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2100 Telegraph

Urban Planning Partners worked closely with both the City of Oakland and the development team in preparing a comprehensive EIR to evaluate the Eastline/2100 Telegraph project and its multiple development scenarios. In addition to managing the EIR, UPP assisted with the entitlements process by overseeing the performance deadlines for the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) between the applicant and the City.

The Eastline project includes the redevelopment of an approximately 3 acre-site covering a full city block with up to 2.8 million square feet. This project represents a unique opportunity to strengthen and revitalize the urban fabric of Downtown and the Uptown District, improve public safety, and activate the connection between Broadway and Telegraph Avenue. UPP’s role included:

  • Developing “bookends” for the range of development considered in the EIR to allow flexibility for the Eastline Project to be responsive to changes in market demands and opportunities

  • Advising the client on how to move the project forward most efficiently by advancing parallel processes for design approvals, CEQA analysis, community engagement, and the exclusive negotiating agreement

  • Analyzing how the project would affect the historic value of multiple on-site structures, in addition to potential off-site resources

The project included a Planned Unit Development/Preliminary Development Plan (PUD/PDP) that guided and regulated redevelopment of this site immediately adjacent to the 19th Street BART station. The PUD/PDP included four illustrative development scenarios: a maximum residential scenario, a maximum office scenario, an office and residential scenario, and an all office scenario. In 2019, it was announced that the Eastline Project will be the new headquarters for Kaiser Permanente. The Kaiser Permanente Thrive Center will include 1.6 million square feet of office space and provide $23 million in public benefits.

Project Stats

  • 3.21 acres

  • Up to 900 feet tall

  • Up to 2.8 million square feet of office space, or

  • Up to 1,556 residential units

Why We Liked This Project: After acquiring and assembling five infill parcels, the Eastline at 2100 Telegraph project was one of the last available sites within close proximity to BART in downtown Oakland big enough to accommodate large-floor plate office development. We enjoyed strategizing with the development team from early on in the project to come up with a streamlined approach for obtaining CEQA clearance and project approvals on parallel paths while balancing significant engagement with community members, stakeholders, and decision makers.