Emeryville's topics - tribe.net

Ich bin ein Emeryvillian! Good route to bike to BART?

Mark — Tue, 22 May 2007 20:29:08 GMT

Hi gang,

My wife and I just bought a condo down near the end of Park and so far we're loving Emeryville. The condos are beautiful too (bluestarcorner.com) if you're looking for a place.

I could do with a little less mega retail, but oh well, at least I can walk to get almost anything I need and my wife and I haven't driven our car for a commute since our move! I've been biking to MacArthur... is there perhaps a better route I can take? I'm coming from Park/Halleck. I don't mind going further if it means less traffic. Mostly I'm trying to avoid 40th st as much as possible when I'm still sleepy.

posted in Emeryville - 1 reply

Charles Chocolates Free Saturday Tastings

spidra — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 07:10:20 GMT

I have no affiliation with them. I just thought E-villians would be interested. This blurb comes from the MyBART email:

Charles Chocolates: FREE Saturday Tastings

The Charles Chocolates Store is now open, and it's in Emeryville! MyBART members receive 25% OFF through March 31, 2007 at the store. Come by all day to taste a different selection of chocolates every Saturday in February and March. Mention myBART or bring this email in for the discount. In the next few months, we'll also be expanding to have a cafe complete with hot chocolate, homemade ice cream, coffee, and pastries.

Closest BART station: MacArthur

posted in Emeryville - 1 reply

Old Sybase building - what happened?

stormykitty — Mon, 26 Feb 2007 05:44:43 GMT

has anyone else noticed the windows blown out? looks like a big explosion or fire! when did this happen? I did some internet searching and could find nothing out. anyone know?

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

CHECK ME OUT

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 07:37:58 GMT

If you would like to know more about me and my services check me out :)
www.makeupartistonthego.com

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

Hi neighbors! new-ish to E-ville & check out my local sculpture!

stormykitty — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 17:24:05 GMT

hi folks! I moved to Emeryville in January. My partner has lived here for six or seven years, and as I got to know him I got to know and love this little town, and moved here myself. Except actually truthfully, the back of my building is Emeryville and my front door is in Oakland, but please don't kick me off this tribe, Oakland is a big scarey huge place, I get lost just thinking about driving into Oakland. Someone needs to chop it up into 25 smaller towns to make in manageable. So I never say I'm in Oakland, besides, my area code is 94608. and my mail comes as 'Emeryville'. I guess, I am a wannabe, but am so close I can touch E-ville without leaving my apt so hopefully you will let me pass as close enough :)
I am glad to have an opportunity to get know my neighbors on tribe! there are quite a few really cool people who live in this town. If any of you know the Manzanita Restaurant, on 40th and Linden, that unicorn sculpture out front is mine. Its not city-sanctioned art, its guerrilla-art, check it out at night when the eyes are lit up! Manzanita is a great restaurant btw, serving organic vegan, and I love it even though I'm not vegan. I'm nearby in a live/work offering Massage & Breathwork for those who are interested (check out my profile or pull up a search on my services) and hopefully soon, making more art too. (although I need a little shop space to do more sculpture if anyone knows of any...)
looking forward to getting to know all of you here.

posted in Emeryville - 1 reply

Disney ready to buy Pixar for $7 billion

vectorbug — Tue, 24 Jan 2006 19:57:00 GMT

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11003466/

I wonder what this means for the big PIXAR studios sign on park, taxes paid by disney to emeryville (hopefully more free stuff like the emery-go-round) and the studios expansion.

I think it will be great, Jobs is a total capitalist mastermind.

posted in Emeryville - 2 replies

Locals Night at Kitty's

Tue, 06 Jun 2006 20:05:02 GMT

Wondering if anyone is interested in planning a night for E'ville/North Oakland folks to meet and hang out?

