Demolition permits have been filed for two two-story commercial structures at 2712 and 2714 Telegraph Avenue in South Berkeley, Alameda County. The project would replace the older buildings with 50 student-oriented apartments in a six-story building. Panoramic Interests is responsible for the application.
Initial plans for a 40-unit iteration by Panoramic Interests were filed in 2022 and granted approval. Updated plans were filed for the 50-unit iteration in late November last year, retaining the six-story height and increasing residential capacity to 50 units.
2712 Telegraph Avenue corner view, rendering by Studio KDA
The application invokes the State Density Bonus law and Senate Bill 330 to streamline the approval process and increase residential capacity. Zoning waivers have been requested to alter requirements for open space, the rear yard setback, height limits, and to eliminate parking requirements for cars and bicycles.
The 75-foot-tall structure is expected to yield around 40,770 square feet, including 50 apartments, six possible accessory dwelling units, and one live-work commercial unit. Of the 50 units, five will be deed-restricted for very low-income households. Studio KDA is responsible for the design.
2712 Telegraph Avenue street view, rendering by Studio KDA
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.
The demolition permits were filed last week. The two buildings were reviewed by the Landmark Preservation Committee in 2023, which took no action to initiate a landmark or Structure of Merit. The building at 2712 Telegraph Avenue is described as a Colonial-Revival style house constructed in 1904. 2714 Telegraph Avenue was constructed in 1905 as a two-story building described by JRP Historical Consulting as “a mixture of the First Bay Tradition’s Brown Shingle, Colonial Revival, and Mission styles.”
2712 Telegraph Avenue, image via Google Street View
The estimated cost and timeline for construction have not yet been shared.
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Those look like residential buildings to me?
Berkeley is changing fast. With all of this new student housing, the university will be able to expand its number of students. More students = more employees, services, restaurants etc. I’m bullish on the future of Berkeley as a city.
2712 was most recently The Pacific Center for Human Growth, and a search on 2714 turned up several psychologists and therapists. It’s not unusual around Berkeley for old houses to have been turned to commercial uses several decades ago. My childhood doctor was a part of the same practice my father went to, so I can confidently say the “house” that practice operates out of hasn’t been a house since the 60’s. The insides have generally been so chopped up and modified that it would be difficult to convert back to a single-family home.
I really like the green panels over the entryway. It looks like bamboo. The rest of the facade is so bland though.
This is good! If only this type of vision was happening all over the Bay Area.