T
he City of Berkeley has approved a 739-unit development atop the North Berkeley BART station, one of the first large housing projects in California to be greenlit through ministerial review. The East Bay city gave the nod to North Berkeley Housing Partners to build the apartments on BART-owned parking lots around the station at 1750 Sacramento Street.

    The project will be co-developed by a coalition including Bridge Housing, East Bay Asian Local Development, AvalonBay Communities, and Insight Housing. Quick approval was made possible through Assembly Bill 2011, which fast-tracks housing projects on commercially zoned land by requiring city approval within 180 days.

    Plans for the BART station project include 13 apartment buildings as high as eight stories on a 5.5-acre block bound by Virginia, Acton, Delaware and Sacramento streets. Over half of its units will be affordable for households earning between 20 percent and 70 percent of area median income. The four partners will build the project in phases, starting with three affordable housing buildings and open spaces.

    Developers expect to break ground in spring 2026, pending funding. The project includes a child care center, community-serving space, and public open space. EBALDC secured over $100 million in funding this year, including $49 million from the Affordable Housing Sustainable Communities program and $26.5 million from Berkeley's Measure O Affordable Housing Bond.

    The city also plans to redevelop the Ashby BART Station with at least 1,200 homes, nonprofit offices, and a flea market on a 6.5-acre parking lot in South Berkeley. They are now seeking developers for the transit-oriented project.