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Berkeley has landed $1.8 million in funding from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission to improve downtown's central BART plaza, according to the Berkeley mayor's office. 

The city completed plans for the renovations years ago, proposing a complete overhaul of the plaza which was promised to create a more pedestrian-friendly center which improved access to BART and AC Transit. 

The design for the downtown plaza includes cafe seating, new landscaping, lighting improvements, and new features to improve storm water management. The city will also be creating a plan to redesign the rotunda above the BART station entrance.