"Construction on a controversial student housing project at UC Berkeley's People's Park has steadily progressed as a concrete tower now looms over walls of shipping containers, a hard new reality for those who fought to preserve the storied space. For more than a year, crews have been building what will eventually be home to more than 1,100 students. The much-needed housing, which will be named in honor of disability rights activist Judith Heumann,"
"What was once a green 2.8-acre lot known for being a hub for political activism and gathering place for unsheltered residents now features an 11-story concrete structure currently being wrapped with a prefabricated facade. A section of the former park, bound by Dwight Way and Haste and Bowditch streets, will be developed into a supportive housing site with about 100 units for formerly unsheltered residents with financial support from city, state and federal dollars."
"The neighborhood goes on. We're still very much a hub for unhoused folks and the loss of the park is being felt every day," said Lisa Teague with the People's Park Council, a community group that advocates for protecting the park and its legacy. "We can try to remediate the loss of the park, but we can't completely make up for it."
An 11-story concrete student housing project is under construction at People's Park, slated to house more than 1,100 students and open by the 2027-28 school year. A portion of the 2.8-acre site will become supportive housing with about 100 units for formerly unsheltered residents, funded by city, state and federal dollars. The project includes a prefabricated facade and is named for disability rights activist Judith Heumann. The development followed years of student protests and legal challenges and has left community members, including longtime park users, feeling the loss of the park's social and activist role.
Read at The Mercury News
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