Reduced Height and Increased Retail For Rockridge Tower, Oakland

The formal application has been submitted for the dual-tower development at 5727 College Avenue in Rockridge, Oakland. The proposal now seeks to replace the Trader Joe’s grocery store with a shorter 26-story senior housing tower, including a potential grocery store facing BART and additional retail along College Avenue. Align Real Estate is the project applicant filing on behalf of the property owner, Albertsons.

The following statement was shared with the city by the project representative, Holland & Knight, stating that, “in response to feedback from the community, the Project has been redesigned to include space for an approximately 13,000-square-foot BART-adjacent grocery, as well as ground-floor retail along College Avenue, and to reduce the Project’s height by seven stories across the Project’s two towers, voluntarily reducing the number of homes proposed.”

5727 College Avenue potential grocery storefront along Miles Avenue, rendering by Solomon Cordwell Buenz

5727 College Avenue pedestrian view from along Oak Grove Avenue, rendering by Solomon Cordwell Buenz

5727 College Avenue retail seen along College Avenue, rendering by Solomon Cordwell Buenz

The 306-foot-tall complex is now expected to total 745,600 square feet, including 623,160 square feet of housing, 98,400 square feet for the multi-level garage, and 18,800 square feet of ground-level retail. Parking will include 263 cars and 60 bicycles. The complex will include 372 residences, including 340 independent living units, 12 assisted living units, and 20 memory care units. The application invokes Assembly Bill 130, Senate Bill 330, and the State Density Bonus Law to streamline approval.

Solomon Cordwell Buenz is responsible for the design. The proposal is now expected to reach 23 floors and 26 floors above ground, with rooftop heights of 276 feet and 306 feet, respectively. The facade treatment will differentiate between the upper floors and the three-story podium, contrasting the streamlined glassy towers with natural stone and fluted terracotta panels. The fluted terracotta will highlight the retail portions of the site, with the emerald green panels along College Avenue and pale-white panels along the potential grocer’s exterior. Townhouse-style units on the lower floors facing Oak Grove Avenue will be articulated to emphasize a more human scale with flat terracotta and floor-to-ceiling windows.

5727 College Avenue aerial view, rendering by Solomon Cordwell Buenz

5727 College Avenue corner view, rendering by Solomon Cordwell Buenz

5727 College Avenue podium-top landscaping map, illustration by Gates Studio

Gates Studio will oversee the complex’s expansive landscape architecture program, including the ground floor and three floors of open-air decks. The fourth floor will feature the highest concentration of amenities, including the dining venue, indoor swimming pool, activity rooms, fitness center, art rooms, and the largest landscaped terrace. Additional amenities and outdoor space will be on the fifth floor, sixth floor, and sky-lounges on the top floor of each tower.

This is the sixth proposal to replace a grocery store by Align Real Estate and Albertsons, Safeway’s parent company. This is the first project not to include a Safeway, and while the latest iteration provides space for a future grocery store, the tenant has not been confirmed. Albertsons is the property owner at 5727 College Avenue, but does not operate the Trader Joe’s.

5727 College Avenue vertical cross-section, illustration by Solomon Cordwell Buenz

5727 College Avenue, image via Google Street View outlined approximately by YIMBY

The 1.5-acre site is just a few blocks away from a Safeway at the corner of College Avenue and Claremont Avenue. The estimated cost and timeline for construction have not yet been shared.

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