Summary

The California College of the Arts (CCA) has completed its move to San Francisco and 5212 Broadway is now vacant. Following over seven years of community engagement, input and feedback, Emerald Fund and Equity Community Builders - the CCA Development Team - are proposing a project for Oakland and Rockridge that offers the following:

  • A campus that will be open to the public for the first time

  • 1.5 acres of publicly accessible open space featuring historic Macky Lawn and a meandering landscape through redwood groves, heritage oaks, mature species and historic art installations

  • Public event space, community meeting space, public view terrace and nature playground

  • Preservation and repurposing of the primary components of the Victorian Treadwell Estate era (Broadway Wall, Broadway Stairs, Broadway Gate, Macky Hall, Carriage House, Macky Lawn, direct views from Broadway sidewalk)

  • Celebration of the College era through interpretive exhibits, art installations and programming developed in collaboration with CCA

  • 448 homes in a transit-rich neighborhood that has seen scant new housing in decades

  • 45 moderate income affordable homes on site

  • 14,000 square feet of commercial space

  • State-of-the-art sustainability features and a focus on multimodal transportation

 

Background

The California College of the Arts (CCA) at 5212 Broadway in Oakland has moved its programs and operations to its newly expanded San Francisco campus and has vacated the Oakland campus as of August 2022. The CCA Board selected the team of Emerald Fund and Equity Community Builders (the “development team”) in 2017 to craft a plan for the Oakland campus that provides a mix of open space and housing and takes advantage of the site’s close proximity to a variety of transit options, including the Rockridge BART station, just over a 10-minute walk away.

In late 2018, after nearly two years of dialogue with stakeholders, the development team proposed a 589-unit project comprised of 554 homes on-site (including a 19-story residential tower), 35 affordable artist homes in a repurposed dormitory building across Clifton Street, the preservation of the two nationally registered historic buildings and a 1.5-acre publicly accessible open space. In response to community feedback throughout 2019, alternatives were studied resulting in a midrise concept that eliminated the tower, eliminated a building on the south side of the site, and increased the open space.

In the Spring of 2020, at the request of the Planning Department, the development team undertook a thorough analysis of the feasibility of preserving up to nine additional buildings from the Campus era. The analysis included full plans and specifications for each individual building to be converted to office use (the highest and best use), construction pricing by two firms, market studies and full proformas. The results were shared during several stakeholder meetings and are available here.

In 2021, the Planning Department requested that a specialist firm (SITELAB Urban Studio was retained) prepare Draft Design Guidelines to govern the development of the property consistent with the historic resources on-site and compatible with the surrounding Rockridge neighborhood. In 2021, Mithun was also retained as the project architect to develop a project design in response to the Design Guidelines.

In March 2023, following two years of feedback from the Planning & Building Department, the Design Review Committee of the Planning Commission approved the Design Guidelines following the elimination of 1-2 floors of housing from Building B. The resulting project contains 448 homes, and an updated project application reflecting the revised program was submitted on March 1, 2023.

 

Proposed Project

The project has evolved, and been shaped by, over seven years of community input and feedback from a variety of stakeholders with an interest in the former CCA campus, Rockridge and Oakland. Many dozens of stakeholder meetings have occurred.

The resulting Proposed Project is a finely crafted vision that will create a new chapter in the storied history of the 5212 Broadway site by opening up the former CCA campus to the community while combining historic preservation, community spaces, recreational opportunities, commercial office space and much needed, abundant housing. 5212 Broadway will be a tremendous community asset for decades to come.

