Landmark Properties plans more student housing in Berkeley

Georgia-based development firm Landmark Properties filed plans with Berkeley for its third student housing development in the East Bay city. The project is another example of Berkeley’s attempt to bring much-needed student housing to the state university where only 22 percent of the students live in Berkeley.

The project located at 2190 Shattuck Avenue will feature 326 units ranging from studio to five-bedrooms, with approximately 10 percent of available units designated as affordable housing. Unit features will include stainless-steel appliances and hardwood-style floors and each bedroom will have its own bathroom.

Common amenities include a rooftop deck with a dog park, hot tub and lounge area. The plans also state that there will be 7,500 square feet of retail space. Construction is estimated to be completed by fall 2026.

Landmark’s other Berkeley buildings are a 117-unit apartment located at 2580 Bancroft Way and a 98-unit building on Milvia Street.

The city has made a renewed focus to spur student housing development this year, which has led to the city revamping zoning ordinances to foster development of new housing in faster time frames. The school has been hit with lawsuits from students who complain that the school has accepted more students than its campus and surrounding city can house. Save Berkeley Neighborhoods filed a lawsuit against UC Berkeley in March.

The organization argues that UC violated state environmental laws by increasing enrollment by 30 percent over the past 17 years without properly analyzing the effects more students would have on housing, among other local circumstances. The university was ordered to cut in-person fall enrollment by 2,629 and the city has been working to address the housing concerns of students and residents.

“Landmark continues to see a need for well-located, purpose-built university-focused housing in Berkeley and we look forward to delivering this project as a complement to our two operational apartment communities serving the Berkeley market,” Landmark CEO Wes Rogers said.

Landmark isn’t the only developer that wants to capitalize on Berkeley’s student housing shortage. London-based Grosvenor secured a $90 million loan from JP Morgan to build a 163-unit apartment right next door at 1951 Shattuck Avenue. Chicago-based Core Spaces is planning the tallest building in Berkeley with a 485-unit apartment complex at the intersection of Oxford and Center Street.

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