I propose we all go to Kitty's sometime in June and toss back a few adult beverages.

http://sanfrancisco.tribe.net/recommendation/kittys/emeryville-sf-ca/b25a6aae-588e-4036-90d9-366481a900a8

It is long since time for the Emeryville kids to get to know one another. There are many of us now.

posted in Emeryville - 3 replies

Maverick's Gym Opening in January 2005

Jacqueline — Tue, 16 Nov 2004 07:12:20 GMT

E'ville Warehouse Loft had a flyer on the bulletin board. I've been hoping for a good gym in Emeryville. Anyone know anything about it? They are advertising membership specials until the 30th of November; thought I'd get more information.

posted in Emeryville - 1 reply

Starbucks on San Pablo at 43rd

Wed, 24 May 2006 04:40:11 GMT

Hey all,

You know that strip mall on San Pablo with Arizmendi and IHOP?

The city currently controls the leases to these units, and they will for the next 2 years. They've been only considering independent businesses until now. Because of a lack of interest by local businesses due to incredibly high rent, they've decided to take an offer by Starbucks seriously, who have an offer on the space formerly occupied by Cuppa Cabana.

A Hawaiian Barbecue place is opening up soon in the same complex. I hope that the stip mall can live up to the initial hope surrounding it: that it will become a hub of independant affordable food joints.

I work at Arizmendi. I don't want to work next to Starbucks. They will take away our customers, and will cater mostly to commuter traffic. The commuters have enough stuff in Emeryville--how about something here for the locals.

Contact the city council members and let them know what you think.

To reach the city council members by email go to this webpage
http://www.ci.emeryville.ca.us/gov/city_council.html

To reach them by phone call 510 596-4376 for Ruth
Atkins or Nora Davis. Call 510-547-2101 for Ken
Bukowski. Call 510-654-3981 for Dick Kassis. And
call 510-601-8846 for John Fricke.

John Fricke is already opposed to the plans. I believe that the other four are in support.

posted in Emeryville - 4 replies

Emeryville Bike Blvd.

spidra — Sat, 03 Sep 2005 18:27:45 GMT

Fwd. from the Bike-Friendly Berkeley Coalition list:

The Emeryville Horton/Overland Bicycle Boulevard Design recommendations are on the agenda of next Emeryville City Council meeting on Tuesday, September 6th, as part of the Transportation Committee report which is usually at the end of the Council Agenda.

At Transportation Committee Meeting on August 23rd, the Committee voted to recommend to the Council that design package used by Berkeley be accepted, except for one change to the street name sign design. Instead of using the purple street name signs the Committee recommended that the BB logo (the family of bicycle riders design) be put onto a purple half-circular sign and mounted on top of the existing street name signs.

You can see a map of the new Emeryville Boulevard by zooming at: http://www.obviously.com/berkeley/bicycle_boulevard_planning.html

posted in Emeryville - 9 replies

Traffic light at Hollis and Park Ave.

Carlo — Thu, 22 Sep 2005 06:11:27 GMT

Is it me or is this light messed up at night?
It seems to be stuck red on Park Ave and green on Hollis.

posted in Emeryville - 3 replies

Moving to E'ville ...

Katherine — Wed, 08 Jun 2005 20:42:20 GMT

So on Friday we are moving to Emeryville from the Elmwood neighborhood in Berkeley. We just bought a condo on Park Ave. There any good hangouts or other cool stuff going on in Emeryville I should know about?

posted in Emeryville - 12 replies

New Tribe - Gay Games

runnersfeb — Mon, 29 Aug 2005 01:51:40 GMT

I started a new tribe for people attending the Gay Games in 2006.

tribes.tribe.net/gaygames

Gov. J

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

Shoes!

Carlo — Wed, 24 Aug 2005 19:59:39 GMT

Can anyone recommend a good shoe repair shop that's nearby??

Thanks!!
Carlo

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

Candidates Night - mics needed

Bryan — Tue, 09 Aug 2005 02:42:19 GMT

I replied to an earlier post about PANA and The Linen Life hosting a candidate's night for the City Council candidate's that we will all be voting for in November.

We have the PA system but we are short a few mics. Does anyone have a line on where we may be able to beg or borrow a few decent mics? We would need them for set up and then for the night of the event which is September 15.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can help.

-Bryan

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

Good day neighbors!

