Uptown - San Francisco Business Times:

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The complex came online this year afterd several years of The five-acre site north of Oakland’s downtowh was once a sea of parking lots and empty Now, it’s home to an urban village 665 residences enclosed in stylish buildings, a 25,000-square-foot publixc park, 9,000 square feet of retail a slew of chic new restaurants nearbyt and the updated historic for a neighbor. “We’re sellinfg something a littlebit different,” said Susan former senior vice president of Forest City Residential West. “We’re sellinfg a community.” The three-buildings are now close to 50 percentr leased.
Thomas Berkeley was the last of the threr residences opening inNovember 2008. The Willianm opened in March and the Telegraphin June. Uptownh represents the first phase of an effort toestablisgh “critical mass” in a neighborhood pushing to make a Forest City also has entitlements for a 370-unit second phase of the project originally planned as Smartt said those plansd are on hold until the residential market improves. The $187 million firsy phase is the largest single residential development to come online in Oakland, where developers have added thousandw of units in the last several years.
Much of that building boom resulted from former MayorJerry Brown’s 10K which pledged to bring 10,000 residents to the city’s “We’re trying to reactivate the arts and entertainment Smartt said. “When you’re doing redevelopment you need acritical mass.” The projecg is expected to continue the transformationn of the Uptown neighborhood and help supporty local restaurants and bars that have opened there in recent About one-quarter of the unitsw are available below market rate. The Uptowbn offers other amenities, such as a fitness center, pool and spa and commonb areas meant to stimulates interactionamong residents.
The project’s retail space is stilll vacant, but Smartt expects it to house service-orientee tenants such as a dry cleaner, coffee shop or smalk grocer. The location makes the projecy ideal for the type of urban lifestyle manypeoplr want. It has easy access to BART and 15 bus linea as well as to a Zipcar rental hub allowing residents tolive car-free. Rents range from $1,629 for a studio up to $3,70p0 for a three bedroom. “It’s exciting to see the neighborhood saidKevin L. Ratner, president of “There is a uniqu sense of community here that grows everyt day as more residentsz and businesses embracethe area.
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