San Francisco Business Times
February 2, 2017
By Roland Li

One of Emeryville’s largest proposed housing projects, the 500-unit redevelopment of the former Sherwin-Williams paint factory, is moving towards final approval.

Last year, the city approved a site plan for the 10-acre project, and a Planning Commission vote on the project’s design is scheduled for March. The site is bounded by Horton Street, Sherwin Avenue and Union Pacific Railroad tracks.

Final approval could come by the end of the year, said Kevin Ma of Lennar Multifamilies Communities, a unit of Lennar Corp. (NYSE: LEN), which is developing the project along with minority partners Thompson Dorfman and srmERNST.

The project will also include 74,000 square feet of office space and an undetermined amount of retial space. The project will fund a new city park and shuttle service to the West Oakland BART station. A budget and general contractor hasn’t been finalized, said Ma. LPAS is the architect. The project’s affordable housing component hasn’t been decided but will comply with city regulations, said Ma. It also hasn’t been decided if the units will be rentals or condos.

The project is divided into four “districts,” centered around a historic warehouse, a new park, an adjacent railway and a boulevard.

Buildings will range from 55 to 95 feet, or up to about eight stories, said Ma. He said the design is meant to reflect the site’s industrial history. “The goal is to complement the existing architecture of the neighborhood,” said Ma. “We want to blend in.”

Ma said Lennar Multifamily’s two Oakland projects will also break ground this year. Lennar has approvals for a 254-unit tower at 1640 Broadway and 224 units at 301 19th St. in downtown Oakland. Build Group is the general contractor for the tower.

In San Francisco, Lennar Multifamily’s 1515 South Van Ness Ave. is undergoing further environmental review after an unusual Board of Supervisors meeting delayed the project over references to supporters of President Donald Trump.

Lennar and its spin-off, FivePoint Communities, are among the most active developers in the Bay Area, specializing in transforming large master planned developments. The company’s other major projects include the San Francisco Shipyard, the Concord naval base redevelopment and land around the future Warm Springs BART station in Fremont.it’s a mix of office, residential and locally serving retail

The E’ville Eye, a local blog, previously reported details of the project.

Click here to view original article.