EAST BAY MARKETS LIKE EMERYVILLE AND OAKLAND’S
JACK LONDON SQUARE AND KENNEDY TRACT ARE RECEIVING A LOT OF
ATTENTION FROM DEVELOPERS AND POTENTIAL LOFT BUYERS AS NEW
PROJECTS ARISE IN THESE EMERGING NEIGHBORHOODS.
But let’s not forget about Berkeley, which remains one
of the most eclectic and desirable loft locations in the Bay
Area.
West Berkeley, specifically in the 94710 zip code, is one
of the original frontiers for live/work lofts. The area that
is now Fourth Street was once part of an incorporated town
called Ocean View before the City of Berkeley existed. This
area has transitioned from an industrial area to “the
place to be” in Berkeley for gourmet restaurants, boutique
shopping, original furniture and art.
No
two developments in the area are alike: project sizes range
from quirky two to thirty-plus unit complexes, structures vary
from water towers to tri-level live/work, and finishes range
from utility sinks to Bosch dishwashers. Materials used for
building can also be cutting edge. For example, consider Rempel
+ Lao Architects’ 5th Street Lofts, an in-fill loft project
in West Berkeley’s industrial area. The project – designed
tominimize solar impact on neighbors while providing a maximum
of open space – was developed as a “green” project
using sustainably harvested exterior IPE wood siding, recyclable
steel and recycled glass terrazzo floors from Counter Production
of Berkeley. Rempel + Lao also designed the highly anticipated
10th Street Lofts, four residential and two live/ work lofts,
coming to market in the next couple of months.
Since 2002 there have only been twenty-two resales in the
area (which is a testament to their desirability) with an average
sales price of $346K (source: EBRDI). The buildings include
The Cypress Tree Lofts, 4th Street Lofts, Westside Place Lofts
and the Redwood Tree Studios.
The popularity of lofts in the Fourth Street district has
been the impetus for urban infill projects to spread closer
to campus and downtown Berkeley with relatively new projects
like the University Lofts and the Shattuck Lofts.
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Spring 2004 Table of Contents 
