Developer submits modified plans for Berkeley’s tallest building

Plans for Berkeley’s tallest building just got a little bigger.

The lot at 2190 Shattuck Avenue, zoned for an 18-story tower with 274 apartments, would now stretch to 25 stories and 326 units, according to a pre-application from Berkeley-based Trachtenberg Architects, the San Francisco Business Times reported. It would rise on a corner lot owned by Prudential Financial.

The project claimed one of three height exemptions allowed by Berkeley’s Downtown Area Plan, which covers buildings up to 180 feet tall. If the proposed tower is built with 10-foot floors, it would easily top Berkeley’s current tallest building, the 13-story, 186-footl SkyDeck Building, which was built in 1970, before the new downtown plan restricted the heights of structures.

Developers intend to make use of the state density bonus law according to the pre-application, which means the project will include affordable units. The project will also be submitted under SB 330, which provides expedited approval processes for certain residential developments.

The affordable units could bring the cost down, as former developer Mill Creek Residential had agreed to donate $10 million to Berkeley’s affordable housing fund in exchange for not meeting the city’s requirement of 20 percent.

Some residents have opposed high-rise construction downtown. The original plans for 2190 Shattuck Avenue garnered criticism due to its potential to block an “iconic view” of the Golden Gate Bridge from Campanile Way.

A different project, a planned 18-story high-rise at 2211 Harold Way, got so much opposition from the community that the developer dropped out, saying the city’s evolving community benefits requirements made it financially unfeasible.

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