Office tower with balcony gardens could sprout in downtown Oakland
Developers from both coasts team up to build high-rise
OAKLAND >> An office tower that could be adorned with balconies containing gardens is slated to sprout in downtown Oakland at a prime site near a BART station, plans on file with city officials show.
The high-rise is slated to soar 26 floors above a parcel at 1919 Webster St., according to the planning documents.
San Francisco-based Ellis Partners and Bostonbased Intercontinental Real Estate have teamed up to develop the office
tower, located at the corner of Webster Street and 19th Street.
The downtown Oakland tower is expected to include several balconies with trees and other plants, in what appears to be a recognition of the health-conscious world of the coronavirus era.
“A series of outdoor balconies will be integrated into the building at the office
floors,” the developers stated in a proposal that's been submitted to Oakland officials.
The office tower also would feature “a large rooftop terrace,” the public documents show.
The office tower is expected to total 520,000 square feet, according to the planning records. A typical floor of office space would total 22,000 square feet. Each floor would be about 14 feet high.
In April 2021, the alliance of Ellis Partners and Intercontinental Real Estate paid $23.5 million for the property, which includes an old PG&E office building and a surface parking lot.
The old building totals 74,000 square feet. The developers intend to bulldoze the building to clear the way for the new tower.
“We will listen carefully to our local stakeholders as we move forward to create a landmark building that helps the city meet the broad needs of the community while preserving Oakland's unique character,” Dean Rubinson, director of development with Ellis Partners, said at the time of the purchase.