The Proposed Project includes:

  • 448 homes with a mix of studios, 1-bedrooms, 2-bedrooms and loft/townhomes

  • 45 moderate income affordable homes on site

  • 14,000 square feet of commercial office space

  • Preservation and repurposing of the primary components of the Victorian Treadwell Estate Era (including the Broadway Wall, Broadway Stairs, Broadway Gate, and the National Historic Register listed Macky Hall and Carriage House), with the Carriage House providing ground floor public meeting and event space and exhibits illustrating the history of the CCA campus

  • Opening up the historic college site to the neighborhood with community access to Macky Lawn and art installations and programming developed in collaboration with CCA

  • Preservation of the historic landscape through retention of the existing Macky Lawn and multiple redwood groves, coast live oaks and magnolia trees, among other heritage species, while creating new ways to enjoy the outdoor setting through a nature playground and terrace view deck

  • State-of-the-art sustainability features including all electric buildings, solar photovoltaic system for common electric, water conservation systems, and electric vehicle charging stations

  • A focus on multimodal transportation through reduced parking that is decoupled from the residential units, proximity to BART and AC Transit lines, and a bike parking space for every home

View additional site plans, renderings, and building references in the Image Gallery.

 

Next Steps

The Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) was published by the Planning & Building Department on September 20, 2024. The FEIR and the overall project will be considered in public hearings by the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board on October 7, 2024, the Planning Commission on October 16, 2024, and the City Council in November or December 2024.

 

Project Schedule

In 2017, Emerald Fund and ECB met with a broad array of stakeholders and community organizations in an effort to formulate goals for the legacy property. The resulting vision included creating new housing, opening the site up to the public, promoting the arts, retaining historic buildings and minimizing traffic impacts. In subsequent months, the design team honed and refined the project plans to help bring about the proposed vision.

During fall 2018, Emerald Fund, ECB and the design team shared the proposed vision with numerous community stakeholder groups in advance of submitting an entitlement application to the City of Oakland and beginning the environmental review process later that year. In late 2019, following months of community feedback, the design was modified to remove the proposed 190-foot tower and a building on the south edge of the site. In spring 2020, at the request of the Planning Department, Emerald Fund and ECB conducted a thorough analysis of five development scenarios, including multiple preservation options. The results of those studies have been made available on this website since spring 2020. At the conclusion of the process, in May 2020, Emerald Fund and ECB revised the Project Description to align with the only potentially financially feasible development scenario, Option 1 - no tower, 447 homes, 10% on site affordable at 110% AMI, preservation of Macky Hall, Carriage House, and landscape elements.

In spring 2021, the Planning Department requested that Design Guidelines be prepared to govern the development of the property consistent with the historic resources on-site and compatible with the surrounding Rockridge neighborhood. SITELAB Urban Studio was retained to prepare the Design Guidelines, a draft of which was submitted to Planning in December 2021. Mithun was also retained as the project architect in the summer of 2021 and has developed a design in conformance with the Draft Design Guidelines that resulted in a revised Project Application submitted in August 2022 that includes up to 510 homes. This program is being assessed in the Environmental Impact Report (EIR).

In July 2022, the Planning Department approved the release of the Draft Design Guidelines for the 5212 Broadway site. This document creates a set of design guidelines that govern how the proposed redevelopment of the site should balance the priorities of maintaining historic resources and character-defining features of the site landscape and being compatible with the character of neighboring Rockridge and the adjacent Broadway commercial corridor, while allowing for a new era of the site that provides abundant housing in close proximity to transit. In August 2022, the development team submitted a revised Project Application and Plan Set to the Planning Department based upon conformance with the Design Guidelines.

The Draft Design Guidelines were discussed before the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board on September 12, 2022, and October 10, 2022, and before the Design Review Committee on October 26, 2022, and March 22, 2023. The Design Guidelines were found to be acceptable by the Design Review Committee at the March 22, 2023, hearing.

The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) was issued by the City on January 12, 2024. The Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board held a public hearing to solicit comments on the DEIR on February 5, 2023, and the Planning Commission held a public hearing to do the same on February 7, 2023.

The Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) was published by the Planning & Building Department on September 20, 2024. The FEIR and the overall project will be considered in public hearings by the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board on October 7, 2024, the Planning Commission on October 16, 2024, and the City Council in November or December 2024.

