliminary rendering of design by Pyatok and Van Meter Williams Pollack
El Cerrito Plaza BART Station development floor plan, illustration via planning documents
Additional uses will include 2,100 square feet of retail spaces, and a potential 20,000 square foot public library in the podium of Building C-West. Vehicular parking will provide 145 public spaces and 231 residential spaces. Additional long-term storage will be included for 1,125 bicycles.
The first construction project will be Parcel A South, a six-story affordable housing complex with 70 rental apartments. The structure will include 30 one-bedrooms, 20 two-bedrooms, and 20 three-bedrooms. Parking will be included for 70 bicycles and 35 cars in a ground-level garage.
El Cerrito Plaza Parcel C West, rendering via BART Board of Directors project presentation
El Cerrito Plaza Ohlone Greenway at Central Avenue looking south, rendering of design by Pyatok and Van Meter Williams Pollack
Pyatok is the project architect. The firm shares that A South will be comprised of modular materials. On-site amenities will include a community room, service provider offices, a mail room, and on-site laundry. A ground-level fenced courtyard will provide residents with landscaped open space.
El Cerrito is a bayside city bordered by Albany and Richmond, with a population of around 25,580. The El Cerrito Plaza Bart Station is bound by Central Avenue, Richmond Street, Fairmount Avenue, and Liberty Street. Future residents will be across from the El Cerrito Plaza shopping mall, anchored by several big box stores.
El Cerrito Plaza development site overview, image courtesy BART
Alongside the $39.1 million in funding secured last month, the city is expected to secure around $95 million from agency tax revenues starting in 2016. The development team is hoping to start construction on all six buildings by 2027, with completion as early as 2029.
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This looks great. Every BART station could and should receive this treatment- there are so many parking craters along the line begging for TOD. This would go a long way to restoring BART’s cratered ridership numbers since 2019.
This is a prime location for development that is overdue. We can’t wait for groundbreaking.
Please do something about the North Concord/Martinez Station. That one is an insane waste of land that can be used to fund the system.