Recent Land Acquisition Pushes Forward Affordable Housing at 1523 Harrison Street in Oakland

A new affordable housing project in Oakland took a major step forward with the recent acquisition of several component lots at 1523 Harrison Street that will become part of a single larger building’s footprint. The three parcels were purchased by Community HousingWorks, a San Diego-based developer, for a reported 10.2 million.

SF YIMBY first reported on the site in August of 2022, when the site was being developed by the Oakland-based firm oWow. However, despite several design iterations, the development has been slow to move forward. To stimulate the development, Community HousingWorks’s local affiliate recently received some $39.6 million in financing from the California Municipal Financing Authority. Supporters of the project are hopeful that the injection of new capital brought by the development change will see the project move forward.

Currently, the developers seem to be proceeding with the latest iteration of the building design proposed by oWow in December of 2025. The final project will be an 11-story block-shaped structure. The first two floors will consist of a concrete podium, with the upper nine floors of mass timber construction. The total building height is expected to reach approximately 106 feet, with the total interior space being approximately 195,360 square feet. 164,800 square feet will be dedicated to housing and building services, with 30,540 square feet reserved for parking.

1523 Harrison Street facade elevations, illustration by oWow

The building is to be considered 100% affordable housing, with 281 of the new units to be designated as affordable, and 3 manager units. Of the affordable units, 61 are set aside for very low-income and 220 for low-income. The unit sizes skew heavily towards single-bedroom styles, with 63 efficiency units, 203 one-bedrooms, and only 18 two-bedrooms

oWOW’s in-house architecture firm is responsible for the design. Final designs by the firm show a duo-tone facade of contrasting white and blue panels. Meanwhile, the base of the building will be wrapped by dark grey fiber cement panels to add visual texture. The building design is consistent with many elements of oWOW’s earlier project on the same block, allowing for visual continuity.

1523 Harrison Street outdated 10-story iteration, seen from 15th Street, rendering by oWow

The property block is bound by Harrison Street, Webster Street, 15th Street, and 17th Street in the Downtown Oakland and Lakeside neighborhoods. The neighborhood is a mix of both larger and smaller buildings, with both residential and office spaces. The building is within a 5-minute walk of Oakland’s centerpiece park, Lake Merritt, and it is surrounded by various shops and restaurants. Future residents will also benefit from close proximity to the 19th Street BART Station and Uptown Transit Center. Additionally, some residential parking will be provided, with spaces for 105 cars and 86 bicycles.

1523 Harrison Street Site Location, image via ArcGIS online

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