Popular Rockridge Trader Joe's could be replaced by senior housing
Proposal by Align Real Estate to Oakland to turn Trader Joe's into senior housing at 5727 College Ave.
OAKLAND, Calif. - A major new development proposal could drastically reshape the skyline of Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood, and displace a popular Trader Joe's.
Replace Trader Joe's
What we know:
Align Real Estate submitted a 36-page application to the city of Oakland on Wednesday detailing plans to replace the heavily used grocery store and its adjacent parking lot at 5727 College Avenue with two residential towers, as first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.
The proposed buildings would stand 25 and 30 stories tall, situated near Highway 24 and the Rockridge BART station, plans submitted to the city show.
The land is currently owned by Albertsons, the parent company of Safeway.
Senior housing
Dig deeper:
According to the preliminary application filed with the city, the project would create 415 units of senior housing.
The facility is expected to offer both assisted living and memory care services, managed by a non-profit organization that has not yet been named.
The tower plans do not include any ground-floor retail space.
Proposal by Align Real Estate to Oakland to turn Trader Joe's into senior housing at 5727 College Ave.
Waivers
Because the project focuses on dense housing, the developer stated they believe the project qualifies for several waivers under recent California state laws.
These incentives would allow the towers to far exceed the neighborhood's existing 95-foot height limit and potentially allow the developer to forgo a standard environmental quality review.
Local officials
What they're saying:
While Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee’s office has not yet commented, Zac Unger, the city douncilmember representing the Rockridge neighborhood, told the San Francisco Chronicle he has not had the opportunity to study the application in detail.
KTVU has reached out to city leadership and various Rockridge neighborhood groups for their reactions to the high-density proposal.