Carlo — Sat, 06 Aug 2005 00:32:30 GMT

I've lived in Emeryville for almost 6 years now (for much of that time I was working and playing in The City but I'm done with that now) and haven't met anyone besides the fine folks that live in apartments above me and the main house in front of me. So, it's great to see all of you out there! HELLO!!

Any of you know what was going on last night (8/4) and/or what will be going on in the new building next to Perfection Muffler Body Shop on Park Ave? Just curious.

Reading through some of the posts I learned of PANA (Park Avenue Neighborhod Association) for the first time. I'm interested in finding out more and will look for a website. In the meantime if anyone has more info please share.

Cheers!!
Carlo

posted in Emeryville - 2 replies

HI!!!!!

vectorbug — Sat, 09 Jul 2005 19:37:33 GMT

thats all!

posted in Emeryville - 1 reply

moving to 45th st

Erika — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 05:41:54 GMT

Hi Emeryville!
I just bought a house and will be moving in July. I actually already live in the 'hood, but now it will be for good. Anyone interested in starting a dog walk group? I walk nearly every morning and evening, my dog & I would love company.

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

large studio/gym available for weekend rental?

Erika — Sat, 02 Jul 2005 05:25:41 GMT

Hi, I am trying to organize a juggling/performance art festival this October. I am looking for a large studio space to rent for a weekend. Expecting around 300 people to attend. Don't need anything fancy.

Thanks!

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

Shoutout

spidra — Thu, 21 Apr 2005 05:51:07 GMT

Okay, maybe everybody and their Aunt Flossie already knows this but I'm only just now seeing "The Incredibles" when I hear "San Pablo Ave." I thought that was enough, but then I see the blowup map of Emeryville. Sweet.

posted in Emeryville - 2 replies

Documentary on Shellmound

spidra — Sun, 27 Mar 2005 20:34:12 GMT

I thought this would be of interest to Emeryvilleans. I remember some of the news stories at the time they were building there:

----/ The Squid List /--------------------------------------------------

Shellmound

Thursday, March 31st

7:30pm

$8, $4 UC Berkeley students

----/ Event Description /-----------------------------------------------

There are plenty of brand names and bright lights to distract shoppers at the new Bay Street shopping center in Emeryville. Few people realize they are walking on a burial ground thousands of years old, steeped in a century of toxic sludge.

Shellmound is a 21-minute documentary that examines the decisions made during the toxic cleanup, excavation, and construction of the Bay Street mall through the eyes of the City, the developer, the archaeologists, and the native Californians who worked on the site.

This film is being presented as part of the Film and Video Makers at Cal series.

----/ Venue Info /------------------------------------------------------

The Pacific Film Archive
2575 Bancroft Way
Berkeley
510-642-0808
http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/

----/ Additional Info /-------------------------------------------------

andres@shellmoundthemovie.com
510-508-9069
http://www.shellmoundthemovie.com

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

Help!someone dumped a car in our driveway

Sat, 19 Feb 2005 22:08:40 GMT

Help!! Car dumped in our drive way (Lusk St)

Date: 2005-02-19, 2:07PM PST

Some one dumped a car (no wheels) in front of our house and it has to be towed I tried calling the police to no avail.. Who do I call?? City tow wont come either.

Please anyone who knows the rigth place to call Please let me know.

Thank you!!!

I live on Lusk at 42nd st.

posted in Emeryville - 2 replies

Hey Emeryville, what's going on?

Bryan — Sun, 23 Jan 2005 08:07:30 GMT

So what's going on in your neck of the city? I've got the Sherwin Williams development going on in my backyard. The development plans look like it might be an interesting development but the remediations are a different story. We finished up our written comments for the EIR study session on the project. The draft EIR should be ready for review in August.

And what the heck is up with this?
http://www.chamberhub.com/cgi/foxweb.dll/wlx/cs/wlxENews?docid=196&cc=ECOC&action=DISPLISTDET
This has got to be the most self important diatribe I have seen for a while. This is laughable.

"the bastion of business and free enterprise in a sea of local regulation and taxation" I just didn't want Nemo to be sad....

