SF New Developments

Valerie Fahey, Special to The Chronicle

Sunday, March 19, 2006

It seems as if every week a new condo project sprouts along the border of Oakland and Emeryville, the little town that has parlayed a prime location into a bustling retail, residential and commercial hub. Artisan Walk, a 72-unit townhouse community built by the Olson Co., straddles the Oakland-Emeryville border. The homes at 66th and Vallejo streets are located one block from the shops of San Pablo Avenue and within walking distance of Emeryville”s retail and entertainment district. The development is within four blocks of three bus lines and the Emery-Go-Round, a free shuttle that connects the complex to the MacArthur BART station and nearby employers, such as Pixar. In light bridge traffic, San Francisco”s Financial District is 15 minutes away. Built on the former site of a 55-gallon-drum recycling plant, this infill project places 66 units in Oakland and the remaining six in Emeryville. To meet Emeryville”s affordable-housing ordinance, all six units are earmarked for low- or moderate-income home buyers. The townhomes are built in clusters of three to five units with plenty of open space behind and between them. Ground floor units have stoops, while each upper-story corner unit has a front-facing area with a balcony. Depending on the unit”s location, the views may be of the bay and Golden Gate Bridge or the Berkeley hills. The view for a few of the first-floor units is mainly of San Pablo Avenue or 66th Street. The three-story project features good-size condos — from 1,544 to 1,623 square feet — with two bedrooms, two bathrooms and lots of options. Plan One has a first-floor den or home office with an option to convert it into a third bedroom with a third bath and walk-in closet. It starts at $610,000. The starting price for the third floor, 1,544 square-foot Plan Two unit with two bedrooms and two baths — and a two-car tandem garage — is $589,990. The gussied-up Plan Two show model, with upgraded flooring and Shaker-style maple kitchen cabinets, is $630,000. Plan Two also has an option, for $30,000, to turn the three stacked hall closets adjacent to the stairwell landings into an elevator. Even if the initial home buyer doesn”t choose this convenience, the potential elevator shaft is built in and can be converted for future owners, a nice plus for schlepping groceries, carrying little ones or providing mobility for seniors. The entry is through a covered porch to a wood-floored entry. One of the three closets on the landings, if the elevator option isn”t chosen, sits to left. Access to the two-car tandem garage is down the hall. Up two flights of stairs and straight ahead is a great room with corner floor-to-ceiling windows and a door that leads out to a small balcony. Future homeowners relaxing in the open-plan kitchen-cum-living space can open the windows and glass door and enjoy the bay breezes in the heart of their home. The U-shaped kitchen with the ubiquitous granite countertops and stainless steel appliances has a snack counter and double sink overlooking the dining/living space. The openness of the great room makes the area appear quite spacious. The master bedroom is located down the hallway, behind the living room. The master suite has a large walk-in closet with enough room for two drawer-style chests. The roomy master bath has dual sinks set in granite countertops, with a separate shower stall and toilet closet but no tub. The master bedroom is comfortably sized to accommodate a queen- or king-sized bed. Light fills the room from three windows. To the right of the hallway sits a laundry closet, smack dab between the two bedrooms and two bathrooms. The second bath also sports double sinks set in tile with a separate toilet closet and a shower/tub combination. Access to another set of stairs, a fire code must for third-floor units, is off the second bedroom. Both plans feature high-speed cable wiring throughout the home. If all those amenities don”t sound sweet enough, the builder is dangling a few incentives that are worth noting. The Olson Co. is paying up to $10,000 for closing costs (on select first-floor units). They will also pay the city transfer tax, which is $15 per $1,000, when home buyers secure a mortgage with their preferred lender.