en.Wedoany.com Reported - Oakland-based developer and architecture firm oWOW has submitted a pre-application to renovate a property at 316 12th Street, proposing to convert existing office and retail space into nine additional residential units and residential amenity spaces while maintaining the building's exterior appearance.

Previously, oWOW completed a project at the same location, embedding a five-story mass timber setback building behind the historic facade. The original configuration included ground-floor retail, second-floor office space, and 27 residential units on floors three through five. The new project plans to transform the entire second floor into nine additional units, while converting the ground-floor retail space into a lobby and residential amenity areas.

The building's exterior remains largely unchanged, featuring a five-story modern setback structure with a preserved historic brick facade along the street front. Internally, the new layout on the second floor is expected to mirror the upper floors, as they contain the same number of units within the same area and utilize similar building system requirements.

Located near downtown Oakland, the building is within walking distance of the 12th Street BART station and Lake Merritt BART station. Despite its convenient transit access, the owner likely views the area's strong housing demand as a more worthwhile investment than maintaining office or retail properties, particularly given the presence of competing vacancies in the neighborhood.