Features

Despite rumors to the contrary floating around the city in recent days, UC Berkeley and powerhouse hotelier Carpenter & Co. are continuing to hammer out a deal that would add yet another tower to the tallest intersection in Berkeley. 

As proof, Kevin Hufferd—project manager for UC—pointed to the recently concluded six-month extension to the one-year exclusive negotiating agreement between the school and the developer that expired Sept. 1. 

“We’re working with the developer, trying to frame and look at a variety of issues,” Hufferd said. “It’s taken longer than we thought.”  

The notion of another Berkeley-scale giant, developed by a sovereign branch of government outside city control, at the intersection of Shattuck Avenue and Center Street was something of a shock when first broached by UC. 

To provide a focus for concerns, the city planning commission formed a subcommittee to hold meetings with concerned citizens and organizations and then create a non-binding wish list to present to the university. The UC Hotel task force held its final session April 27, submitting its final report to the Planning Commission. 

Hufferd said that when specifics had been hammered out, the results would be presented to the community. “We’re looking at how it can be planned in a community context,” Hufferd said. “We heard that loud and clear in the spring.” 

Asked for specifics about the negotiations, Hufferd said, “There’s a whole range of issues. The project’s feasibility depends on the variety and mix of uses. How many rooms, how much conference space, how many ancillary uses, the likelihood of community acceptance.” 

Hufferd again promised that “there will be more community involvement when we have some specifics down the road. We’ll be meeting the community at a time when we have more of substance to present.” 

A San Francisco-based Carpenter & Co. official confirmed the ongoing negotiations.