Updated permits have been filed for a six-story apartment complex at 2712 Telegraph Avenue in South Berkeley, Alameda County. The latest application has increased the overall unit count without additional height. Panoramic Interests is responsible for the development, filing through 2712 Telegraph LLC.
Plans for 2712 Telegraph Avenue have now increased for the fourth time, with only one increase in the floor count. Preliminary permits were filed in June 2022 for a five-story mixed-use project with 35 units. The next iteration was filed in late 2022 for 41 units across six floors and approved by the city in late 2023. The next iteration was filed in late 2025 and approved in May 2026.
2712 Telegraph Avenue previous iteration, rendering by Studio KDA
The latest application, filed earlier this week, seeks to add 60 apartments above ground-floor retail. The developer is invoking the State Density Bonus law to achieve the high density and streamline the approval process. Studio KDA has been responsible for drafting illustrations for the prior two iterations, though updated renderings have not yet been shared.
Demolition will be required for the existing two wood-frame houses at 2712 and 2714 Telegraph Avenue, both of which were built in 1904 develoed by John Marshall with similar designs. According to a historic Architectural Evaluation published by Preservation Architecture in 2022, the structures are not eligible for landmarking with the California or National Register. The evaluation summarizes that, “having lost their early 20th century residential contexts, in addition to having been altered, added to and converted to commercial uses… this row of former residences do not constitute a grouping of any identifiable historic importance.”
The 0.21-acre property is located along Telegraph Avenue between Derby Street and Ward Street. Future residents will be a block from Willard Park and less than 15 minutes away from the UC Berkeley campus on foot.
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“The next iteration was filed in late 2025 and approved in May 2026.”
Even after the YIMBY shift in Berkeley it still takes six months for the fourth iteration of a building to be approved. I would love to see exactly how long a permit takes at each step and the general laziness / lack of process / lack of technology along the way.
If this was done in the private sector it would be done in a week.
This proposal could not be more ugly, aggressive to the neighborhood, and look more like a cheap airport hotel. Look at the gorgeous classical home on the right side. There exists historical precedent to design an apartment building that looks like people LIVE there, instead of stay for a night.
Those “gorgeous classical houses” are literally just cookie cutter designs from 1904.
I think the apartment building looks better than the existing homes.
I used to live on telegraph near here in a small rowhouse, it was an awful place for a small residential building. Its not a quiet residential street and its certainly not as pretty as this screenshot makes it appear. Its a busy commercial corridor with the most frequent bus service in the east bay and large downtowns in both directions. If any corridor in the east bay should be developed with dense development this is it. And, if a lot of density is added on this hellscape of a corridor, it will likely take development pressure off of the surrounding residential neighborhoods. This looks like a great addition to the neighborhood, especially compared to what is already there.
Hello cheap, boring, low quality Architecture of Sameness. Global drek.
Sure, but it’s replacing cheap, boring, low quality architecture of sameness. The houses there beforehand are extremely generic
Disgusting. What a middle finger to the entire neighborhood. Berkeley is going down the toilet fast with these plywood stack-a-shacks.
By the way, “Preservation” Architecture would find the White House to be historically insignificant.
This is the perfect place for that kind of building, imo. I lived on Telegraph, only a short distance away from this. Telegraph is a major corridor and it’s absurd to have single family detached homes there. Berkeley has a desperate shortage of housing, especially near the university and for students. It needs housing, and this is the perfect place for it.
The building looks formulaic, but the buildings there previously looked formulaic. Most housing for everyday people looks formulaic.
There is also another building less than a block away on Telegraph which is approximately the same size, height, and style. There are many 4-6 story buildings along Telegraph, so this one will fit in.