Whole Foods Project: Jobs, Trails, Taxes, Senior Living Could be on Albany's Horizon

The six acres at that developers hope to turn into a senior housing and mixed-use complex by 2013 got another look Monday night before the . 

The four council members in attendance about what's known around town as the "," though they asked for more details and requested certain aspects of the proposed deal in writing. 

( missed the meeting due to illness.)

The development is slated for two lots, between the Gill Tract and Codornices Creek, just west of San Pablo Avenue.

The three decisions nearest on the project's horizon include the certification of its ; possible rezoning to a higher density area; and potential classification as a "Planned Unit Development," to grant more flexibility in exchange for significant community amenities.

asked officials to move the project forward as quickly as possible, while others said rezoning the land would be a mistake.

lasted for well over an hour, and followed a presentation by University of California project manager Kevin Hufferd.

Hufferd said developers would like to see the facilities open by October, 2013. 

The endeavor is projected to bring $261,000 into the city's General Fund, in addition to money for the Albany Library and the Albany Unified School District.

Hufferd described the fenced-off lots where the project could one day stand as "dramatically under-utilized" and a major gateway into Albany. 

"There's no active retail or pedestrian vitality," he said. "It's off the tax rolls. There's no access to creeks. There's no access to bike trails."

The mixed-use project could change all that, he said. What's proposed is a five-story senior housing facility (with underground parking), and a 55,000 sq. ft. Whole Foods store. Several other retail stores are included in the plans, along with a bike path around the site, and improvements to both Village and Codornices creeks, which are nearby.

The project also is set to include improvements to the crossing at Dartmouth Street that would make it easier for pedestrians and cyclists to cross busy San Pablo Avenue.

Hufferd described the plans as a " choice for Albany," and said it would offer "a major opportunity to do something significant on this part of San Pablo."

He went into some detail about the senior housing component of the plans, adding that the university is in negotiations with two possible senior housing developers and "anxious to turn the corner" on the final decision.

The "upper East Bay" is "one of the most underserved areas in the state for senior housing," said Hufferd, who pointed to recent census data showing that the portion of the city's population that is 55 and older is increasing.

The senior housing could include:

• Three levels of care: independent, assisted and memory care 
• An a la carte approach: Seniors only pay for services when they need them 
• A rental project rather than large up-front fees 
• Chef-prepared meals
• Lifelong learning opportunities
• Transportation and concierge services
• Fitness and wellness offerings
• Medication management including a licensed nurse on site 24/7

Hufferd said the university's ability to provide senior housing relies on a height of five stories, though storefronts along San Pablo would maintain a much lower profile.

The project could bring 320 jobs to the city, he said, along with 1,000 linear feet of trails and the ability for UC to offer housing grants to low-income students who are residents of .

Hufferd's July 18 presentation appears above as a PDF. 

See more here, and .

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