Revised plans were approved for an eight-story mixed-use building at 419 4th Street in Oakland’s Jack London neighborhood. The original project was reported on by SF YIMBY in November of 2022 but has been undergoing planning and approvals since then. Project owner Smart Growth and Architects Lowney Arch submitted revised plans in late 2023 which have now been approved.
The newly approved plans will be a revised 119 units, 18 more than the previous design. Of the units, 12 are to be slated as very low income, allowing for a higher percentage of the building’s units to be considered affordable. The various units will range from studio to four-bedrooms, allowing for a mix of single and family tenants.
419 4th Street Unit Floorplans, image by Lowney Arch
The project has been dubbed the ‘Noodle Factory’ as it is being built on the site of a 1922 noodle warehouse and factory in Oakland’s traditional food and produce region of the city. The new building’s design will rise 78 feet, much taller and denser than the existing property. However, the building’s windows and broad beam architecture will mirror a similar architectural style, paying homage to property history.
419 4th Street Rendering, image by Lowney Arch
The project’s location is within walking distance of both the 12th Street BART station and the Jack London Ferry Terminal, giving residents multiple transit options. As such, the developer opted to not include any resident vehicle parking, but will still include two commercial spaces and 32 long-term bicycle parking spaces.
The ground floor will include approximately 500 square feet of retail space, a reduction from the original proposal and shifting to a residential focus. The project is a densification of the neighborhood, but neither its size nor design is inconsistent with the area, including several similarly heightened projects that are already located nearby.
419 4th Street Site Location, image via Lowney Arch
419 4th Street Current Site, image via Lowney Arch
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This would be such a great project for the neighborhood. I hope the additional units allow it to be built!
This location and versions of a plan has been reported on this site since 2020… Still no progress…
I hope something big gets built, ASAP.
I agree. Everyone is building affordable housing options now if Richmond could do the same thing we would be getting somewhere.
Jack London certanly needs a lot more density to activate the neighborhood. But how much more is needed, and what needs to change about the commercial spaces to pick things up? I feel like there is some invisible threshold that is holding things back.