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Popular Rockridge Trader Joe's could be replaced by senior housing
A major new development proposal could drastically reshape the skyline of Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood, and displace a popular Trader Joe's.
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:
Proposal by Align Real Estate to Oakland to turn Trader Joe's into senior housing at 5727 College Ave.
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.
What they're saying:
Caitlin Robinson, who was jogging by Trader Joe's on Thursday morning, acknowledged that change is hard.
"Anytime things look different, that can be off-putting," she said. "But in general, we do need more housing. Maybe there's some sort of balance we can find with that?"
Rick Crawford said for him, the height of the towers is not the issue. For him, the issue seems to be fewer grocery stores.
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.
Zac Unger, the city councilmember representing the Rockridge neighborhood, told the San Francisco Chronicle he has not had the opportunity to study the application in detail.
In an interview with KTVU on Thursday, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee said the city will have to review all the relevant laws and waivers.
"We have to make sure whether it proceeds or not — that we comply with all the requirements," she said. "We've got to do the due diligence, we've got to engage the community, and there's a process that must be engaged in."