The Courtyard by Marriott in downtown Oakland may be swapping rolling suitcases for moving boxes. Developers have filed early plans to turn the five-story, 162-room hotel into apartments, carving the property into about 64 residential units while leaving the overall building footprint in place. If it gets traction, the project would be another closely watched example of Bay Area hotels getting repurposed for housing as the regional lodging market struggles to find its footing.
Developers Push Hotel-to-Housing Makeover
Core Capital Investments and Gaw Capital have submitted paperwork to the City of Oakland to convert the Courtyard at 988 Broadway into housing, according to The Real Deal. The preliminary filing outlines 64 units spread across the existing five floors, and attorneys for the owners told city planners they are not seeking to expand the structure beyond its current shell.
How the Rooms Could Be Rebuilt as Homes
Architectural documents list Steinberg Hart as the architect and detail a proposed mix of eight studios, 24 one-bedrooms, 16 two-bedrooms and 16 three-bedrooms. Seven units would be reserved for households earning between 50 and 80 percent of the area median income, and the plan calls for keeping the ground-floor retail as well as shared amenities such as a fitness room and bicycle parking, according to SF YIMBY.
From Scrapped Shelter Plan to New Proposal
This is not the first time the property has been floated for a major pivot. Nonprofit Cardea Health previously proposed turning the building into a 150-bed shelter with on-site medical services, but pulled out of the deal in July 2025 after neighborhood opposition. Local leaders and business groups had raised alarms about concentrating social services so close to Chinatown and Old Oakland, and the withdrawn plan left the hotel’s future in limbo, according to KTVU.
Developers Lean on SB 330 to Smooth the Path
The latest application invokes Senate Bill 330, a state law that can lock in zoning rules at the time an application is filed and limit some elements of public review. That framework could shorten the city’s approval timeline, according to The Real Deal. In a letter to the planning department, attorneys for the owners said the work would focus on exterior improvements and interior amenities rather than enlarging the building’s footprint.
Why Owners Are Ready to Ditch the Hotel Play
Investors across downtown Oakland have been rethinking hotel holdings amid distressed sales and softer demand for convention and business travel. The nearby Oakland Marriott City Center, for example, sold out of foreclosure for about $70.2 million in 2025. Public records also show the Courtyard at 988 Broadway changed hands in late 2024 for a fraction of its earlier valuation, a shift documented by the San Francisco Business Times. In this climate, converting an existing hotel into apartments or supportive housing has become a common strategy for owners looking for a steadier income stream.
What Happens Next at 988 Broadway
The filing is still in the preliminary stage and now heads to Oakland’s Planning & Building Department, which will determine what permits, reviews and hearings are required. The developers have not released a construction schedule or project budget, and as the proposal advances, neighbors and city officials could revisit debates over housing types, services and the broader impact on the surrounding area.
