Building Permits Issued For Affordable Housing at 3431 San Pablo Avenue, West Oakland

Building permits have been issued for the six-story affordable housing project at 3431 San Pablo Avenue in West Oakland, Alameda County. The development is now poised to add several dozen apartments next to the historic California Hotel overlooking Interstate 580. East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation is the project sponsor.

3431 San Pablo Avenue view from across San Pablo, rendering by David Baker Architects

3431 San Pablo Avenue pedestrian view, rendering by David Baker Architects

David Baker Architects is responsible for the design. The overall height and window patterns will complement the landmarked next-door neighbor without invoking historicized ornamentation. Illustrations show a simple exterior scheme with white and black tones, exposed concrete pillars along the base, and a full-height ivy-green wall next to the residential lobby. Facade materials will include fiber cement siding, panels, vertical board-form concrete, perforated metal, transparent glass, and weathered steel. Sunshades above windows will help improve the interior comfort on hot sunny days.

The six-story structure is expected to rise around 70 feet tall, spanning roughly 64,160 square feet, including 37,060 square feet of housing, 2,500 square feet of retail, and 4,000 square feet for residential services. Unit sizes will vary, with 13 studios, 13 one-bedrooms, 22 two-bedrooms, and 12 three-bedrooms. Garage parking will be provided for 16 cars and 72 bicycles.

3431 San Pablo Avenue aerial view, rendering by David Baker Architects

3431 San Pablo Avenue design break-down, illustration by David Baker Architects

Residential amenities will include on-site assistance services and outdoor community space. The team has also focused attention on a mechanical system to address air quality issues related to the nearby freeway. According to the architecture firm, the inclusion of commercial space is part of a vision for “creating a continuous band along San Pablo Avenue that seeks to activate street life and restore the corridor’s once bustling commercial character.”

The Spanish Colonial Revival-style structure was designed by Clay Burrell and Sommarstrom Brothers in 1929 and opened in 1930. The California Hotel was an important community and music institution for the city, with new ownership in 1953 ending discriminatory policies and becoming the first full-service hotel in the East Bay to welcome black guests. After the completion of I-580, the hotel’s outlook began to decline, and it closed in 1971. By 2012, the project was renovated and reopened by EBALDC as a mixed-use affordable housing complex.

3431 San Pablo Avenue, image via Google Street View

The permits have been issued less than a year after the project team filed for them in July of last year. The estimated cost and timeline for construction have not yet been shared. However, if this project moves at a similar pace to Mercy Housing’s development at 2125 Telegraph Avenue, the official groundbreaking ceremony could occur later this Summer.

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