El Cerrito Plaza TOD: Delays and Community Concerns

Written by a group of concerned citizens

As concerned citizens of El Cerrito, we’ve followed the City’s plans for the El Cerrito Plaza Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) with great interest — and growing concern. This project was promoted as a showcase of smart growth, featuring dense housing near transit, new retail and public spaces, and a modern library at its heart. But as of November 7, 2025, the plan is years behind schedule. The library remains only a drawing on paper, and the City continues to downplay its own financial and operational involvement.

The City’s Strategic Plan clearly states that a new public library will be located on the ground floor of the Plaza development. Early materials described a six-phase project that would include six residential buildings, combining affordable and market-rate housing, ground-floor retail, and civic spaces, as well as a new library serving as the anchor amenity for the community. According to those same plans, Phase 1 — a 70-unit affordable housing building — was supposed to break ground in 2023 or 2024. The library would be included in Phase 6, the final stage of development.

Nearly two years after the first groundbreaking was expected, no construction has started. The City has celebrated a $39 million state grant and approved a $350,000 City loan to help launch the first phase of affordable housing. Yet the project remains in pre-development, with no building permits issued and no confirmed start date. Even the “late 2025” start once mentioned in City materials has quietly slipped. Every milestone that was supposed to occur before today has been missed. Despite these delays, there has been no comprehensive public update on the project’s financial impact, revised timeline, or the fate of the promised library.

The Plaza development is structured so that later phases depend on the completion and success of earlier ones. In a cooling housing market, developers often pause after the first affordable or mixed-income phases — meaning Phase 6 (the library) could be delayed for years, if not indefinitely. The initial affordable housing phases are expected to qualify for property-tax exemptions, providing minimal revenue to the City. If the market-rate phases stall, the City bears administrative and financial costs without the benefit of new tax income.

The City is not merely an observer. It has already provided a $350,000 loan and committed staff time and grant administration resources. These funds could be tied up for years if later phases are delayed or never built. Despite these investments, the City continues to act as though it’s simply “supporting” the project rather than funding and managing parts of it. Residents deserve accurate information about what has been spent, what has been delayed, and what financial risks exist.

We call on the City Council and City Manager to take the following steps: publish a revised phasing and finance schedule showing updated construction dates for all six phases, including when the library will actually be delivered; disclose all City financial contributions and liabilities, including loan terms, grant conditions, and repayment expectations; prepare a fiscal impact analysis comparing what happens if only the affordable housing phases move forward versus full build-out; and develop a stand-alone library plan, so the community is not forced to wait until the final development phase to see progress on a promised public facility.

This isn’t just about one project — it’s about credibility and fiscal responsibility. When the City commits taxpayer dollars, staff time, and long-term expectations to a private development, residents have a right to know the risks and the timeline. The Strategic Plan clearly promised a library “on the ground floor” of the new El Cerrito Plaza development. Two years later, there’s no foundation, no groundbreaking, and no revised schedule. It’s time for the City Manager to stop treating the Plaza TOD as someone else’s project. The City is financially invested — and so are we, the taxpayers. Until the City provides clear, transparent updates, we remain, respectfully but firmly, concerned citizens who expect accountability for promises made in our name.

🟦 El Cerrito Plaza TOD: Key Facts at a Glance

📍 Project Location: El Cerrito Plaza BART Station (Fairmount & San Pablo)
🏗️ Project Scope: Six-building Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) with affordable and market-rate housing, ground-floor retail, and a new public library.
📘 City’s Promise: The Strategic Plan states that the library will be located on the ground floor of the project.
📅 Original Timeline: Phase 1 (70 affordable units): Planned start 2023–24; Library (Phase 6): Final phase; As of Nov 7, 2025 → No construction has begun.
💰 Public Funds Committed: $39 million state grant for affordable housing; $350,000 City loan approved May 2025; Additional staff time and grant administration costs not publicly reported.
⚠️ Current Status: All major milestones delayed; No building permits or groundbreaking; No confirmed start date for any phase; Library phase several years away.
🏠 Housing Mix & Risk: Early phases: 100% affordable housing; Later phases: Market-rate housing (not yet funded); Affordable units typically exempt from property taxes, limiting revenue to the City.
📉 Fiscal Concerns: City has financial exposure through loans and grants; Project delays mean no new property-tax growth in the near term; Library funding tied to final phase, increasing risk of long delay.
🔍 What Citizens Are Asking For: 1) Transparent phasing and finance update; 2) Disclosure of City loans, grants, and risks; 3) Fiscal analysis for “affordable-only” vs. “full build-out” scenarios; 4) Independent plan to deliver the library.