OAKLAND — Two housing towers might replace an existing Trader Joe’s in Oakland, a project that would produce hundreds of apartments — and bulldoze the grocery store — plans on file with the city show.
The project is slated to produce 415 residences for seniors at 5727 College Ave. in the Rockridge district of North Oakland, the city files show.
Street-level view of two housing towers at 5727 College Avenue in the Rockridge district of north Oakland, concept. (SCB)
Evening view of two housing towers at 5727 College Avenue in the Rockridge district of north Oakland, concept. (SCB)
San Francisco-based Align Real Estate proposed the towers, although an alliance of General Electric Pension Trust and Lucky Stores Inc. owns the property where the housing towers would sprout.
The proposed senior living and retirement care community project envisions the demolition of the Trader Joe’s store, according to the city filing.
The project includes 371 independent living units for seniors, 18 assisted-living units and 26 memory care units, Align Real Estate disclosed in the filing.
Align has also proposed multiple housing projects in San Francisco that involve replacement or redevelopment of a Safeway store.
The real estate developer aims to streamline the Oakland city review process by using provisions of SB 330.
Plus, since the proposed development is a senior citizens’ residential hub, Align intends to use the state density bonus law to obtain a waiver of the 95-foot height limit for that section of Oakland.
The proposal also indicates that the residential units might be condominiums.
Attorneys with law firm Holland & Knight filed a letter with Oakland planners on behalf of the project’s developer that urged the city to smooth the pathway to approval of the development.
The state Legislature “has made increasingly clear” that mandates included in the state’s Housing Accountability Act “are to be taken seriously” and that local agencies should interpret the mandates in a way that gives “the fullest possible weight” to approval of a housing development, the Holland & Knight attorneys wrote in the letter to the city.
The plan concepts show the two high-rises would tower over the existing Rockridge neighborhood.
The timing for the demolition of the Trader Joe’s store and the construction of the two residential towers wasn’t immediately known.