Spring – Summer 2017: CCA Community Outreach

  • CCA stakeholder outreach and engagement – administration, faculty and alumni

Fall 2017: Oakland Community Outreach

  • Community stakeholder outreach and interviews

  • Presentations at community group meetings

  • First at-large community meeting

Spring – Summer 2018: Prepare Proposed Vision

  • Project team prepares proposed vision for site based on community feedback

Fall 2018: Share Vision and Submit Entitlement Pre-Application

  • Presentations at community group meetings

  • Second at-large community meeting – present proposed vision

  • Submit entitlement pre-application for project

Winter 2018 – 2024: Formal City Review Process

  • CEQA process commence, Nov. 2018

  • CEQA Notice of Preparation (NOP) issued, June 2019

  • NOP public hearings before Landmarks Preservation Board and Planning Commission, Sept./Oct. 2019

  • Analysis of preservation options, April 2020

  • Project Description amended, May 2020

  • SITELAB retained to prepare Design Guidelines as requested by Planning, Summer 2021

  • Draft Design Guidelines submitted to Planning, December 2021

  • Revised Project Application submitted to Planning, August 25, 2022

  • Revised Design Guidelines submitted to Planning, February 15, 2023

  • Revised Project Application submitted to Planning, March 1, 2023

  • Draft EIR Issuance and public hearings, Jan/February 2024

  • FEIR Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board hearing, October 7, 2024

  • FEIR Planning Commission hearing, October 16, 2024

  • FEIR City Council hearings, November or December 2024

 

Community Outreach

The project team is committed to community input in the planning process. We’ve conducted dozens of meetings with stakeholders over the past 7+ years. The City’s CEQA and Planning review process is expected to last about eight years. Check here for project updates and the latest design documents.

UPCOMING OUTREACH

Final EIR Public Hearings

The Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) was published by the Planning & Building Department on September 20, 2024. The FEIR and the overall project will be considered in the upcoming public hearings:

PAST OUTREACH

The following provides a summary of outreach conducted since 2017 on the redevelopment efforts for the site. For questions about past outreach efforts, please Contact Us.

Virtual Community Meeting

On February 14, 2024, Emerald Fund and Equity Community Builders hosted a virtual community meeting on the proposed project and the project Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR), which was issued by the City on January 12, 2024. The DEIR describes the project, the potential environmental impacts and associated mitigation measures. You can watch the meeting recording using the link below.

Draft EIR Public Hearings

The Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) was issued by the City on January 12, 2024. The Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board held a public hearing to solicit comments on the DEIR on February 5, 2023, and the Planning Commission held a public hearing to do the same on February 7, 2023. To watch a recording of these hearings, please visit the City of Oakland’s Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board webpage and the Planning Commission webpage.

City of Oakland Design Review Committee Public Hearings

The City of Oakland’s Design Review Committee of the Oakland Planning Commission reviewed the Draft Design Guidelines for the site on Wednesday, March 22, 2023 and on Wednesday, October 26, 2022. You can visit the City’s Design Review Committee webpage for more details.

City of Oakland Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board Meeting

On September 12 and October 10, the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board reviewed the Draft Design Guidelines for the site, which describe standards and regulations to preserve the historic character of the site while allowing for future redevelopment. A link to the meeting recording is included below and you can also visit the City’s Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board webpage for more details.

Summer 2022 Virtual Meetings

The project team held virtual meetings with Councilmember Dan Kalb, Upper Broadway Advocates, the Rockridge Community Planning Council and the Oakland Heritage Alliance to review the Draft Design Guidelines and proposed project design. The same information was presented at each meeting.

Summer 2021 Neighborhood Walking Tours

The project team held neighborhood walking tours with Upper Broadway Advocates and leaders from the Oakland Heritage Alliance to discuss the Design Guidelines and collect feedback.


