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STATION CENTER Union City, California

Top-notch design sets the tone for affordable, sustainable station-area housing

Developer

MidPen Housing

Designers

David Baker Architects, Fletcher Studio

Land Use Program

• 2.18-acre site
• 157 affordable rental housing units
• 72 dwelling units per acre
• 8,600 square feet of commercial space
• 33,000 square feet of open space
• Garden allotments for residents, public park and community center
• 289 parking stalls (75 public)

Brief

Formerly a brownfield site, Station Center has been reclaimed for a vibrant, mixed-use district including high-density affordable family apartments. The building is ringed with active edges, including a retail arcade that is soon to house a corner cafe and a market. It also has on-site social and health services with programs for teens and kids, a community room and large indoor-outdoor gathering spaces.

The courtyard features allotment gardens for residents, formal and informal seating areas, and a play yard. A range of complementary sustainable strategies were used to create a low-energy building—including solar domestic hot water, high-efficiency boilers, and rooftop photo-voltaic arrays—to achieve LEED for Homes Mid-Rise Platinum certification. The Bay-Friendly Rated landscape design will save 193,282 gallons of water per year compared to a conventionally landscaped property.

The first phase of the larger Station District plan is to develop a 157-acre hub for transit, commercial, office and residential use. Station Center leveraged additional public funds for neighborhood improvements, including upgraded sidewalks, the promenade, a playground, and the new East Plaza. The development catalyzes a formerly under-used brownfield site and integrates lively street edge with retail and cafés. At completion, the neighborhood will feature a promenade with connections to an intermodal transit hub (BART, Dumbarton Rail, Capitol Corridor, ACE).

Lessons for Walkability

• Affordable housing can set a high bar for design and sustainability 
• High density development can welcoming and livable
• A comprehensive station area plan can take shape through multiple projects
• Mission-driven investors can help push the envelope and shape market expectation. 

Images courtesy of David Baker Architects