Positive signals to revive Oakland’s urban centers
Downtown development, return-to-office, focus on street safety
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Comeback plan for downtown Oakland; new tier of “mixed-use” spaces
What’s happening: A local developer has a new vision to transform downtown Oakland. The project centers around a recently-acquired 21-story Kaiser office tower and a newly-built 39-story apartment tower at 1900 Broadway. It brings mixed-use to a new level, blending office, residential, and community — all on top of a BART station.
Zoom in: The effort is being led by Colin Behring, who manages Behring Companies, the firm that owns both towers and the 635-space parking garage in between them. Behring said a project like this is viable — both in terms of being profitable and getting the necessary permitting and approvals — because of key rezoning decisions that removed height limits to accommodate high-density housing.
What it means: This is more than a construction project — it’s a signal of what could be achieved when forward-thinking policies and investments come together.
“Oakland needs to attract companies back to downtown. And we’re doing our part by offering the best type of urban living situation at a price that no one can beat.” — Colin Behring
Oakland city employees to return downtown at least 4 days a week
What’s happening: Oakland’s City Administrator Jestin Johnson recently told labor union leaders that city employees will be required to return to the office at least four days a week. The city adopted a remote work policy during the pandemic. But even though President Biden declared the pandemic over in September 2022, about 60% of city staff continue to work from home. Johnson reminded workers that “telecommuting is a privilege, not a right.”
What it means: This move could be a much needed catalyst, with potentially hundreds or thousands of city employees returning downtown to stimulate economic activity and bring back a sense of vitality to our streets. The hope is that the city’s operational efficiency also improves as a result of workers being in the office, particularly in departments like building and permitting.
What’s next: The return-to-office order will go into effect for supervisor and manager-level roles starting February 18, and will apply to all city employees in early April. It remains to be seen how the city’s labor unions will respond. A recent survey from Pew Research showed that nearly half of workers who currently work from home would leave their jobs if required to return to office.
Smarter design can lead to better safety
What’s going on: More than 250 Oaklanders recently gave their thoughts on what would make the Grand Lake neighborhood, particularly Grand Avenue, a place where community happens naturally. The feedback focused on smart urban planning with public safety at the forefront.
What they’re saying: Respondents put forward ideas like enhanced policing, better lighting, and reimagined public spaces — all designed to make Grand Ave, and Oakland streets broadly, safer and more welcoming. They said traffic-calming measures and safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists would significantly increase the time and money they spend on the corridor.
Bigger picture: Grand Ave, just a stone’s throw from Lake Merritt, should in theory be a hub of economic and community activity. While a relatively small sample size, the consensus is that safer streets can be an economic catalyst. Improved safety measures can boost community confidence and encourage both residents and businesses to invest, spend, and live in the area — a concept many of Oakland’s business districts (and their representatives) can lean into.
In other news…
‘Won’t sugarcoat’ it: Oakland lays off nearly 100 workers (Oaklandside)
OUSD on Track to Run Out of Cash After Avoiding Hard Decisions, Scathing Letter Says (KQED)
This just may be a [mayor] race after all (East Bay Insiders)
New Alameda County DA says she'll ‘do things a little different’ (Berkeley Scanner)
Oakland’s police chief proposes to restore police pursuit powers, and the police commission pushes back (Oakland Report)
‘The Town is not going to fall:’ Oakland Restaurant Collective takes aim at negative narratives (Berkeleyside)
Trump’s order to freeze federal grants sparks chaos in Oakland (Oaklandside)
Inviting more people to the Grand Lake area needs to be done only with improvements to protect Lakeside Park and the water quality of Lake Merritt. Specifically, curb inlet filters on all storm drains in the area; elimination of illegal activities in the park, enforced by a park ranger like we used to have; a rose garden across from Ahn's Burgers to prevent another homeless camp there; permits for pop up vendors require them to leave the area as clean or cleaner than when they came (with a revocable bond to enforce it); a fence around the boating center to prevent burglary, vandalism, arson etc.; a security station between the lawn bowling area and bandstand beach; 24/7 cameras on park and nearby light poles; license plate reading cameras in the park; etc. Then maybe they won't continue stealing the utility light poles!
Require city employees to be in the office 5 days a week. Don’t sugar coat it.