BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) — UC Berkeley is getting ready to unveil a brand new 14-story student housing building that many are saying resembles a luxury hotel more than a dorm. And with good reason, ABC7 News got a sneak peek at the first donor-funded housing built at Cal in almost 80 years.
The tall sleek black tower on Oxford Street is ready to welcome residents — only transfer students who won a lottery for a coveted spot in this swanky new structure across from Cal’s main entrance. On August 21, 772 students will be moving in.
On a preview tour, luxury is evident at every turn.
In the dorm rooms, there are sleek kitchens with expansive views of the Golden Gate and beyond.
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There’s a state-of-the-art academic kitchen and classroom space along with a light-filled courtyard with soaring walls of greenery and a terrace with comfy couches looking out on the campanile and campus. Who wouldn’t want to study here?
And there are lockers for Cal’s first commuter lounge where students will have a dedicated space to study after getting to campus by bus or BART.
It’s called Anchor House – an anchor for incoming transfer students.
“This entire building is a gift from a very generous donor who was inspired to provide housing for transfer students,” UC Berkeley spokesperson Kyle Gibson said, “Transfer students overwhelmingly come to Berkeley from California community colleges – 95% of them. They’re older, usually in their 20s and they’re looking for a place to connect and find community here at Berkeley. They also predominantly come from lower income backgrounds, underrepresented minority backgrounds.”
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The removal of a rent-controlled apartment building on this site stirred controversy over housing affordability. But, this new residence hall is addressing the local housing crisis.
“We are in alignment with the City of Berkeley that the campus needs to build more housing on University property and this is university property where we built this building,” Gibson said, “And by building this building it means nearly 800 students will no longer be competing for housing in the private market in Berkeley, making Berkeley housing in the private market more affordable and hopefully more available.”
Because there is no debt attached to this donor-paid-for structure, there is expected to be $8 million in revenue that’s earmarked for 400 student scholarships every year. The Diller Foundation stipulated the use of top design firms and furnishings to give transfer students quite the elevated modern welcome.
In the lobby there’s a nod to the past – a wall filled with a collection of very old Cal yearbooks from 100-plus years ago.
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