For many years, new housing here in the 925 was almost impossible to find. For one thing, much of our land in Lamorinda, as well as in cities like Concord and Walnut Creek, is already built up. That makes it hard to physically find the space for more development.
Permitting in California is also notoriously tricky overall. That can cause both commercial projects and housing developments to take a long time to actually get built.
Just ask the folks behind City Center Bishop Ranch, for example. Getting the basic City Center structure built took over a decade. Only now are they really able to turn to building housing.
In fact, across the 925, we’ve started to see the slow march of additional housing being built.
Much of this has to do with big pushes from the state and aggressive targets that local cities need to meet.
San Ramon has been an area of much development, largely because there’s still land there on which to build.
A new Avalon Bay apartment community with almost 500 units is coming to the City Center area, and a really lovely senior apartment building is already open and operating. Yes, I may be a millennial, but I still took a tour and got tons of photos so you can see it!
Here’s that full review and tour.
In other parts of the 925, developers are getting creative in order to squeeze in housing. Earlier this year, we learned about a housing project that will come in across from Lafayette BART. The developer has committed to keeping the Lafayette Hillside Memorial (which most people locally call the Lafayette crosses) intact.
In Danville, a former bowling alley is transforming into new housing units.
And in downtown Lafayette, a new mixed-use development called The Brant is bringing some $1m+ condos to downtown, along with the new location of Hollie’s Homegrown and Western Flyer Brewing.
In fact, swanky condos are kind of Lafayette’s thing at the moment. Multiple developments are adding new condo buildings in the city, and there are also plans for housing for at-risk adults and lower-income people.
Sometimes, the construction of these kinds of new developments ends up in conflict with local neighborhoods, as well as fire officials.
The 925 is notoriously locked in when it comes to wildfire risk, so any new housing—and more people—is always a bit contentious.
Large new developments often mean lots of excavation and trucks, which has worried locals in places like the neighborhoods surrounding Heather Farm in Walnut Creek.
In 2026 and beyond, there’s likely to be even more building taking place. Again, East Bay cities are trying to meet state targets by squeezing in as many new housing units as they can. From fast-tracked ADUs to the redevelopment of old buildings, this creativity in construction will continue.
Here at the Bay Area Telegraph, we always try to report on new housing developments that are planned—so you have a chance to comment—and on new ones that are opening, so you can take a virtual peek inside.
