Wednesday: Open House On El Cerrito BART Development

EL CERRITO, CA — An open house will be held Wednesday to discuss transit-oriented development possibilities at the El Cerrito Plaza BART station.

BART will outline plans and goals for the site, and strategies for replacing surface parking, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the station, located on Richmond Street between Fairmount and Central avenues, just north of the El Cerrito Plaza shopping center. Agency staff members will be outside the north fare gate.

The station is the next location where BART plans to pursue transit-oriented development and plans could include space for a new El Cerrito Library branch, a goal long sought by the city.

Development would be on the station's parking lots that total 6 acres on three parcels, including a full city block to the west of the station and opposite the entrance to the shopping center.

BART said it is "working closely with the City of El Cerrito" and plans to publish a Request for Qualifications in late fall 2019.

"Our goal is to partner with a developer in early 2020 and begin the process of community outreach, design, and entitlement with the City of El Cerrito," BART said on the website for the project.

The transit district noted that the project with the city's ongoing San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan, which encourages creation of new and denser housing and development projects that encourage use of public transit. — Bay City News

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