Casa Arabella Apartments

A former stretch of land full of fruit trees, the Fruitvale Neighborhood in Oakland, CA, evolved from its namesake into a bustling commercial district and home to the Fruitvale Transit Village. While the fruit orchards are gone, positive growth is happening in new ways: The area is celebrated as one of the first BART transit-oriented development conversion projects—and the Village now includes the Casa Arabella Apartments, a 94-unit affordable multifamily community that serves families and formerly homeless U.S. military veterans.

The transit-oriented development was created through the fruits of labor and partnership involving the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation and The Unity Council—and is named for Arabella Martinez, the former executive director of The Unity Council.

MIG | PGA designed the site’s outdoor courtyards with a community garden and play area for children of all ages. A central paseo runs through the development, linking the Village to nearby neighborhoods and to a pedestrian walkway beneath BART—connecting residents to their community and the broader Bay Area.