Plans have been increased for an 11-story apartment complex at 2920 Shattuck Avenue in South Berkeley, Alameda County. The application has added a floor for a total of 242 dwelling units to the corner lot overlooking the Berkeley Bowl grocery store. NX Ventyres is responsible for the application.
The roughly 125-foot-tall structure is expected to yield around 131,600 square feet, including 127,860 square feet of housing and 3,720 square feet of ground-level retail space. Apartment sizes will vary somewhat, with 219 studios, nine one-bedrooms, 13 two-bedrooms, and a three-bedroom residence. Parking will be included for 68 bicycles and 13 vehicles. The complex will include a ground-level backyard garden and two rooftop decks open to residents.
2920 Shattuck Avenue pedestrian view, rendering by SDT Architects
2920 Shattuck Avenue seen from across Ashby Avenue, rendering by SDT Architects
The development will include 30 units of affordable housing, of which 22 will be for very-low-income households and eight for moderate-income households. The inclusion of below-market-rate housing allowed the application to use the State Density Bonus law to increase residential capacity above base zoning with various waivers and concessions. For 2900 Shattuck Avenue, the application requested waivers for zoning rules related to open space, bicycle parking, height limits, front setbacks, lot coverage, and the floor area ratio.
Stackhouse De la Peña Trachtenberg Architects is responsible for the design. Facade materials will include wood-look siding and insulated panels. The exterior will feature a checker pattern and Juliet balconies.
2920 Shattuck Avenue corner retail view, rendering by SDT Architects
2920 Shattuck Avenue facade elevation, illustration by SDT Architects
The 0.45-acre property is located at the corner of Shattuck Avenue and Russell Street. Future residents will live across from the Berkeley Bowl grocery store and two blocks away from the Ashby BART Station.
2900 Shattuck Avenue site outlined, image via Google Satellite
Demolition will be required for two existing commercial structures and a surface parking lot. Construction is estimated to last around 16 months from groundbreaking to completion.
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I’d love to see Shattuck dropped down to one lane in each direction from about Dwight all the way to Rose in the north. Commercial districts thrive when the street is more narrow, car speeds are lower, and sidewalks are wider. Shattuck is the “Main St” of downtown Berkeley with lots of shops, but the street is holding it back. Expand the sidewalks significantly, make it more parks, maybe reduce parking instead, and let Berkeley thrive. Use MLK instead, which is another north/south artery just a few blocks west.
Kudos to the city of Berkeley for actually building housing—consistently mid-rise, dense, central, mixed-use, relatively attractive. Now if only SF could reach 10% of that, I’d feel like I live in the land of progress.
This is further south than I would have guessed. Good access to Berkeley Bowl and Ashby. Downtown Berkeley is going to be one hip place very soon! Good on the City.