The Rockridge News Archive

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Trader Joe's towers (5727 College Ave)

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Summary

RCPC's Land Use Committee held a public virtual meeting on May 20 focused on the Align Real Estate proposal for two residential towers (approx. 300 ft and 352 ft) at 5727 College Avenue. The project includes 390 standard apartments, 26 memory care efficiency units, 185 structured parking spaces, a 3,800 sq ft restaurant, a 2,100 sq ft cafe, and an auditorium. A deed restriction reportedly prohibits any future grocery store on the site after Trader Joe's 2027 lease ends. RCPC received 45 letters opposing primarily the loss of Trader Joe's, tower height, and insufficient parking. RCPC plans to form a liaison committee to negotiate with Align Real Estate.

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Site group: Trader Joe's / 5727 College Avenue site

5727 College Avenue, Oakland (Trader Joe's site)

Aliases

Trader Joe's towers (5727 College Ave)

Timeline

2026_05

Trader Joe's towers (5727 College Ave)

Align Real Estate has proposed two large residential towers to replace the Trader Joe's at 5727 College Avenue. One tower reaches 31 stories, exceeding current zoning by more than 20 stories. RCPC issued a formal statement expressing shock at the project's magnitude, disappointment that the developer did not engage the community before filing, and calls for the project to be redesigned to retain Trader Joe's as ground-floor retail, include affordable housing, and respect neighborhood scale.

opposedin-reviewhigh
2026_06

Trader Joe's towers (5727 College Ave)

RCPC's Land Use Committee held a public virtual meeting on May 20 focused on the Align Real Estate proposal for two residential towers (approx. 300 ft and 352 ft) at 5727 College Avenue. The project includes 390 standard apartments, 26 memory care efficiency units, 185 structured parking spaces, a 3,800 sq ft restaurant, a 2,100 sq ft cafe, and an auditorium. A deed restriction reportedly prohibits any future grocery store on the site after Trader Joe's 2027 lease ends. RCPC received 45 letters opposing primarily the loss of Trader Joe's, tower height, and insufficient parking. RCPC plans to form a liaison committee to negotiate with Align Real Estate.

opposedin-reviewhigh

Quotes

“Having recently learned the details of the proposal to replace Trader Joe's with two residential towers, RCPC was shocked at the magnitude of its potential impact and disappointed that the developer chose not to engage with the community before submitting its application to the city.”2026_05 - RCPC Board statement, May 2026 cover article
“with one of the two high-rises at 31 stories, the proposed project exceeds current zoning by more than 20 stories and eliminates Trader Joe's, a vital part of the community in the process.”2026_05 - RCPC Board statement
“We urge Align Real Estate to pursue a project that better respects Rockridge's scale, provides affordable housing, and retains Trader Joe's as the ground-floor retail.”2026_05 - RCPC Board statement
“Rockridge residents voiced serious concerns about the scale, traffic impact, and loss of a neighborhood grocery store during a Land Use Committee meeting hosted by the Rockridge Community Planning Council (RCPC) on May 20.”2026_06 - Ryan Phillips, June 2026 cover article
“The existing zoning for the site allows a height of 95 feet. The proposed towers would rise approximately 2 to 2.5 times that limit.”2026_06 - June 2026 towers article, page 8-9