Preliminary permits have been filed for new housing at the former Oxford Elementary School campus in Northbrae, Berkeley. The property at 1130 Oxford Street has been vacant since a 2020 study identified structural earthquake vulnerability. Panoramic Interests is responsible for the application, having purchased the lot from the Berkeley School District for $3 million last October.
The preliminary application invokes Senate Bill 330 to streamline the approval process for the future formal application. The development is looking to construct 32 residences across three-story buildings, averaging around 1,515 square feet per home for a total of 48,480 square feet. Parking will be provided for 32 cars, or one stall per unit. Studio KDA will be responsible for the design, though illustrations have not yet been shared.
1130 Oxford Street, image courtesy planning documents
Unsurprisingly, demolition will be required for the existing building. The property has been occupied by the Oxford Public School since 1911, with the current three-story building constructed in 1965 and remodeled in the 1990s.
The hillside property is located along Oxford Street between Los Angeles Avenue and Eunice Street. Live Oak Park is just a block away, and the Shattuck Avenue Safeway grocery store is just over ten minutes away on foot.
The estimated cost and timeline for construction have not yet been shared. The development team has not yet submitted the formal planning permits for the project.
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Great location, glad more families will have the opportunity for new housing over there. The locals are going to lose their minds over this. Luckily CEQA is dead.
But but the buildings date to 1965. We can’t lose our historic mid century concrete box heritage! lol
I live on this block, within sight of the school. My kids went there. I’m supportive of building housing. I just hope it will be built in a style that fits with the character of Berkeley, not a generic boxy, blocky format we’re seeing everywhere. The pipe dream of the neighborhood, as discussed with many of my neighbors, is that there would be some portion of the property developed as green/open space, a little park for community to gather and come together. As we all have and currently use the playground for. That would certainly enhance the value of this development. But I understand the economics of doing so make this highly unlikely.