Housing
A vacant lot on Central Avenue that has cycled through multiple failed housing proposals over the past decade, including a 393-unit apartment building approved in 2023, is back before city planners, this time with a far more modest development plan.
The Richmond Design Review Board will consider a 46-unit townhome project at its January 14 meeting, the latest iteration for the 2.58-acre site at 5620 Central Avenue that has remained undeveloped since the Dolan Lumber Company closed more than two decades ago.
The property's development saga began in earnest in 2015, when AMG & Associates proposed a six-story, 155-unit affordable housing complex. According to an April 2015 East Bay Times article, the Planning Commission initially approved the project but attached requirements including more parking, more open space around the building, and the nearby creek.
Developer Alexis Gevorgian challenged those requirements, and the city reached a settlement in late 2016, according to a January 2016 East Bay Times. By 2017, the Times reported that Gevorgian was questioning whether the project remained economically viable and was considering converting it into assisted living facilities.
In 2018, AMG returned with a dramatically different proposal: 46 units consisting of 42 townhomes and four "stacked flats," according to SFBay coverage. The Design Review Board reviewed that project in December 2018, but it too failed to move forward.
The city approved a 393-unit apartment building under Senate Bill 35 in 2023, allowing a streamlined ministerial review for qualifying affordable housing projects. That project, designated PLN22-045, requested three concessions under the State Density Bonus Law but did not proceed to the building phase.
The site remains vacant with only concrete slabs and temporary fencing.
The current application, submitted by AMG & Associates in November 2024, proposes 46 single-family townhomes in an earth-toned design similar to the 2018 proposal. Each three-story unit would include three bedrooms, a covered front porch, a second-story balcony, and a two-car garage.
Five units, or 10 percent, would be designated as affordable for moderate-income households, allowing the project to request density bonus concessions and waivers from certain development standards.
The proposal includes about 18,340 square feet of landscaping, 93 trees, a central recreation area with play equipment, and a 7,672-square-foot right-of-way dedication along Central Avenue and San Mateo Street.
Throughout the property's development history, Richmond Annex residents have raised concerns about traffic congestion on the heavily traveled Central Avenue corridor, parking impacts, flooding risks from Cerrito Creek, and whether projects fit the neighborhood character.
As of the staff report's release, no public comments had been submitted on the current project.
The site sits within a half-mile of the El Cerrito Plaza BART station and is near the Pacific East Mall, Costco, and other commercial developments. City staff note the location is ideal for transit-oriented development.
If approved by the Design Review Board, the project would proceed to the Planning Commission for final approval of the tentative parcel map, density bonus provisions, and a zoning waiver for the creek setback.
The property is owned by Affordable Housing Land Consultants, LLC, a Glendale-based company that has been involved in affordable housing development since 2000.
Marina Bay waterfront housing project moves to design review
A proposed waterfront housing development in Marina Bay is back in the spotlight after the city missed state-mandated deadlines for reviewing the plan. The Marina Point Residential Project calls for 70 three-story homes plus 30 accessory dwelling units on a 4.92-acre vacant parcel next to the Rosie the Riveter
Soren Hemmila
The board will also consider a 71-unit condominium project in Marina Bay that has drawn community opposition over shoreline protections and emergency access concerns.
The Design Review Board meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. January 14 at Richmond City Hall, 440 Civic Center Plaza.
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