Berkeley sites next to university may be replaced by 100-plus homes

BERKELEY — Retail shops and housing might be bulldozed and replaced by a big residential development next to UC Berkeley, according to new plans on file with city officials.

The proposal would bring 127 residential units to the northwest corner of Ellsworth Street and Bancroft Avenue, across the street from the southern edges of the UC Berkeley campus, the planning documents show.

The development would emerge on properties with addresses of 2300 and 2310 Ellsworth St. and 2244 and 2250 Bancroft Way in Berkeley, according to the proposal.

“Demolition of two existing commercial buildings and a 12-unit residential building” would be the precursors to the development of the new housing, the city planning files show.

Oakland-based Riaz Capital, which has floated plans for housing projects elsewhere in the Bay Area, is the developer that is pursuing the housing development next to UC Berkeley.

The 127 homes would be within a seven-story building that would sprout on the Berkeley site. Two parcels would be merged into one to create enough land for the project.

At present the Jitensia Studio bicycle shop, La Petite hair salon and Blue Door Cafe are listed as the primary merchants in the retail building where the project would be built. Google and Yelp list Blue Door as closed, while the bike store and the salon are open.

Riaz Capital also intends to demolish a 12-unit residential building on Ellsworth Street at an adjacent site, according to the planning documents.

The real estate firm plans to employ one or more provisions in SB 330, California legislation that was crafted to smooth the path for the development of new housing.

The timetable for approval of the proposed project, the start of construction and the completion of the new housing complex weren’t disclosed. This news organization requested a comment from multiple Riaz Capital executives.