Last week, ground broke at the El Cerrito BART Station, beginning the first phase of construction for a sweeping 743-unit development to occupy the existing surface parking lot. Initial concepts for the project were reported on by SF YIMBY in 2020, with final approvals by the El Cerrito City Council coming through in May 2025. In that time, Holliday Development, Satellite Affordable Housing Associates, and Related California have emerged as project developers, sponsoring a combination of affordable and market-rate units on the site.
El Cerrito Plaza site map
The first building to be constructed will be Parcel A South, a six-story affordable apartment complex designed by PYATOK and containing 70 rental units. In September of 2024, the City of El Cerrito and Related California secured $39.1 million in state funding to start construction on the building, advancing it ahead of the remaining project.
El Cerrito Plaza TOD Parcel A South, rendering by Pyatok
In the interim, the council also provided a $350,000 loan while city staff applied for over $40 million in state funding for the next portion of below-market-rate units. The financing would go towards development costs, improvements around the building, Parcel C East, and providing transit passes to future residents.
The full build-out of El Cerrito Plaza will create 743 apartments across six buildings. Construction will replace surface parking spanning over eight acres. Unit types will vary with 142 studios, 347 one-bedrooms, 179 two-bedrooms, and 75 three-bedrooms. Additional uses will include 2,100 square feet of retail space and a potential 20,000 square foot public library in the podium of Building C-West. In previous statements, the development team shared their goal to start construction on all six buildings by 2027, with completion as early as 2029.
El Cerrito Plaza Parcel C West library and public plaza, rendering via BART Board of Directors project presentation
The development’s location will benefit from immediate proximity to the El Cerrito BART station, as well as walkable access to nearby shopping, restaurants, and further bus transit at El Cerrito Plaza and along nearby San Pablo Avenue. Vehicular parking will provide 145 public spaces and 231 residential spaces. Additional long-term storage will be included for 1,125 bicycles.
El Cerrito Plaza aerial view, preliminary rendering of design by Pyatok and Van Meter Williams Pollack
El Cerrito Plaza site and area context map
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Nice, this needs to be happening across all BART stations with parking lots close by. Here’s looking at you Berryessa/North SJ, Milpitas, Warm Springs/South Fremont, Fremont, Union City, South Hayward, Hayward, Castro Valley, West Dublin/Pleasanton, Dublin/Pleasanton, Bay Fair, San Leandro, Coliseum, Fruitvale, Lake Merritt, West Oakland, Daly City, Colma, South San Francisco, San Bruno, Millbrae, Ashby, North Berkeley, El Cerrito Del Norte, Richmond, Orinda, Lafayette, Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill/Contra Costa Centre, Concord, North Concord/Martinez, Pittsburg/Bay Point, Pittsburg Center, and Antioch.
Sure, why not? But would it hurt them to choose a better architect? And sadly these plywood podium stackashacks just do not age well…..
There’s no evidence to support this. They are better sealed against water intrusion, better insulated, more seismically sound, more soundproof, and more energy efficient than multifamily buildings from decades ago.
Yeah, but they still look like crap, with the studs showing through the dryvit within a few years and soot build-up. They’re all along Hwy 101 south of San Francisco now. It seems like most need to be reskinned within a decade. Also, I hear the floors are really squeaky. These hunksajunk can’t hold a candle to the concrete apartment buildings of the 1920s and 1930s.
You say this about every project.
Complain complain complain. Nimby
Quit whining, you contribute nothing else here.
Would love to see some follow up planning for redeveloping the El Cerrito Plaza strip mall, a much larger site, as a mixed use district with a reconnected street grid.