Zoning permits have been filed with detailed plans for the redevelopment of the Holy Names University campus at 3500 Mountain Boulevard in the Oakland Hills. The suburban proposal will preserve the existing chapel, bell tower, and performing arts center while replacing the rest of the campus with 165 single-family homes. Los Angeles-based real estate developer BH Properties is responsible for the project after purchasing the campus for $65 million in 2023.
The pre-application invokes Senate Bill 330 to streamline the approval process and freeze local zoning rules. The developer had previously stated it was their intention to “continue the educational tradition of the HNU Campus,” but has pivoted to housing after struggling to attract a new university. According to San Francisco Chronicle reporter J.K. Dineen, BH Properties is working with Tidewater Capital on this latest application.
Holy Names University campus redevelopment site map, illustration by Bull Stockwell Allen
Holy Names University campus redevelopment large cottage house, drawing by Bull Stockwell Allen
The application, drafted by Reuben Junius & Rose LLP, asserts that existing law permits residential use without restrictions based on the Institutional General Plan designation. This is an argument that the city appears poised to dispute, as the language in question states, “under certain conditions, mixed-use housing and commercial development that supports these institutional areas may be allowed.” While Reuben Law states that the language ‘runs afoul of the ‘Housing Accountability Act,’ the city wants to retain the campus as an educational facility, as reported by Hannah Kanik for the San Francisco Business Times.
The SB 330 pre-application filing states that at least 5% of the neighborhood will be deed-restricted for very low-income households. Conversely, the plans do not utilize the State Density Bonus law to increase potential residential capacity.
Holy Names University chapel, image courtesy BH Properties
The preliminary plans call for the construction of 165 detached single-family homes across the campus, including 37 larger hillside homes overlooking small and large cottage-style homes. The central circulation road will loop around the preserved midcentury modern McLean Chapel Building, bell tower, and the 400-seat Valley Center Performing Arts Building. The 1913-built McCrea Building, a designated city landmark built by architect George McCrea, will also be preserved.
Bull Stockwell Allen is the project architect, with Design Workshop serving as the landscape architect. Each house will contain a two-car garage and two to four bedrooms. The exterior will be clad with stucco, painted wood shingles, and asphalt shingle roofing.
Holy Names University campus redevelopment map, illustration by Bull Stockwell Allen
Holy Names University was founded in 1868 as the Convent of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The school opened the Mountain Boulevard campus in 1958, with the design by Milton T. Pflueger, younger brother of the well-known Timothy Pflueger. The performing arts center was later constructed in 1994. The school shut down in 2023 due to rising operational costs and declining enrollment, and sold the campus to BH Properties in June 2023 for $65 million.
The roughly 58-acre property will be subdivided into 195 parcels, with 165 residential lots, and 30 parcels set aside for the preserved homes, streets, open space, utilities, and other facilities. Demolition is expected for 14 existing institutional structures. The site overlooks California State Route 13, uphill from the Dimond District and near the Merritt College campus.
Holy Names University campus, image via Google Satellite
The estimated cost and timeline for construction have not yet been shared.
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3500 Mountain Boulevard Bull Stockwell Allen Design Workshop Holy Names University Campus Tidewater Capital