Kennedy stressed the need for affordable housing in Piedmont, a small community completely surrounded by Oakland. Teachers with the Piedmont Unified School District have been hit hardest in the pocketbook, says Kennedy, and as a result, many have left their district jobs and the area altogether in search of cheaper rents. Kennedy says the housing units would consist of a variety of housing units, including market-rate and moderate- to low-cost units.
But city council members say they are concerned the city may not have the necessary funds to finance the property. Kennedy suggested that while Grote gets the purchase price from PG&E, the city should put together request for proposals to develop the project.
The selected developer could shoulder the financial obligations and the risk involved in developing the site, says Kennedy, thus freeing the city of the financial burden. Kennedy has developed roughly 300 housing units in Berkeley with another 350 in various stages of development.
PG&E closed the substation in 1991 and began dismantling the equipment last year. Crews have also begun clean up, since contaminated paint has flaked to the ground over the years since it opened in 1926.
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