Project
The following presents the preliminary development concept to transform 6.5-acres of existing BART-owned surface parking lots and city-owned land into a mixed-income, mixed-use transit-oriented community, including 743 new residential units across six buildings, a 20,000 square-foot public library, approximately 1,500 square-feet of commercial/retail, and a 0.5-acre plaza along Fairmount Avenue (Click arrows for additional images).
Image by Pyatok, Van Meter Williams Pollock, Einwiller Kuehl
Image by Pyatok, Van Meter Williams Pollock, Einwiller Kuehl
Image by Pyatok, Van Meter Williams Pollock, Einwiller Kuehl
Image by Pyatok, Van Meter Williams Pollock, Einwiller Kuehl
Image by Pyatok, Van Meter Williams Pollock, Einwiller Kuehl
Image by Pyatok, Van Meter Williams Pollock, Einwiller Kuehl
Image by Pyatok, Van Meter Williams Pollock, Einwiller Kuehl
Latest Project Updates
Public Hearings
On February 23, 2023, the City of El Cerrito held a Design Review Board meeting on the first phase of the TOD project, Parcel A South. Click here to view the meeting materials.
On September 7, 2022, the City of El Cerrito held a joint Planning Commission and Design Review Board Study Session on the Master Plan. Click here to view the meeting materials.
Community Events
On July 20th, 2022, the developer team, BART, and the City of El Cerrito co-hosted a community Pop-up Open House at the El Cerrito Plaza BART station to present the latest project design and receive feedback from the community. The materials presented at the open house included updates on project design, open space, access, the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan and a potential library on site.
Click here to view the materials presented at the Open House
Click here to view the materials presented at the Open House in Spanish and Chinese.
Project Details
The project details and specifics are subject to change, however, the following provides an overview of the current project concept.
Housing - Maximum Housing for All Incomes
743 New Residential Units Total
31% Affordable Units
16% Affordable (61-80% AMI) Units
53% Market Rate Units
A 20,000 square-foot public library
Open Space – Functional and Active Public Spaces including a 0.5-acre plaza on Fairmount Avenue
Complementing the Neighborhood
Variety in Building Scale
Transition from Neighborhood to Downtown
Enhanced Circulation
Enhancing Flow from Hills to Bay
Connectivity improvements to the Ohlone Greenway for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Sustainability
Energy-efficient housing and potential for all-electric buildings
Drought tolerant landscaping
Designing for resiliency
Station Access
BART has completed a Station Access Plan to identify circulation and infrastructure needs in the immediate station area and on public streets nearby. The Station Access Plan includes a suite of recommendations for walking, biking, taking the bus, getting dropped off, and driving and parking in the future.
Since BART is also planning for development at the North Berkeley and Ashby stations, it sought and received funding from the State and federal government to develop the Berkeley-El Cerrito Corridor Access Plan [bart.gov] (Corridor Access Plan) in recognition that improving the transportation network across multiple cities at a larger scale would be more feasible and effective than improving the area around one station alone. The Corridor Access Plan balances the need for BART-rider parking, which is expensive and uses a lot of space, with transportation options that enhance community vibrancy and safety. It was developed in collaboration with the cities of Berkeley and El Cerrito and is focused on implementing strategies along the Richmond line that more equitably distribute BART’s investments in walking, rolling, biking, riding transit, driving, and parking. The Resources and Materials section below has a wealth of information.