Berkeley dive bar could be turned into 7-story apartment building


UC Berkeley students’ favorite gritty dive bar could get a total makeover. Wilson Wong, the owner of Kip’s Bar and Grill, has proposed transforming the space at 2439 Durant Avenue into a seven-story, mixed-use project with apartments, as first reported by the San Francisco Business Times.

This wouldn’t be the end of Kip’s, but it would be the end of Kip’s as Berkeley knows it. After nearly 70 years of college students’ drunken bad decisions sinking into the sticky floors, Kip’s would be replaced with a brand new ground floor bar, a second-floor balcony and dining room, and a basement dance club. In the floors above the businesses, the new building would feature 22 residential units for college students and a roof deck. 

“We wanted to do some major renovations to Kip’s and it seemed like a good opportunity to help out with the housing crisis shortage around UC Berkeley,” Wong told SFGATE in an email.

The project’s architect is Studio KDA, a Berkeley firm that has designed bars and restaurants including Bar Shiru, Flour + Water Pizzeria, Cornerstone Craft Beer & Live Music and Comal, as well as apartment buildings like the Ursa in Berkeley. If the vibe of these establishments strikes you as notably different than the vibe of current-day Kip’s, you’d be correct. 



“Kip’s is totally getting an upgrade for sure,” Studio KDA architect Austin Springer told SFGATE. “… I don’t think there’s a way you can build something the same character as Kip’s with new construction. Kip’s charm is that it’s been there for a long time, and it’s got that smell and feel of an old Berkeley establishment. So yeah, to be sure there’s some changes coming down the line there. It’s going to look nice.”

It’s too early to say what exactly the new Kip’s will look and feel like, but Wong said they “will do our best to maintain the character and legacy of Kip’s, and hopefully we’ll be able to provide many fond memories for community for many years to come.”

Wong also recently signed a retail lease at 2367 Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, the home of popular watering hole Pappy’s Grill & Sports Bar until it closed a year ago. He told the SF Business Times that he hopes to open a new bar or restaurant in the space before the next school year, but explained to SFGATE that the timeline hinges on approvals from the city.

Wong first submitted the 75-foot-tall Kip’s redevelopment project for approval at the end of 2021. The next step is a hearing with the Zoning Adjustments Board on April 27. If all goes as planned, construction still wouldn’t begin for at least a year, according to Springer.

A rendering of the proposed Kip’s redevelopment project at 2439 Durant Ave, Berkeley.

Courtesy of Studio KDA

While the project initially received pushback from the Berkeley Police Department due to safety and noise concerns, Springer said that things are looking up after a recent meeting. To address the department’s comments, they discussed adding more security at night and limiting loud entertainment to the basement area, he said.

The board of the Telegraph Business Improvement District recently voted unanimously to support the project. 

“Our district has a vibrant night-life scene but growth and expansion has long been a challenge,” Alex Knox, executive director of the district, told SFATE via email. “The Kip’s project is part of a re-energizing effort to support the Telegraph District as a nightlife destination by expanding our offerings and amenities.” 

For those who might lament the loss of the divey Kip’s of their youth, Wilson Wong and his family, who have owned Kip’s for 22 years, encourage them to think of the future. 

“Wilson and his family are investing a lot of money into this building,” said Springer. “They want the result to be a bar that maybe 60 years from now, people are saying, ‘Oh, that place, that’s been around forever. Had some good times there.’ We want [it] to weather just as well as the current place has.”

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