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

Groundbreaking Emeryville Greenway Project

Bryan — Mon, 09 Feb 2004 05:17:48 GMT

From: "= Ken Bukowski" <bukowski@earthlink.net>
Date: Fri Jan 23, 2004 11:49 am
Subject: CORRECTION: Groundbreaking Emeryville Greenway Project
To: "! Unknown Recipients" <bukowski@earthlink.net>

PLEASE NOTE CORRECTED DATE: Should be February 9, 2004

City of Emeryville
Vice-Mayor Ken Bukowski
(510) 547-2101

SPECIAL INVITATION

On February 9, 2004 at 9:00am at the corner of 59th & Doyle Streets we will have
the official groundbreaking for the Emeryville Greenway Project (formally Doyle
St Greenway)

This exciting new Ped-Bike project will create a heavily landscaped Path,
which will connect the Cities of Oakland and Berkeley, through Emeryville. It
includes:

* new trees and landscaping
* undergrounding the utilities.
* Two new city parks.

(1) Major "one square block" new park, bounded by Doyle St, Hollis St, 61st and
62nd streets.
(2) Small park at the Horton Street Landing.

* Brand new Ped-bike bridge will be built across the railroad tracks,
providing exclusive pedestrian-bike access to the new Bay Street Project, and
Ikea Stores.

This important new ped-bike overcrossing will provide exclusive ped-bike access
to the new Bay Street shopping center, as it transitions into a new Emeryville
neighborhood, which includes

. 400,000 square feet of retail and entertainment (completed)
. 346 new residential units (264) apartments and (82) townhouses (about to
begin construction)
. New 230 room mid-rise hotel (not yet built)
. 16-screen cineplex (+3300 seats)

To get a visual prospective of how Bay Street will look when it becomes a
neighborhood... check out this link.

http://www.baystreetemeryville.com/residence.htm

The City of Emeryville is proud of this new Project, and we cordially invite you
to attend this ground breaking ceremony.

Special Invitation for the pedestrian-bike community to celebrate a
substantial contribution to our regional bike network.

Please mark your calendars.

For more information call Peter Schultz-Allen at 510-596-3728

posted in Emeryville - 6 replies

Mudflat Art photos wanted

etb — Fri, 19 Nov 2004 00:22:48 GMT

Mudflat Art photos wanted by wikipedia. Random copyrighted images won't work, but perhaps someone here has photos of their own they could contribute?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requested_pictures

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emeryville%2C_California#Mudflats

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

Did you get your free tickets?

Bryan — Thu, 04 Nov 2004 04:45:01 GMT

Pixar gave out free tickets to the opening of The Icredibles. It was in one of the endless pieces of junk mail that they sent out. It's free for Emeryville residents but you have to pick up the tickets in advance. See you all there!

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

Andronico's closing

Bryan — Wed, 28 Jul 2004 05:58:26 GMT

This Saturday, 7/31/2004, is the last day that the Emeryville Andronico's will be open for business. Their reasons are that they are losing money at that location and can no longer do business there. I for one am sad to see them go. I hope something good takes their place.

posted in Emeryville - 1 reply

activists wanted

Mon, 12 Jul 2004 07:08:01 GMT

Join BattleCry-CA.com and help change the world. If you are concerned about California this is the place for you. We help inform citizens and mold the discussion up and down the state. Check us out and contact an editor today!

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

City Hall meeting - Pixar expansion

Bryan — Tue, 18 May 2004 05:05:47 GMT

They are back at it again. EBASE will be there for sure. It should be a good show. Pixar has been targeted by EBASE and EBASE is waging war on them and on Emeryville in general.

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

Planning Commission

Bryan — Tue, 27 Apr 2004 06:18:21 GMT

Ok, so the city planning commission meeting was lively. The big ticket item was the Pixar expansion plan. The city attorney and the attorney for EBASE had it out with each other with threats and accusations. Citizens spoke and portrayed EBASE as somewhat evil while there was much support for and praise lauded on Pixar. Speakers that supported EBASE seemed overly scripted. If it were not for EBASE I think folks would have been much more critical of Pixar's expansion plans (no mention was made of the thorn covered fence that surrounds Pixar). EBASE appears to be a very forward thinking organization that deserves some respect but they seem to have given themselves a black eye in this particular situation. I guess well see what's what when all the dust settles.

