South Berkeley’s Ashby BART west parking lot, currently a sea of asphalt and weekend flea market stalls, is on track for a major makeover. Adeline Alliance Partners has been selected to negotiate a sweeping redevelopment that could swap surface parking for hundreds of mixed-income homes, new public plazas and active storefronts. The plan has neighbors in the Lorin District both fired up and wary, especially with long-standing routines like the Berkeley Flea Market and everyday parking in the balance. To hash it all out, Adeline Alliance, the City of Berkeley and BART are hosting a community open house next Thursday before any formal planning applications hit City Hall.
What the Plan Would Build
Preliminary concept sketches from the Adeline Alliance show five new buildings between six and eight stories tall, with space for roughly 600 apartments. The outline also calls for ground-floor retail, nonprofit space and several public plazas tied into the station area. On the infrastructure side, the proposal includes improved ADA access, expanded bike facilities and a smaller replacement parking garage with up to 85 rider spaces, according to BART.
How the Deal Was Approved
The City of Berkeley and BART ran a joint search for a development team, and at its July 10, 2025 meeting, the BART Board voted to enter an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with Adeline Alliance Partners. Berkeley planning documents describe a roughly 618-unit concept, with about half the homes reserved as affordable. Those filings also spell out the air-rights exchange and housing targets tied to the Ashby West Lot. The ENA gives the team time to refine the design, work out community benefits and seek entitlements before any long-term ground lease moves forward.
Flea Market, Parking and Neighborhood Tradeoffs
For longtime vendors and neighborhood advocates, the big question is what this means for the Berkeley Flea Market and already tight parking in the Lorin District. The flea market’s recent money troubles and an ongoing debate over a permanent new plaza at Ashby have become inseparable from the broader fight over displacement and the future of small businesses along Adeline. Hoodline coverage has tracked the market’s uncertain fate and the ripple effects on the corridor’s mom-and-pop shops, including reporting on the flea market’s farewell after 50 years.
Next Steps and How to Weigh In
Adeline Alliance, the City of Berkeley and BART have announced a community open house for next Thursday to gather neighborhood feedback before they file for entitlements later this year. The date and hosts were shared on BART’s social feed, according to BART’s post. Project materials and email sign-ups for updates are available through the transit agency’s transit-oriented development project page, according to BART.
On Thursday, July 16, Adeline Alliance Partners, together with the City of Berkeley and BART, are hosting a Community Open House to gather input from community members on the future of the Ashby Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). pic.twitter.com/WhxGTyMlyZ
— BART (@SFBART) July 10, 2026
Under the current schedule, the team aims to submit formal planning applications by late 2026 and to pursue construction in 2028 to 2029.
If it moves ahead as outlined, the Ashby project would deliver a substantial share of the new housing Berkeley says it needs, while putting real pressure on longtime uses and small businesses along Adeline. Next week’s open house will be the first opportunity for residents to see draft designs up close and press the team on affordability levels, displacement protections and how everyday riders will get to and through the station.
