In 2004, the Berkeley Planning Commission Task Force issued a report containing its unanimously-approved recommendations in support of a hotel/conference center and museums project in downtown Berkeley.  Carpenter & Company is committed to designing the downtown hotel/conference center consistent with Task Force recommendations, including:

Promoting Pedestrian-Oriented and Environmentally-Friendly Designs.  The Task Force recommended employing the highest standards of design, applying green building principles, creating a public pedestrian-oriented open space or plaza on Center Street, and emphasizing alternative and public transit. The hotel/conference center will:

• Use the highest standards of design and green building principles to accommodate diverse uses and activities compatible with the downtown’s character
• Locate the primary pedestrian entrance to the hotel on Center Street to enhance the pedestrian corridor leading to the UC campus and leave Center Street available for pedestrian-only use in the event that the community decides to create a pedestrian plaza or daylight Strawberry Creek
• Be sensitive to existing building scale and streetscapes by creating an activated street edge consistent with heights of buildings located on the site in the past and other buildings along Center and Shattuck
• Limit the width of the higher portions of the building and set them back from the street edge in order to create an attractive building composition and maximize solar gain
• Employ sound principles of transit-oriented planning with building height generally consistent with existing taller buildings at the intersection of Center and Shattuck, a major transportation hub
• Strongly encourage visitors and staff to use nearby public transit, and locate parking below grade to maximize pedestrian benefits

Building a World-Class Hotel, Conference Center and New Housing in the Heart of the Downtown.  The Task Force recommended building 175-225 hotel guest rooms, extensive conference center space, and the inclusion of housing in the project. The hotel/conference center will provide:

• Approximately 210 much needed hotel guest rooms
• Approximately 16,000 square feet of public and private conference and meeting space, for large and small gatherings and cultural events
• Approximately 26,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, including Bank of America
• Approximately 50 residential condos that will bring new residents and families to strengthen and contribute to the growing downtown community

Providing Cultural and Economic Benefits.  The Task Force recommended maximizing net economic benefits for the City, providing public amenities and community access, and assuring labor peace and equity. The hotel/conference center will:

• Boost the economy with an estimated $1 million per year direct to City revenues, and provide a substantial contribution towards the City’s affordable housing fund
• Support downtown revitalization with new hotel rooms, conference facilities, restaurants, cafes, and retail to attract new visitors
• Create new jobs, be built with union labor, and create an environment conducive to unionization of the project’s hotel workers