Pixar owns the corner where Semi Freddies is located and where the naked lady building is located. The plans are for eventually tearing down those nice beautiful brick buildings and putting in another larger Pixar building but it is a 25 year plan so those buildings will be there for at least the next 7 years. Semi Freddies is looking for a new home but they are not being displaced just yet. The owner of Semi Freddies was there and he heaped praise on Pixar and was not too worried about the future location of his business. He seems like a very cool guy.

In other news, we got a new bar! Right across the street from Andronico's on Hollis and 67th. It's going to be in theat nice brick building right onthe corner. I wish the proprietors well in their journey to a successful business and I hope that I can help them on their way by patronizing their estabishment. (It also happens to be across the steet from my place of work, wahooo!, see yall there)

Was anyone else there? What did you think of the meeting?

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

BEWARE...Oakland Invasion

Bryan — Mon, 29 Mar 2004 01:39:33 GMT

I am on Ken Bukowski's email list and here is the latest that I recieved form him. Sorry it is a little outdated but it looks like a battle is brewing over the PIXAR expansion. And from an unlikely source...
--------------
Ken's post:

Dear Emeryville Resident:

We are about to experience an invasion of people from Oakland who are
trying to interfere with the operation of the Emeryville government
over
the plans for the Pixar expansion. As we already know Oakland is not
the
place where business wants to locate. Oakland doesn't know how to
handle
it's own affairs. Oakland Councilmember Jane Brunner on many occasions
claims that Emeryville is stealing Oakland's retail opportunities, when
in reality if the stores were not in Emeryville they still would not be
in Oakland. We have two shopping areas which straddle the border with
Oakland, for which we pay them a share of the sales tax we collect. The
Ikea Parking lot is in Oakland, and we have to pay them 40% of the
sales
tax revenue, from Ikea and we pay them 33% of the revenue we collect
from
the East Bay Bridge Center. The sales tax money Oakland gets from
Emeryville is their largest sales tax generator. And the City of
Emeryville provides 100% of the police protection, because otherwise
these businesses would not locate in Oakland. One main reason is they
have so much crime in Oakland they can't afford to prosecute people for
shop lifting, and the police response time is about 30 to 45 minutes,
if
they even show up. It could not be more obvious that Emeryville is
booming because we know what we are doing, but they claim we are
stealing
their opportunities. When you read the memo sent out from Oakland
Councilmember Jane Brunner;s Office, it won't take you long to figure
out
they are trying to get something from Pixar, but we don't know exactly
what it is. They want Pixar to sign a community benefit agreement. That
is not the way our process works. Maybe they should worry about Oakland
instead of Emeryville.

I think we should tell them to go back to Oakland and take care of
their
own business. It appears this is just the beginning of a long series of
plans to infiltrate Emeryville for their own purpose. Can we really
believe their effort is aimed at benefiting Emeryville residents. They
can;t take care of their own people, much less show any real concern
for
Emeryville residents. BEWARE

I just happened to get a copy of this outrageous message and I'm
forwarding it to you.
_____________________________________
City of Oakland
Justin Horner
Chief of Staff. Councilmember Jane Brunner
1 Frank Ogawa Plaza, 2nd Floor,
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 238- 7052
horner@oaklandnet.com

The following announcement is from the East Bay Alliance for a
Sustainable Economy, an Oakland based advocacy organization that works
to
promote accountable development and good jobs. They are organizing
residents and other concerned folks to petition the City of Emeryville
for mitigations and community benefits for the proposed expansion of
the
Pixar Campus. Obviously, the expansion of Pixar will, at the very
least,
have traffic impacts to the San Pablo Golden Gate neighborhood. It wold
be great of people from the Oakland side of the fence could help get
involved with this effort.

We will be watching it closely, but we need community members "on the
ground" to participate in the process. Please use the contact info
below
to play a part.

Sincerely,
Justin Horner

-----Original Message -----
From- Amaha Kassa [mail to: amaha@workingeastbay.org
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2004 6:46 PM
To: amaha@workingeastbay.org
Subject: Help EBASE win Community benefits!

