Yesterday’s announcement of a proposed luxury senior housing development—including two residential towers (one 25 stories tall and one 31 stories tall) at the College Avenue Trader Joe’s—left many Rockridge residents concerned about its potential impact on the neighborhood. Unlike the developer’s five other projects that include housing above Safeway stores, the Rockridge Trader Joe’s is slated for removal.
The story was widely reported on yesterday and today, including articles by San Francisco Chronicle, Oaklandside, and ABC7 News. SFYimby included several renderings in its article, too.
- https://oaklandside.org/2026/04/22/rockridge-trader-joes-senior-housing-towers-align-real-estate/
- https://www.ktvu.com/news/popular-rockridge-trader-joes-could-be-replaced-senior-housing
- https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/housing-towers-trader-joes-oakland-22199857.php
- https://www.sfyimby.com/2026/04/trader-joes-could-become-skyscraper-in-rockridge-oakland.html
More than 1,000 neighbors have already signed a petition by Rockridge Neighbors for Sensible Housing (RNSH) regarding the proposed eight-story luxury senior housing development on Claremont Avenue. The group is calling for an evaluation of the “Density Bonus” (is the developer’s math correct?), traffic safety concerns, the effect of shadowing on adjacent properties (especially solar-paneled rooftops), and the lack of ground-floor retail and other pedestrian amenities to complement the area’s walkability.
The Rockridge Community Planning Council is holding a town hall meeting tonight at the Rockridge Library at 7 p.m. The meeting is scheduled to focus on the organization’s Community Vision Plan, which has been under development for over a year. Although tonight’s meeting includes no additional agenda items—consistent with all town hall meetings since last February—neighbors are encouraged to attend and share their views.
The Rockridge Voice is following the developing story and invites its members to send a letter to the editor or opinion piece to: editor@RockridgeVoice.com.
Residents are also encouraged to contact District 1 Council Member Zac Unger at zunger@oaklandca.gov. As stated by Mayor Lee in the ABC7 News report, “Key to this is learning what the community feels is most important, and their priorities.”
Please share this message with your neighbors!