NCLT seeks to expand the community impact of its office building and home at Woolsey and Shattuck in South Berkeley. Awarded $1 million by the California Energy Commission in 2022, NCLT plans to redevelop this space into Woolsey Gardens – a community hub that continues the life and services of existing tenants (Homeless Action Center and Long Haul InfoShop), responds to the affordable housing and equity needs being raised by the community, and makes energy efficiency benefits accessible to lower-income households. Located in a major transit hub, Woolsey Gardens aims to include the following:
- Community Service + Spaces, highlighting ground floor community + office spaces for existing community tenants, outdoor green terraces, and rentable micro workshop spaces for emerging local entrepreneurs;
- 100% Permanently Affordable, targeting extremely low- to moderate-income households, and keeping homes affordable for the next household;
- 100% Ownership, offering up to 65 units of cooperative housing and condominiums – making equity building accessible and prioritizing the right to return for displaced Berkeley households and the right to stay for those still here;
- Sustainable / Zero Net Energy, featuring 100% renewable energy generation, emergency backup power, construction method that sequesters carbon, which collectively allow residents to save on energy bills and live in a healthier building and neighborhood;
- Small Parcel, Infill Development, providing an alternative, replicable, financeable, and sustainable solution to urban renewal projects that have destroyed neighborhoods through parcel aggregation;
- Community and Technical Advisors, providing community and technical expertise to ensure the development and community partnerships elevate equity and sustainability goals.
VIEW FROM SHATTUCK AVE*
*Design by SCB Architects (https://www.scb.com/). Please note that because the above image is a concept drawing, the final building as constructed may differ from the above image.