For years, the El Cerrito Plaza BART station has been ringed by a sea of asphalt. That is now officially changing. A public‑private team led by BART and Related California, with help from state and city partners, is building 70 new affordable apartments right on the station property.
Called Parcel A South, the first building in the plan will rise six stories and use off‑site modular construction. All of the homes will be affordable, with one‑ to three‑bedroom apartments reserved for households earning roughly 30 to 60 percent of the Contra Costa County area median income. It is the opening move in an effort to convert about 6.5 acres of BART surface parking into a mixed‑income, transit‑focused neighborhood. Groundbreaking took place in March, and on‑site work began in late 2025.
Leaders marked the occasion with a ceremonial groundbreaking on March 5. According to BART, the event kicked off the first phase of a multi‑stage transit‑oriented development expected to bring 743 apartments and new public plaza space. “By building high-quality, affordable homes right next to BART, we make it easier for families to thrive while reducing traffic, emissions, and long commutes, strengthening both our neighborhoods and our regional transportation system,” BART Director Barnali Ghosh said in a statement.
Modular Build Aims To Speed Things Up
In a city press release, the City of El Cerrito reports that Parcel A South will be partially constructed using off‑site modular units supplied by Autovol, with Nibbi Brothers as the general contractor and Pyatok as architect. The 70‑unit phase is designed for households at 30 to 60 percent of area median income, will include resident amenities and secure bike storage, and is anticipated to wrap up in the first quarter of 2027.
Funding And The Bigger Picture
The Strategic Growth Council says the project launched with a 39.1 million dollar Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) award that will help pay for construction and related active‑transportation upgrades. State materials describe the 70‑unit building as the first vertical phase of a 743‑unit master plan that will add a public plaza, potential library space, and a mix of affordable and market‑rate housing across roughly 6.5 acres.
What Neighbors Should Expect
Officials say the plan turns underused BART parking into housing and community space while replacing some surface lots with a new parking garage that will offer far fewer rider spaces than today, a deliberate tradeoff intended to shift more trips to transit, walking, and biking. The project description lists a 22,000‑square‑foot public plaza stretching to Liberty Street, up to 20,000 square feet of potential library space, new bus loading, and expanded secure bike parking to better link the site with downtown El Cerrito, according to BART.
Next Steps And Timeline
The city notes that construction on Parcel A South began in November 2025 and that the first phase is expected to be delivered in early 2027, with later phases moving forward as funding and approvals line up. Developers say the off‑site modular approach should cut down the amount of time crews need to spend on site compared with conventional construction, which in theory means faster stacking, a shorter overall schedule, and fewer headaches for nearby residents while the work is underway.
For renderings, project documents, and waitlist information, see Related California’s project page and recent coverage from local outlets tracking construction milestones. Related California and Urbanize SF provide additional updates and background on the broader transit‑oriented development.
