Popular Trader Joe’s in Oakland could be replaced by apartment towers

Key Points:

• Align Real Estate has proposed replacing the Trader Joe’s grocery store and parking lot at 5727 College Ave. in Oakland’s Rockridge neighborhood with two towers housing a 415-unit senior living campus near a BART station.
• The project includes a 31-story and a 25-story glass-clad tower designed by SCB Architects, marking a shift from Align’s previous plans to retain grocery stores in mixed-use developments, as this Trader Joe’s will close permanently.
• The senior living community will feature 371 independent living units, 18 assisted living units, and 26 memory care rooms, with about 70% of residents expected to come from Oakland and East Bay, addressing anticipated demand for senior housing.
• Align is partnering with an experienced Bay Area nonprofit to operate the facility and expects the project to create 200 permanent jobs in healthcare and hospitality, along with hundreds of union construction jobs.
• The proposal reflects ongoing tensions around high-density development in affluent, low-rise neighborhoods in Oakland and San Francisco, with Align previously facing mixed reactions to similar projects in upscale areas like San Francisco’s Marina District.