Here's the deal with that giant housing complex that sprung up near MacArthur BART

Workers build an apartment complex across the street from the MacArthur BART station in Oakland, California, on Tuesday, April 23, 2019. Workers build an apartment complex across the street from the MacArthur BART station in Oakland, California, on Tuesday, April 23, 2019. Photo: Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle Photo: Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle Image 1 of / 35 Caption Close Here's the deal with that giant housing complex that sprung up near MacArthur BART 1 / 35 Back to Gallery

A massive housing complex of nearly 400 units spread across three multi-story buildings is now open for business in a bustling Oakland neighborhood.

Commuters likely noticed MacArthur Commons spring up about a block from the namesake BART Station in Oakland's Temescal neighborhood recently, blocking the once expansive views of the East Bay hills from train passengers' views.

The project broke ground just over two years ago, and one building is currently open for renting, with units ranging in price from $2,795 a month to $4,425 a month for a two-bedroom, according to the online leasing portal.

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The remaining two buildings will open in the coming weeks, said Kevin Chow of Hines, the real estate development company behind the project.

In total, there are 385 units within the Commons: seven lofts, 59 studios, 241 one-bedroom apartments and 78 two-bedroom apartments, Hines said. Upscale amenities include a pool and hot tub, indoor/outdoor "Skydeck," bike repair station and a "pedestrian plaza."

The building is distinct largely due to its location: just steps from MacArthur BART and situated within the Temescal corridor, where walkable restaurants and hip bars and breweries abound.

MacArthur Commons has had a mixed reception in the neighborhood, which is both in need of transit-accessible housing but has undergone rapid gentrification in the past few years.

In 2016, when the Commons was first proposed to residents, some feared it "would effectively be a vertical gated community whose height and wealth would be at odds with the area," the New York Times reported.

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The building represents a larger movement toward increasing housing density near transit stations, with lawmakers like California Sen. Scott Weiner pushing bills like S.B. 50, which would change zoning codes to allow taller and denser residential buildings to be built near public transit.

BART has undergone a recent "philosophical shift" aligning with Weiner's housing ethos, and some sort of development project is either intended, underway or completed at most of its 45 stations, according to Oakland Magazine.

Read Michelle Robertson's latest stories and send her news tips at michelle.robertson@sfgate.com.

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