Dear Friends and Allies of EBASE

The race is on to win community benefits and protect our community
environment. Last week, the, City of Emeryville released a draft report
on the environmental impacts of Pixar Animation Studios? expansion of
their corporate headquarters.

As Many of you know, EBASE has been organizing with a group of
Emeryville
residents (many of them low-income people of color) and a coalition of
churches, unions and social service providers to demand that this
development return concrete benefits to the community.

What out coalition is asking for is not difficult, especially for a
corporate giant like Pixar, which just released the most profitable
animated film in history. We want basic community benefits like job
training and local hiring, money for child care, the right to organize
and for Pixar to pay an affordable housing linkage fee. We also want to
ensure that the City protects the community from the Projects adverse
environmental impacts, as required by state law. But so far, both the
City government and Pixar have refused to negotiate a fair agreement
with
the community.

Our coalition will be weighing in heavily during the review of the
draft
Environmental report, which basically claims that adding hundreds of
workers to Emeryville's Streets won't have significant impacts on
Emeryville's environment that can't be mitigated! If we are able to
get
the word out to a broad group of Emeryville residents it will force
Pixar
and the City to take the mitigations we are asking for seriously. We
want
to generate as many comments as possible by residents on the draft
environmental report. HOWEVER WE ONLY HAVE 25 DAYS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

That's why we're asking for your help. We are organizing door-to-door
outreach to inform Emeryville residents about the Pixar project The
first
neighborhood walk will take place on Saturday, March 20, 10:00am
-2:00pm
. PLEASE JOIN US.

We will offer everyone great training on outreach about community
benefits, refreshments and the satisfaction of contributing to the
movement for economic justice.

And if for some reason you can't make it on the 20th, we will be doing
regular outreach for the next three weeks, and we need your help. We
will
meet at the EBASE Office then go out in pairs to Emeryville
neighborhoods
after a short training. Please respond to this e-mail, or fill out the
attached sign-up sheet and return to EBASE.

Thanks for doing your part. Together we have the power to push
corporate
America and our elected officials to behave responsibly and invest in
our
communities.

Amaha Kassa, Co-Director
East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy
1714 Franklin Street Suite 325, Oakland Ca, 94612
(510) 893-7106 Fax (510) 893-7010
general e-mail info@workingeastbay.org

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

Mudflat Sculptures

etb — Fri, 05 Mar 2004 17:59:04 GMT

I just noticed there is a tribe devoted to the former Emeryville mudflat sculptures:

http://evmudflatart.tribe.net/

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

New Restaurant

Bryan — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 03:37:15 GMT

John Fricke's review and menu from Khana Khazana which
is the restaurant that Patti reviewed earlier:

Note: forwarded message attached.

__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
New Yahoo! Photos - easier uploading and sharing.
http://photos.yahoo.com/

From: "John Fricke" <jrf@cwia.com>
Date: Tue Dec 23, 2003 9:16 pm
Subject: new restaurant on San Pablo
To: <spaggia@yahoogroups.com>

Dear Emeryville neighbors,

Khana Khazana is a new Indian Restaurant on San Pablo @ 45th Street (across the street from Long's). Lindsey, Nina, Lane and I went there tonight for dinner and had an excellent meal!

Here are links to the menu:

http://www.geocities.com/jfricke0/KhanaMenu-pages1and4.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/jfricke0/KhanaMenu-pages2and3.jpg

John Fricke
1057 43rd Street
Emeryville, CA 94608
510/601-8846

jrf@cwia.com
499 'bcc:' recipients

posted in Emeryville - 1 reply

Oakland Develoopment News Story

Bryan — Wed, 31 Dec 2003 03:22:12 GMT

OAKLAND TRIBUNE 12-17-2003

Big plans for West Oakland depot Museum, housing among tentative
plans
By Cecily Burt, STAFF WRITER

OAKLAND -- It's hard to imagine the bleak landscape around the old
Southern Pacific train station was once a bustling hub, teeming with
travelers and commerce.

