The real estate firm that manages South Shore Center will hold two days of community open houses for Alameda residents to discuss the new development plan for the property on Tuesday, July 9, and Wednesday, July 10.

Jamestown Properties, an Atlanta-based real estate investment and management firm with offices throughout the United States including San Francisco, is holding the open houses to inform and solicit input from residents on its future plans for South Shore Center. The real estate firm is calling the new development project the “South Shore Center Neighborhood Plan.” 

The plan proposes to amend the current development plan approved in 2009 with the purpose of converting several parcels into multi-family residential units, office space and new retail spaces, according to the South Shore Neighborhood website.

The 2009 Alameda Towne Center plan commissioned an additional 60,000 square feet of retail space to the already existing 600,000 square feet for retail space. Jamestown wants to use space designated for retail space, along with some underutilized space, for the new residential units, office space and retail space. Most of the underutilized space is currently being used as parking spaces.

The plan proposes up to 1,215 residential units spread out over eight buildings (two eight-story buildings, four six-story buildings, one five-story building and one four-story building). There will be 238 assisted-living units spread between two four-story buildings. There will be 86,600 square feet assigned for new retail space. Most of the new retail space will be placed on the first floor of the new residential buildings. Finally, the plan proposes a new four-story building assigned for office space.

Jamestown will break the project into six phases. If the plan is approved, the first phase will be complete in 2025 and the whole project will not be complete until at least 2041. Initial redevelopment would focus on southeast and northwest parcels. Major entries and exits, and internal circulation are proposed to remain unchanged, as is public transportation that serves the site, according to the website.

Jamestown believes the new plan will result in a reduction in traffic to the site following the conversion of retail to residential. Many parking spaces will be used for new buildings.

“Jamestown will ensure the project is responsive to the goals of Alameda and the Bay Area with respect to transit and traffic,” reads a statement on the website.

Both open houses will be held under a tent by the Shore Line Drive entrance to South Shore Center near McDonald’s. The Tuesday, July 9, open house will be begin at 4 p.m., while the Wednesday, July 10, open house will begin at 8 a.m.

South Shore Center opened in 1958. Portland-based Harsch Investment Properties bought the property in 1979. The company changed the name to Alameda Towne Center in 2002 as part of an $85 million redevelopment plan for the property. Brio Engineering provided all the civil engineering services for the redevelopment project. Harsch completed the nine-year redevelopment plan in 2010 with the addition of Ross Dress for Less. 

In 2011, Jamestown purchased the 47-acre shopping center from Harsch for $181 million. At a City Council meeting soon after, representatives from Jamestown announced they would restore the property’s original Alameda South Shore Center name. 

For more information, visit www.southshoreneighborhood.com.