SAN FRANCISCO, CA - In an event some 25 years in the making, co-developers Blake|Griggs Properties and Transit Village Associates along with officials from the City of Walnut Creek and the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) held grand opening ceremonies for the 358-unit Waymark Apartments, the first phase of the Walnut Creek Transit Village adjacent to the Walnut Creek BART station. Upon completion, the village will comprise a 7.9-acre mixed-use community of 596 apartments and ground-floor retail, located on the former surface parking lots surrounding the station.
The Waymark Apartments, located at 101 Pringle Ave., are already 54% leased since opening last year. The project’s 14,000 square feet of retail includes Highwire, a small Bay Area coffee roastery group, and Mochinut, a Japanese café-snack bar, plus an afternoon/evening oriented bar-café, LunaSea, that is opening soon.
“BART and this community support the sustainability of Walnut Creek,” said Mayor Cindy Silva. “Being able to live downtown and live near BART has become a lifestyle and an amenity.”
“Waymark is turning out to be the model of transit-oriented development that was envisioned years ago by the project team,” according to Ryan McNamara, Vice President of Development at Blake|Griggs Properties. “The apartment leasing has been strong, and we are getting a lot of interest from businesses as we curate a complementary mix of shops, cafes and entertainment.”
“Our first goal was to design a great place to live, where you can step out to go shopping, to the gym, or to meet friends for coffee or dinner,” said Brad Griggs, managing partner of BGP. “The fact that it’s adjacent to the region’s rail-transit backbone, plus the views of Mount Diablo and great weather of the East Bay, make the Waymark a truly exceptional project. The attention to detail is exceptional throughout the community.”
The Waymark Apartments are attracting singles, couples and families enjoying proximity to the region’s transit network, to Walnut Creek’s major shopping/entertainment attractions and to its hiking, biking, parks and other outdoor activities, he added.