Now, developers are planning to bring life back to the abandoned
station at 16th and Wood streets, and to the empty blocks
surrounding it.

A $400 million Central Station plan would create a mini-city of at
least 1,500 market-rate homes on 28 acres surrounding the depot. The
centerpiece would be the restored station serving as a museum
honoring the railroad's historic contributions to transportation and
the African-American community.

Oakland's railroad terminus was the entry for many new residents who
flocked West with the railroad. It served as the birthplace for the
black labor movement through the efforts of Pullman car porters.
The 1912 Beaux Arts building, which has historic landmark status,
was damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and closed
permanently not long after. Squatters took over and looters
destroyed and stole everything that wasn't nailed down and most of
what was.

Emeryville-based developer Rick Holliday bought the station and 26
linear acres surrounding it more than three years ago. His plans
have ranged from a high-tech campus surrounded by live/work lofts to
big-box retail to a catering center to an auto mall.

Through every iteration, the train station was always going to be
renovated, and he has met several times with the community to get
their feedback. Under the plan revealed last Monday, the development
team announced they intend to seek public funding to help pay for
the estimated $8 to $10 million restoration.

Holliday has sold much of the property, including the train station,
to BUILD, a for-profit affiliate of nonprofit BRIDGE Housing, Inc.

BUILD is constructing the bulk of the for-sale housing units, using
a $15 million investment in infill development from CalPers, the
state employee retirement system.

Another parcel was sold to Andrew Getz of HFH Ltd. of Emeryville.
Getz plans to construct about 450 rental apartments, the only rental
units in the entire development. Aside from the train station and
adjacent switching station, only the old icehouse building at 11th
and Pine streets will be saved and turned into lofts.

The massive project is broken down into eight different parcels
starting at 10th Street and extending as far as it physically can --
to the elevated portion of West Grand Avenue. The east/west
boundaries are Wood Street and the Interstate 880 freeway, or
Frontage Road. Holliday owns parcels two, seven and eight, HFH owns
parcel four and BUILD owns the rest:

Parcel one: 82 live/work units that parallel the Frontage Road for
four blocks from 10th to 14th streets.

Parcel two: Reusing old icehouse building for 170 lofts between
11th, 13th and Pine streets.

Parcel three: 200 townhouses between Pine, Wood, 12th and 14th
streets.

Parcel four: 450 rental apartments between 14th, 16th, Wood and the
Frontage Road, plus some small retail space.

Parcel five: Train station and station plaza at 16th and Wood
streets.

Parcel six: 215 live/work lofts between 17th, 18th, Wood and
Frontage Road, plus some small retail space.

Parcel seven: 170 townhouses between 18th and 20th streets

Parcel eight: 283 high-rise condominiums or office building if the
economy allows. Parcel abuts elevated roadway.

The project will take at least five years to complete, with parcels
four, two and three going up first, in that order.

Old army base area

The development is within the Oakland Army Base redevelopment area,
and 25 percent of the increased property tax revenues from the new
development will go into the city's affordable housing fund.
The developers are not obligated to hire local workers or include
affordable housing in the project because there is no city money
invested.

But Carol Galante, president of Bridge Housing, Inc., said the team
will request that the city's Redevelopment Agency use the 25 percent
to assist first-time homebuyers who want to purchase one of the
units, either through down payment assistance or reduced purchase
price.

As many as 200 homes could be set aside for lower-income buyers if
the affordable income criteria is set at 80 percent to 120 percent
of area median income, she said. The total could vary depending on
whether interest rates change significantly, or if the city wants to
reduce the affordability threshold to include lower-income
residents, she said. Several residents applaud the project.

They believe that West Oakland has a glut of affordable housing
projects,
and retail stores and grocery stores will never consider West Oakland
a
viable market
until more new market-rate housing is built to boost the depressed
area.

But just as many resist development that fails to offer housing that
could likely be purchased or rented by West Oakland residents, the
majority of whom are renters and cannot afford to pay market rates.
Renters are being pushed out as the area is increasingly gentrified
and newcomers snap up Victorians that were previously subdivided
into rentals, critics say.

