en.Wedoany.com Reported - Construction is progressing rapidly on an 11-story affordable housing complex at 1523 Harrison Street in downtown Oakland, Alameda County, California. The foundation was completed in June, and work is now underway on the steel structure and concrete framing. The project is being developed by a joint venture between local firm oWow and San Diego-based Community HousingWorks.

Workers are constructing a concrete and steel podium containing two levels of parking. The nine residential floors above the podium will be built using mass timber. Danny Haber, CEO and co-founder of oWow, told YIMBY that modular construction has significantly reduced the project's construction costs compared to traditional methods. The developer estimates the cost per square foot upon completion will be approximately $245.

The building will stand 107 feet tall and is expected to offer approximately 195,400 square feet of space upon completion, including 164,800 square feet of residential space and 30,500 square feet of parking. The complex will contain a total of 284 housing units: 61 for extremely low-income households, 220 for low-income households, and 3 for on-site property managers. The parking garage will accommodate 105 cars and 86 bicycles. Unit types include 63 efficiency units, 203 one-bedroom apartments, and 18 two-bedroom apartments.

Architectural design is by oWow, with civil engineering provided by CaliChi. Renderings show the building's aesthetic is similar to oWow's recently completed neighboring project at 1510 Webster Street, featuring a similar facade treatment and flat roof. The exterior will be clad in white and blue laminate rainscreen panels.

The project site is bounded by Harrison Street, Webster Street, 15th Street, and 17th Street. Future residents will be a six-minute walk from the 19th Street BART station and just minutes from Lake Merritt.

The contractor expects the building to top out as early as September, with completion scheduled for December 2027.