El Cerrito Plaza BART Transit-Oriented Development

Urban Planning Partners is working with Related California and Holliday Development/Factory OS on a Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) project at the El Cerrito Plaza BART station in the city of El Cerrito. The project falls under new State legislation Assembly Bill (AB) 2923 to streamline TOD projects on BART-owned property within a half-mile of stations.

The project proposes 750 to 800 new housing units, including 32 percent low-income and 15 percent below-market-rate units, 1.8 acres of publicly accessible open space, and a potential 20,000-square-foot library. The project represents a unique opportunity to contribute to El Cerrito’s San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan downtown vision by adding both mixed-income housing and commercial space and enlivening the public realm by enhancing and integrating new and existing open space for the community to enjoy. The project also represents a meaningful contribution to El Cerrito Plaza TOD City and BART Goals and Objectives such as creating complete communities, sustainable community strategies, and affordability.

Being the first project of its kind in El Cerrito, Urban Planning Partners is working with the developer team, the City of El Cerrito, and BART to develop an entitlements process that meets AB 2923, the City, and BART’s goals and objectives. In tandem with the entitlements, Urban Planning Partners is also facilitating the community engagement process for the project. A virtual community-wide meeting for the project began in May 2021, and public outreach has continued throughout the design process including several focused stakeholder group meetings, a pop-up open house in July 2022 at the BART station, and a survey for feedback on the conceptual design. The applicant has submitted the project to the City, and it is currently under review.