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Hundreds of homes, some affordable, may sprout at big Fremont office complex

More than 300 homes are being eyed in proposal

3440 Walnut Avenue, an office complex in downtown Fremont’s central district. 
(Google Maps)
(Google Maps)
3440 Walnut Avenue, an office complex in downtown Fremont’s central district. (Google Maps)
George Avalos, business reporter, San Jose Mercury News, for his Wordpress profile. (Michael Malone/Bay Area News Group)
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FREMONT — Hundreds of homes, many of them affordable, could sprout on a prime Fremont site occupied by a big office complex a few minutes from a BART station.

The development would be built at 3440 Walnut Ave. in the downtown Fremont’s central district, plans on file with city planners show.

3440 Walnut Avenue in downtown Fremont's central district, shown within the outline. Boundaries are approximate. (Google Maps)
3440 Walnut Avenue in downtown Fremont’s central district, shown within the outline. Boundaries are approximate.<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 17px">The development site is near the corner of Walnut Avenue and Liberty Street about a mile from the Fremont BART station.</span> 

The site is near the corner of Walnut Avenue and Liberty Street about a mile from the Fremont BART station. Here are the potential types of housing that could be built as part of the 336 proposed units:

— 216 townhouse-style condominiums, including three- and four-story structures.

— 118 affordable apartments, including 92 for low-income households and 26 for very-low-income households.

Two manager’s units will bring the total to 336 residences.

Brookfield Properties has proposed the development. Wells Fargo owns the project site.The project envisions the demolition of the existing office building.

“The property offers residents a transit-oriented and pedestrian-friendly community in the heart of the Bay Area,” states a marketing brochure circulated by JLL, a commercial real estate company.

The site is near Fremont Hub, a shopping and restaurant center whose anchor merchants include Safeway, Target, CVS, Ross Dress for Less, Michaels, Staples and Dick’s sporting goods.

The development property is also near Gateway Plaza, whose anchors include Raley’s market, Walgreens, Philz Coffee, Peet’s Coffee, and 24-Hour Fitness.

Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe’s are a few blocks away.

The residential sector in Fremont has strong fundamentals, in JLL’s view.

“Fremont’s residential market surged over the last three years,” JLL stated. “Average multifamily rents for Class A product increased from $2,555 to $3,060” a month, the brokerage added in the brochure.