In 1967, UC Berkeley demolished the homes that lined People’s Park with the intention of building student housing. Fifty-seven years later, that plan is coming to fruition, but not without cost: more than $400 million, to be exact. This cost, projected by campus spokesperson Kyle Gibson, includes $312 million towards the actual costs of the project and an additional $53 million in “contingency” costs. The difference is made up by the $90 million estimate to build additional supportive housing — though Gibson noted construction costs have risen since the project was delayed due to legal challenges. Gibson said the "extraordinary" costs are necessitated by the community response to campus’s original fencing plans back in August of 2022. “The vandalism, violence and other unlawful activities that occurred in August 2022—when a previous attempt to close the site was made—necessitated extraordinary measures, precautions, and expenditures,” Gibson said in response to a public records reque...