On May 24, City staff released a notice of preparation (NOP) and initial study for Commonwealth Building 3, located at 162-164 Jefferson Drive. The notice of preparation is part of the environmental review process and identifies that an environmental impact report (EIR) will be prepared for the proposed project.

The project would add a third office building, 249,500 square feet in size, and a four-level parking structure in an area of the site currently occupied by surface parking lots. The existing two office buildings would remain. The project also includes a publicly accessible open space along Jefferson Drive, which would remain owned and managed by the applicant. The applicant indicated that the open space would be available to students of the nearby TIDE Academy (currently under construction) during school hours and the general public outside of school hours, and an agreement with the school district is being developed. 

As identified in the Initial Study, a focused EIR will be prepared to study potential new or increased impacts in the following areas: air quality, cultural resources, greenhouse gas emissions, noise, population and housing, transportation and traffic, tribal cultural resources and utilities. The City is requesting comments on the scope and content of the focused EIR during a 35-day comment period from May 24, 2019, to June 28, 2019 (extended to account for the Memorial Day holiday weekend). Comments can also be provided at the Planning Commission’s June 3, 2019, EIR scoping session.

For more information, including previous Planning Commission study session staff reports and plan sets, visit the 162-164 Jefferson project page.