The Biggest Mass Timber Building in U.S. Planned for Oakland, CA

The stakes keep getting higher – literally and figuratively – for mass timber construction with a 28-story structure in the works in California.

The past few years have seen bigger and bigger mass timber buildings, particularly in the Pacific Northwest and Upper Midwest regions of the country and now a new record-setter is being planned for Oakland, CA.

Developer oWow has filed the paperwork to begin construction of a 290-foot, 28-story residential building in downtown Oakland that would just beat the current world record-holder, the Ascent in Milwaukee that tops out at 286 feet.

But SFYIMBY.com, a Bay Area website that follows development news, reported that the Oakland building might not hold its record for very long. “The Neutral Project is expected to start construction on a 32-story mass timber building named The Edison in Milwaukee this August and the 362-foot tower is expected to finish by 2027,” the site reported.

It also said that construction has started in Australia on a 590-foot tall tower that is scheduled to be completed in 2026. The Oakland building, at 1523 Hamilton Street, will be nearby another oWow mass timber development a 19-story residential complex on Webster Street that topped out earlier this year. Together the two buildings will house around 700 rental apartments.

Building renderings: oWow

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