El Cerrito Plaza BART Housing (TOD)
Last updated September 20, 2026.
The largest development project tied to the transportation plans is transit-oriented housing on BART’s parking lots at the El Cerrito Plaza station. This page records what was approved, how many homes it includes, how the first two buildings are funded, and what the documents say about the library space in the plan.
Summary
- Approved: July 3, 2024, by the City’s Zoning Administrator, under state law. The City Council did not vote on it.
- Size: 743 homes in six buildings (673 in the master plan approval plus the 70-home first building, which was approved separately).
- Income-restricted homes: 351 of 743 (163 at 30–60% of area median income, 118 at up to 80%, and the 70 homes in the first building). 233 of the 351 are at 60% or below.
- First building (Parcel A South, 70 homes): under construction since November 2025.
- Second building (Parcel C East, 84 homes): state AHSC application not recommended December 10, 2025.
- Library: included only “if the City can secure the necessary financing.” Measure C failed June 2, 2026.
Source: City of El Cerrito, PL23-0024 Ministerial Approval Letter, July 3, 2024 (pp. 1–2, 6–7); BART, El Cerrito Plaza TOD page.
The approval
- Who approved it: Zoning Administrator, on July 3, 2024 (case PL23-0024), under state laws that allow approval without a hearing when a project meets the rules (AB 2923 and SB 35). The letter says some Specific Plan setbacks and shadow rules are “not considered enforceable” because of AB 2923.
- Master plan: 673 homes in five buildings on BART’s land. The first building (Parcel A South, 70 homes) was approved separately on April 3, 2023.
- Affordability in the master plan: 163 homes at 30–60% of area median income, 118 at up to 80%, and 392 at market rate.
- Parking: 411 spaces in the master plan (145 for BART riders and 266 for residents). BART’s presentation of October 28, 2025 lists 742 spaces in the current lot.
- Open space: about 22,000 square feet of public open space and a new transit street (Oak Street extension).
- Developer team: Related California, Holliday Development and Satellite Affordable Housing Associates, selected by the BART Board on November 19, 2020.
Source: PL23-0024 Ministerial Approval Letter, July 3, 2024; BART presentation to the West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee, October 28, 2025 (slides 8, 13); BART Board action, November 19, 2020.
First building: Parcel A South
- Location and size: 515 Richmond Street; 70 homes (69 income-restricted plus one manager’s unit), 30–60% of area median income.
- Construction: began November 2025. The state tax-credit report expects completion in January 2027; BART’s presentation says about two years from the start.
- City loan: on February 7, 2023 the council authorized a predevelopment loan.
| Funding | Amount | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| AHSC (state), Round 8: loan | $21,148,570 | State award, August 2024 |
| AHSC (state), Round 8: grant to the City | $17,992,507 | Same award; agreement signed October 31 and November 5, 2025 |
| AHSC total | $39,141,077 | |
| State infill infrastructure grant | $20,208,715 | State list dated August 3, 2023 |
| Contra Costa County Measure X | $3,000,000 | Spring 2025 |
| Bay Area Housing Finance Authority loan | $2,400,000 | MTC news release |
| Tax-exempt bond allocation | $35,700,000 | State report, April 8, 2025 |
| Federal housing tax credits | $2,591,649 a year | State report, April 8, 2025 |
Do not add these lines together: bond and tax-credit allocations are financing authority, not cash grants, and the AHSC total contains its own loan and grant. See the funding page.
Source: SGC AHSC Round 8 awards; HCD infill grant list; Standard Agreement 24-AHSC-18468; Housing Element Annual Progress Report 2025 (Measure X); CTCAC staff report CA-25-483; Agenda Bill 8.A.1, February 7, 2023.
Second building: Parcel C East
- Size and address: 84 homes at 6671 Fairmount Avenue. (The May 6, 2025 agenda bill says 6617; the resolution in the same packet and the fund report say 6671.)
- Council action: on May 6, 2025 the council authorized a state AHSC application and a $350,000 predevelopment loan from the City’s housing successor fund.
- State decision: December 10, 2025, not recommended. Requested $42,362,829; score 85.
- Round 10 (2026): Parcel C East was resubmitted. The AHSC Round 10 application workbook gives a total request of $40.2 million; the City’s budget describes about $3.5 million of it as Complete Streets improvements. The bikeway package changed (Class III on Norvell, Albermarle and Lincoln; Class IV on Pierce) and Richmond Street was dropped. Applications were due May 4, 2026; results are expected in December 2026.
Source: Agenda Bill 9.C, May 6, 2025; SGC, December 10, 2025, Item 9, Attachment A; SB 341 Housing Successor Report FY2024/25 (p. 7); AHSC Round 10 application workbook; FY2026-27/FY2027-28 Biennial Budget.
Library space
- In the approval: the approval letter includes a 20,000-square-foot public library on one parcel “if the City can secure the necessary financing.” Otherwise the space would hold about 2,000 square feet of commercial space and up to 39 resident parking spaces. BART’s presentation of October 28, 2025 says “pending voter-passed funding.”
- Measure C (June 2, 2026): a parcel tax of up to $0.17 per square foot ($100 per vacant parcel) for a new library and its operating costs for ten years after construction. A majority vote was required. The city’s draft results resolution reports 3,264 yes and 7,475 no of 10,739 votes (30.4% yes, 69.6% no). The measure failed.
- Caution: the copy of the results resolution reviewed is numbered “2026-XX” for the July 21, 2026 council meeting, is unsigned, and has a blank vote. Council adoption has not been confirmed. The vote counts come from the county’s statement of votes, which the resolution quotes.
Source: PL23-0024 Approval Letter (library condition); BART presentation, October 28, 2025; draft Resolution No. 2026-XX, Measure C results (July 21, 2026 meeting).
Money the City itself has for housing
When California ended redevelopment agencies on February 1, 2012, El Cerrito became the “Housing Successor.” At June 30, 2025 the fund held $6,960,307 on paper, of which only $105,410 was available cash. The rest is loans receivable ($5,045,108), interest receivable ($1,459,788) and other assets. The City’s report also says the fund missed the state’s income-targeting test for July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2024.
A consultant’s July 7, 2026 housing report says $95,000 remains in the fund and that the City contributed $350,000 each to Elora Apartments and the Plaza TOD. The City’s fund report shows $700,000 spent from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2024 and a separate $350,000 commitment on May 6, 2025. The documents do not reconcile these.
Source: SB 341 Housing Successor Report FY2024/25 (pp. 4–8), attached to Agenda Bill 6.D, March 17, 2026; Strategic Economics, Affordable Housing and Anti-Displacement Strategy, July 7, 2026 (slide 15). See also RDA Dissolution.
© Ira Sharenow