Summer 2021 Design Guidelines Meetings

The project team provided a presentation to Councilmember Dan Kalb, Upper Broadway Advocates and the Rockridge Community Planning Council to discuss the Design Guidelines approach and collect feedback.

March 2021 City of Oakland Design Review Committee Hearing

On Wednesday, March 24, the project team participated in a virtual introductory session with the City of Oakland’s Design Review Committee where they introduced the site, project goals, the setting of the proposed buildings and park, and discussed approaches to create a set of design guidelines for the CCA site. Click here to view the staff report associated with the meeting or click here to visit the City Design Review Committee website.

November 2020 Upper Broadway Advocates Meeting

On November 5, 2020, the project team met with Upper Broadway Advocates (UBA) to get their input on the potential building design.

City of Oakland 2020 Hearings

The project team participated in a City of Oakland Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board Hearing on August 10, 2020 and a City of Oakland Planning Commission Hearing on September 2, 2020. Both hearings were informational sessions where the new project alternatives were discussed along with, among other things, what alternatives should be studied under the EIR. Video recordings of these meetings are available at the City’s website.


Rockridge News Interview

In the July 2020 issue of the Rockridge News, Marc Babsin of Emerald Fund was interviewed by Stu Flashman, Rockridge Community Planning Council Land Use Committee Chair, on the project and planning process. Click here to read the interview.

2020 Virtual Community Meetings

The project team met with Councilmember Dan Kalb, Upper Broadway Advocates, the Rockridge Community Planning Council and the Oakland Heritage Alliance as well as held two virtual community meetings in summer 2020 where they presented their five redevelopment alternatives for the CCA site that were prepared in response to feedback from the City of Oakland and the community. The same information was discussed at each meeting and copies of the chat logs from the two virtual community meetings can be found below.


City of Oakland 2019 Hearings

The project team participated in a City of Oakland Landmarks Preservation Board Hearing on September 23, 2019 and a City of Oakland Planning Commission Hearing on October 16, 2019 to discuss the EIR associated with the original 2018 Project Proposal.

2019 Community Outreach

In fall 2019, the project team provided a presentation on the 2019 draft EIR and proposed project with all Councilmember Dan Kalb, the Rockridge Community Planning Council, Upper Broadway Advocates and the San Francisco Housing Action Coalition. The third community meeting was held in early 2019.  

2019 Notice of Preparation (NOP)

The City of Oakland's Planning and Building Department, Bureau of Planning, prepared an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the California College of the Arts (CCA) and Clifton Hall Redevelopment Project (the Project) and requested comments on the scope and content of the EIR. The EIR will address the potential physical and environmental effects that the Project may have on each of the environmental topics outlined in the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The public was invited to comment on the Notice of Preparation from June 21, 2019 until August 23, 2019. There were also two public hearings on the NOP:

- Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board, Monday, September 23, 6pm, Oakland City Council Chambers

- City Planning Commission, Wednesday, October 16, 6pm, Oakland City Council Chambers

2018 Community Outreach

In fall 2018, the project team met with all City Councilmembers, Oakland Heritage Alliance, the Rockridge Community Planning Council, Rockridge District Association, Temescal Neighborhood Council, Piedmont Avenue Neighborhood Improvement League, Claremont Country Club, 225 Clifton Apartments and East Bay for Everyone to discuss the 2018 Project Proposal. The second community meeting was also held in November 2018.

2017 Community Outreach

In fall 2017, the project team met with Councilmember Dan Kalb, Oakland Heritage Alliance, the Rockridge Community Planning Council, Rockridge District Association, Piedmont Avenue Neighborhood Improvement League and East Bay for Everyone to introduce their proposal to redevelop the CCA site. The first community meeting was also held in October 2017.

Please visit the Contact Us section to sign-up to receive electronic meeting invites.

CCA Campus Planning

For more information on CCA’s work at its San Francisco campus, please visit http://cca.edu/new-campus.