LAFAYETTE, CA – The construction fences are finally coming down in downtown Lafayette. The Brant – a long-awaited mixed-use development across from Trader Joe’s on Mt. Diablo Boulevard – is opening at last, after years of delays.
This brand-new complex brings much-needed housing and fresh retail spaces to the city’s west end, marking a significant milestone for Lafayette’s downtown.
We stopped by moments after the fences started coming down to take photos and explore the new development.
A Mixed-Use Community Right in Downtown
The Brant is a three-story mixed-use project developed by Lennar Homes, featuring 66 single-level condominiums (for-sale units) built atop ground-floor commercial space.
Ten of the condos are designated below-market-rate units for very-low to moderate income households, helping fulfill local affordable housing requirements.
The site is located at 3664 Mt. Diablo Blvd., on a 2-acre parcel at the corner of Dolores Drive that formerly housed Celia’s Mexican Restaurant. Celia’s closed in 2015 to make way for the project, and the land sat fenced off during the lengthy approval and construction process.
Now, the development – known as “The Brant” after a type of migratory goose – is finally open.
What exactly does The Brant include? In short, it’s a mixed residential-commercial hub. On the ground level, there are two newly built storefronts totaling about 5,400 square feet of commercial space, enough for a full-service restaurant and a few smaller shops.
Above, the 66 condo homes are spread across multiple buildings, with private balconies or decks for each unit and interior courtyards that give the complex an open, campus-like feel.
The homes range from one to three bedrooms (approximately 843 to 2,000+ sq. ft.) and all feature single-story layouts – a design meant to appeal to downsizing empty-nesters as well as young professionals.
Lennar has positioned the residences as “luxury condominiums,” with modern open-concept interiors, upscale kitchens, and “luxe” owner’s suites.
A Decade in the Making: From Proposal to Completion
The Brant’s road to reality was neither quick nor easy. Initial proposals for developing this site surfaced nearly a decade ago. Lennar first floated plans in 2013 for a smaller 47-unit townhouse project on the Celia’s site, but city officials and community members pushed for revisions.
By late 2015, Lennar returned with a redesigned 66-unit mixed-use plan, incorporating feedback from Lafayette’s Design Review Commission (DRC) and planning staff. The updated design added more amenities like interior courtyards and improved landscaping, and crucially changed the traffic flow: instead of an entrance on Dolores Drive, the project’s garage access was moved to a new, signalized driveway on Mt. Diablo Blvd to mitigate neighborhood traffic concerns.
Neighbors had raised issues about traffic, access and parking early on, and Lennar incorporated those into it designs.
City approvals eventually fell into place – the Planning Commission and City Council gave the green light by 2016 – but then came the actual building process. Construction did not begin in earnest until a few years later, and it proceeded slower than anticipated.
By early 2022, the project was still underway, with officials optimistically estimating completion by the end of that year. Instead, work stretched on through 2023 and into 2024, hampered by the pandemic-era supply chain slowdowns and the sheer complexity of the development.
Finally, in late 2025, the construction fences at the Brant are down, and units are expected to be ready for occupancy in 2026.
Features and Amenities of The Brant
The Brant is packed with features aimed at both residents and the public.
The anchor tenant is Western Flyer Brewing, a new microbrewery and family-friendly restaurant located at the high-visibility corner of Dolores and Mt. Diablo.
Additional street-facing retail spaces are filled by local businesses including Hollie’s Homegrown, known for its teas and artisanal goods.
Residents have access to a private Resident’s Club featuring a fitness center, indoor-outdoor gathering areas, and a community kitchen. The property also includes secure underground parking spaces, bike storage, and landscaped common areas meant to encourage community interaction.
As part of Lafayette’s Public Art Ordinance, two art installations were integrated into the development. Ceramic artist Aileen Barr created hand-tiled mosaic panels along the pedestrian walkway, while art duo Wowhaus designed a stainless steel totem sculpture in the courtyard. The sculpture, depicting a flock of Brant geese in flight, inspired the name of the development.
Why The Brant Matters for Lafayette
For Lafayette, a semi-rural suburb known for its cautious approach to growth and plenty of NIMBYs, the completion of The Brant is a notable development. It represents one of the largest infill housing projects in the city’s recent history.
Adding 66 new homes (including dedicated affordable units) helps Lafayette make incremental progress toward California’s housing mandates at a time when the city has faced pressure – and even lawsuits – to accommodate more housing.
These condos expand the range of housing options in town, potentially allowing more local employees, young families, and downsizing seniors to live in Lafayette. Mayor and council members have long stressed the need for diversified housing stock to keep the community inclusive. The Brant begins to answer that need, within the context of downtown rather than on open hillside – an approach more palatable to many residents.
Beyond housing numbers, The Brant also bolsters downtown revitalization. It transformed a dormant lot (the old restaurant site sat empty for years) into a vibrant mixed-use block that will bring new life and business to the west end of Mt. Diablo Boulevard.
Western Flyer Brewing, in particular, has generated considerable local buzz as Lafayette’s newest hometown brewery. The brewery’s founders, Logan and Katie Jager, spent years rallying community support and even involved local investors in their vision of a family-friendly brewpub.
With its large two-story glass frontage, Western Flyer’s taproom (complete with shiny stainless-steel brewing tanks visible to passersby) is poised to become a social hub.
Meanwhile, the return of Hollie’s Homegrown to Lafayette – in a brand-new retail space at The Brant – has delighted residents who remember that local shop’s former presence. Hollie’s is planning a Spring 2026 opening and promises to bring plenty of foot traffic with its popular tea and wine tastings and artisan goods.
Local officials are optimistic that The Brant will be a win-win: providing housing and bolstering the tax base, while also creating a lively gathering place that knits into the fabric of downtown. Let’s hope they’re right.
