Josef Gomez, who’s been in the area since he was a young boy and is looking to get into the real estate game while still in college.

“We’re hoping we find a spot in an apartment building,” Gomez said by phone. “People have been offering to help. We can’t get our name out there or say, ‘I have a spot,’ but we have several offers and we’re working on those.”

The project is called the El Cerrito Commons and Gomez said they are still looking at apartments at the site.

The neighborhood is currently home to a hotel known as the El Colegio de Vallejo, which dates to 1857 and is known for its “Tequila Bar” and red pajamas shops. While most of the businesses are gone, the Tenderloin is just being redeveloped, and there is plenty of construction happening there as well.

For new residents, there are many amenities available across the street from the proposed condos. In fact, El Cerrito will be a good place to buy a home if you have a couple of thousand to spend on a new home in San Francisco.

Gomez said as the project moves forward, the goal is not to rush and that they want to see the project come to fruition.

“But we’re not going to get this done unless we move very slowly and work on community input and getting input from our community,” Gomez said. “I would say the last two years of planning and we still got a lot to learn.”

Gomez said other projects in the Westside have been underway for several years, and they hope to make El Cerrito Commons a neighborhood asset.

The project will be split into two levels with the first level serving as a gathering area, while the second will be reserved for retail.

Construction is expected to wrap up as early as this fall in time for 2017 open house.

El Cerrito Commons will have about 15,000 square feet for retail space and 11 residential units on the first floor.

Gomez envisions the project having a mixed use of retail space when the condos are finished and as well.

“We have some retail on the second floor,” Gomez said. “That goes for all the units and then for most of the amenities, especially in the kitchen.”

Gomez is confident developers will get the most value, as this will be