Critics' concerns
Even with down payment assistance, prices and monthly payments of a
new market-rate development would be out of reach, they said. They
also worry about increased traffic from such a large housing
development and wondered where the people would shop.
"Last I looked, there was one grocery store in West Oakland," said
Jumoke Hodge, director of the 7th Street/McClymonds Neighborhood
Improvement Initiative. "You're talking about what's good for West
Oakland, but you don't know what's good for us."

Councilmember Nancy Nadel (Downtown-West Oakland) supports the
development, but she questioned the lack of affordable housing. She
said the project would be the densest in West Oakland and contain
hundreds more units than the vast Forest City project in uptown. She
also expressed concern over funding for the train station
restoration.

Public funds sought
"I know it's a blighted property, but to be proposing to only use
community redevelopment money to restore the station concerns me,"
Nadel said. "I thought you were going to invest your own money in
the train station."

Galante said the public investment in the train station would be
small compared to the benefits to the community from the overall
project. It will add housing, not replace it, and offer
home-ownership opportunities to people who would not be able to
afford it otherwise, she said.

"We believe our proposal makes the most sense," Galante said. "There
are already a lot of renters in West Oakland."

Stefanie Parrott, a West Oakland resident and Realtor, said there
needs to be a balance of housing types in West Oakland, including
market-rate, to bring the schools up and bring in retail. At the
same time, giving people a hand in owning property is a good move.
"I love the idea that some of the funds for the Army Base helps to
subsidize the down payment, or just lowering the purchase price to
make them affordable," she said. "The best way I can think of to
break the cycle of poverty -- especially generational poverty -- is
the promotion of home ownership, so they have a stake in something,
so they care."

Locals seek jobs
Affordability wasn't the only issue. Resident Margaret Gordon
complained that locals are shut out of jobs on West Oakland
projects, including those completed by Bridge Housing, BUILD's
nonprofit affiliate.

Galante countered that. She said 55 percent of the subcontractors
hired on the Chestnut/Linden Court project were local, and 900 union
workers hired live in Oakland. She also said that 57 of the workers
were low-income residents of the neighborhood who were not members of
the
union when they started. On the Mandela Gateway project, 31
percent of the subcontractors hired so far are mostly local minority
businesses. About 17 housing authority tenants and other low-income
residents have been hired, Galante said.

"It's an ongoing dilemma," Galante said. "We work with the
contractors and we work with the local hiring hall, but often the
local residents are not in the union, so we make a big effort to
have the contractors get local residents into the union."
Manny Granillo, a longtime resident of West Oakland, said it may not
bring jobs or housing for West Oakland residents, but the area needs
a boost, and this project will do it. "Private industry is trying to
correct a blight in our community," he said.

Hearing scheduled
An environmental review of the proposed project will be done before
any architectural drawings are completed. The project also requires
a change to the city's zoning code to allow residential and
commercial uses on the property. A hearing on that issue is
scheduled before the Planning Commission's Zoning Update Committee
at 4 p.m. Wednesday in Hearing Room 1 of Oakland City Hall.

posted in Emeryville - 0 replies

City hall meeting about the pedestrian ramp

Bryan — Mon, 24 Nov 2003 23:14:59 GMT

December 2nd. at City Hall, the corner of Park and Hollis.

The new pedestrian ramp designs will be discussed. There is a choice between a spiral ramp design with an elevator and a longer wider more gradual ramp design.

Problems with the spiral ramp:
- It's very steep. 1" per 6" or travel (I think)
- Elevators break and never get fixed or are really expensive to fix.
- Entrampment zones created by the lack of visibility encourage crime.
- Bicyclists and skate boarders may collide with pedestrians due to the narrow ramp and poor visibility around corners.

Problems with the gradual ramp:
- It's really long.

The gradual ramp design seems to provide all around better access and I am supporting it. Please provide your support by attending the city hall meeting.

posted in Emeryville - 1 reply

manhole circles

etb — Thu, 13 Nov 2003 19:43:19 GMT

Why to all the manhole covers in Emeryville have circles painted around them?

You can see a picture of a few in my album, page three, image seventeen. (Taken from the pedestrian RR crossover at Powell.)

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