By Jack Stubbs
Southwest Berkeley, a neighborhood just a few blocks from Berkeley’s downtown area and north of the City of Emeryville, has a new development progressing through the pipeline.
NX Venture Partners, a real estate development company based in San Francisco, has plans in the works for an eight-story apartment located at 2601 San Pablo Avenue. An application proposal was submitted to the city in late November 2022, although updated renderings were submitted in late January.
The project proposal, submitted by Berkeley-based Trachtenberg Architects, entails the construction of an eight-story mixed-use building that would include 242 units in total (226 studios and 14 one-bedrooms, as well as a two-bedroom and a six-bedroom apartment on the ground floor). Additionally, parking will be included for 42 cars and 91 bicycles, as well as 1,940 square feet of commercial space.
The project seeks to utilize the California Density Bonus Law, originally enacted in 1979, which encourages housing and mixed-use developers to develop senior and affordable housing.
One of the primary benefits of the development, according to the applicant team’s submitted project proposal, is its cohesion and fit with the surrounding neighborhood.
“The proposed project is sited, massed and articulated so as to continue the urban building fabric along San Pablo Avenue between Parker Street and Carleton Street. The project is ideally located for a high-density development as it is located near the intersection of two major arterial streets and walkable to transit, groceries, and services,” the proposal states.
The potential endeavor is directly adjacent to State Route 123 and about two miles west of downtown Berkeley. Additionally, building residents will be near various community amenities such as San Pablo Park, Ashby Plaza, Berkeley Bowl West and several retail stores.
Along with its most recent project, NX Ventures also has other underway developments destined for San Pablo Avenue. In October 2022, as The Registry reported, an Irvine-based developer affiliated with Allrise Capital Inc. – in partnership with Trachtenberg Architects and Walnut Creek, CA-based landscape architects Thomas E. Baak & Associates — submitted plans for a six-story, 123-unit mixed-use building located at 2136-2154 San Pablo Ave.
According to The Registry’s recent reporting, NX Ventures has also submitted plans for a new 209,501 square foot mixed-use housing development located at 1974-1988 Shattuck Ave. and designed by Trachtenberg Architects. That proposal includes 297 residential units, with 208 studios, 23 one- and 66 two-bedroom units, along with a rooftop restaurant over ground-level retail and lobbies.
