The City of Alameda and its private partner, Alameda Point Partners LLC, broke ground on Phase 1 of the $1-billion mixed-use, transit-oriented waterfront development at the gateway to Alameda Point, called Site A. The 68-acre Site A development is located on the site of the former Naval Air Station Alameda, which closed nearly 25 years ago.
“The redevelopment of the former air station into a $1-billion mixed-use transit-oriented development is truly significant and complex,” says Bruce Dorfman, senior managing director of Trammell Crow Residential TCR’s Northern California division. “There were a number of issues associated with the site including tidelands, wildlife refuge buffer requirements, soil and groundwater remediation, aging infrastructure and sea level rise.”
Dorfman says given the scale of the project, “there was extensive community input and demand for considerable community benefits. Additionally, economic cycles were a challenge – two prior proposals to develop Alameda Point were derailed by the recessions related to the ‘dot com’ bust and the ‘mortgage meltdown,’ so we are very excited to get shovels in the ground.”
Eden Housing will develop a total of 130 affordable housing units in phase one on Block 8, a 2-acre parcel. The homes will be targeted at extremely low, very-low, low, and moderate-income households, which will be constructed in two buildings. One will be a "family" building with 70 units, while the second will be a building for seniors with 60 units. KTGY Architecture + Planning is the designer of both buildings.
On Block 11, TCR will be developing a 220-unit market rate apartment community with larger units offering views of the city and bay. “The Alexan Pan Am site is truly one of the best in the Bay Area – with its views, proximity to the new ferry, and central location in this new community, Alexan will be one of the most desirable rental properties in the East Bay, a draw to local residents who are presently living in older properties but are looking for a newer and higher quality housing option,” says Stephanie Hill, vice president of development at Trammell Crow Residential’s Northern California division. “This will help to reduce rent pressure for older apartments.”
The Alexan Pan Am will include 15,000 sq ft of neighborhood-serving retail and commercial space and is expected to break ground in late 2018. BAR Architects is the project’s designer. The general contractor is a venture between Maple Norcal Construction and Suffolk Construction.
In Block 9, Cypress Equity Investors is proposing to build 200 residential units that offer “affordability-by-design” to be appealing to moderate-income households. The new development would include approximately 10,000 sq-ft of retail/commercial space. The project’s designer is PYATOK.
In Block 6, Trumark Homes plans to build 63 townhomes, says Hill. KTGY Architecture + Planning is the project’s designer. Block 7 is currently optioned by Trumark Homes for 60 townhomes. The concept design architect was Kwan Henmi Architecture/Planning, which is now DLR Group|KwanHenmi. KTGY Architecture + Planning is the executive architect.
Completion of the new infrastructure for the $500-million phase one of Site A is expected within the next two years, with vertical construction commencing by year end, says Dorfman. The first residential units are projected to be completed in the second half of 2019. The general contractor for the infrastructure is DeSilva Gates Construction.
APP is scheduled to move forward with the transfer of approximately 20 acres from the City in 2019 for the project’s second phase, Dorfman says. “The timing of the third phase, which is slated to include a hotel plus additional commercial space, will be a function of the Navy’s completion of its remediation activities before the remaining portion of Site A is turned over to APP,” says Dorfman.
Alameda Point Partners is a joint venture led by managing partner Trammell Crow Residential, a division of Dallas-based Crow Holdings, and also includes commercial developer srmERNST Development Partners, affordable non-profit housing developer Eden Housing, retail landlord Madison Marquette and financial partner Cypress Equity Investments.
