Construction Begins on 119-Unit Liberation Park Residences in East Oakland

Construction has formally begun on Liberation Park Residences, a six-story affordable apartment complex at 6955 Foothill Boulevard in East Oakland. A groundbreaking event drew the project team, elected officials and community members to the site.

The project will deliver 119 homes for households earning roughly 30 to 80 percent of area median income. The mix includes 10 studios, 40 one-bedroom units, 33 two-bedroom units and 32 three-bedroom units. Eden Housing says a quarter of the apartments will serve special needs residents, and eight units are set aside for small in-home artists, entrepreneurial businesses and family childcare.

Y.A. Studio is the project architect. The V-shaped design features a red panel facade with setbacks and balconies, topped with solar panels. A three-story market hall will sit beside an inner-block gathering space, and the wider masterplan includes a $47 million retail component with food vendors, a performing arts center and a rooftop garden overlooking a new skating rink. Guzman Construction Group is the general contractor. Estimated construction cost is between $128 million and $134 million, funded by a mix of city, state and federal sources.

For developers and lenders, the project is a useful reference for mixed-income, mixed-use affordable housing financed through layered public sources.