Lake Merritt Plaza Upgrade

current projects

BART is planning upgrades to the Lake Merritt Plaza. A top community priority, this project presents an exciting opportunity to modernize the plaza to serve as an enhanced transportation hub and to support the vision of the Lake Merritt Station Area Plan, which was adopted by the City of Oakland in 2014. The Plan envisions the BART blocks as catalytic sites that establish an active neighborhood hub, provide pedestrian-oriented spines along 8th and 9th Street, and connect neighborhood assets – including BART, Chinatown, Laney College, the Oakland Museum of California, and the Jack London District, among others. The Plan also envisions high-rise development being advanced through BART's TOD program - please see Lake Merritt TOD for more information. The condition of the existing plaza puts some limitations on the planned upgrades. BART conducted several studies to identify the design parameters of the plaza modernization and identified the following needs/constraints: The waterproofing membrane underneath the plaza needs to be replaced to mitigate water intrusion into the spaces below. The structure cannot accept any additional loads. Generally, this means that any new tall planters cannot be placed in areas that are currently paved. Stormwater discharge from the Lake Merritt Plaza Upgrade project must comply with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) requirements. This means that BART is required to treat storm water runoff resulting from an area equivalent to 100% of the impervious (i.e. paved) surfaces in the final plaza condition. Our Goals Make Transit Work Better Create a Sense of Place and Identity Connect to Community Community Engagement The project team will develop conceptual designs building off the vision and goals that were established with the community during the previous plaza redesigning effort. BART will work with the community to follow up on the shared vision for the site that supports BART, better serves the neighborhood, and creates a safe and welcoming place for all. The BART Lake Merritt Plaza redesign project will have opportunities for community input including a survey, stakeholder meetings, and two in-station events. For questions, please contact Mariana Parreiras at mparrei@bart.gov.

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