A 2.2-acre piece of land in West Berkeley known as the Ohlone Shellmound village site will be handed over to the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust following years of legal battles and a historic $27-million deal, the Mercury News reported. The $27 million, $25.5 million of which comes from the Land Trust, will be paid to Ruegg & Ellsworth, a development firm the City of Berkeley has battled in court. 

A parking lot at 1900 Fourth St. at University Avenue currently sits on what officials say is the last undeveloped portion of one of the first human settlements on the San Francisco Bay shore. After taking over partial ownership of 1900 Fourth St. in 2000, Ruegg & Ellsworth attempted to sell the land to Blake Griggs Properties, a Danville-based company looking to build a 260-unit housing project. 

Years of debate between activists and the developer followed. Blake Griggs eventually requested an expedited ministerial review for its housing proposal in 2018 but was denied because the site had been designated as historical in 2000. The developer backed out of the acquisition, and Ruegg & Ellsworth sued the city. 

Rendering courtesy of Shellmound.org.

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