Judge Rules in CEQA Infill Case

Bassak says after 35 separate hearings, two CEQA lawsuits were filed to challenge the approvals.

BERKELEY, CA—The Residences at Berkeley Plaza located at 2211 Harold Way in downtown is an 18-story mixed-use development including approximately 302 apartment units, 10,000 square feet of retail or restaurant uses, 20,000 square feet for a cinema and 170 auto parking spaces. The project is owned and proposed by HSR Berkeley Investments LLC of Los Angeles, and Rhoades Planning Group served as the project manager. Projected to achieve a LEED Gold or equivalent rating, the mixed-use project located within steps of the downtown Berkeley BART station will bring new vitality to the core of downtown consistent with the city’s long-planned vision for the area.

Opponents challenged Berkeley’s Environmental Impact Report certification for the project. Law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips and the city of Berkeley secured a complete merits victory in the two pending CEQA challenges and ultimately, the ruling came down in favor of HSR Berkeley Investments LLC and Rhoades Planning Group Inc., represented by Manatt.

The Manatt team includes San Francisco partners, Andrew Bassak and Kristina Lawson, who led the project’s entitlement and litigation legal team that included associate Christopher Rheinheimer and staff attorney Robia Crisp.