El Cerrito held a groundbreaking ceremony Thursday on the first of six apartment buildings that will total 743 new units on surface parking lots at the El Cerrito Plaza BART Station.
The construction, which officially began in November, will start with the construction of a 70-unit affordable housing building at 515 Richmond St., slated for completion in 2027.
All six buildings are anticipated for completion in 2029.
A wide group of state and local leaders attended Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the milestone, including El Cerrito Mayor Gabe Quinto, members of the City Council, and Tomiquia Moss, secretary of the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. Also in attendance were San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, who authored the state law AB 2923 to help build housing on BART land, BART Board Director Barnali Ghosh, and Ann Silverberg, president of Related California Affordable.
Councilmember Rebecca Saltzman, who worked on this project as a BART director and then as a councilmember, said she “couldn’t be happier that it’s now under construction.”
The development is a collaborative effort between the City of El Cerrito, BART, and Related California. Major support and funding were provided by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the California Strategic Growth Council, J.P. Morgan Chase and Enterprise Community Partners.
Residents who want to follow the construction progress or learn more about the project can visit elcerrito.gov/TOD.
