Natalie Logusch

The eight rent-controlled units that once encompassed 1921 Walnut St. are now little more than a barren construction site.

UC Berkeley Chancellor Carol Christ and other campus representatives broke ground on the site of the Helen Diller Anchor House on Monday, over a year after the project’s initial announcement.

The UC Board of Regents approved UC Berkeley’s Long Range Development Plan, or LRDP, on Wednesday, more than a week after Berkeley City Council approved a $82.6 million tentative agreement with campus regarding pending litigation and housing projects.

The Save 1921 Walnut St. group issued a press release and filed a lawsuit against the UC Regents in response to campus’s plans to allegedly evict current tenants to establish Anchor House, as discussed in the Regents board meeting May 12.

The march comes as UC Berkeley continues its plans to construct student housing at People’s Park and 1921 Walnut St., a currently tenant-occupied building.

UC Berkeley has decided to proceed with the demolition of 1921 Walnut St., a rent-controlled apartment in Downtown Berkeley, in order to build transfer student housing.

On Monday at 4 p.m., the tenants of 1921 Walnut St. and their supporters protested in front of the UC Office of the President in Oakland against the UC Board of Regents’ purchase of their building.

About 25 individuals gathered, held signs and spoke outside 1921 Walnut St. on Monday as part of a protest in opposition to UC Berkeley's plan to buy the rent-controlled apartment building.