Equitable Development Watch is an effort to provide concise information regarding recent and upcoming events related to economic development in Oakland. Items in this update include:

City Pursues Housing, Not Stadium, For Uptown Development
Army Base Plan Nearing Adoption - Hearing on July 31
West Oakland PAC Examines Eminent Domain, Community Outreach - Meets Again August 14
Central City East PAC Holds Second Meeting - August 5
Oakland Church Places Highest Bid for Oak Knoll
Public Comment Period Ends on Leona Quarry EIR
Oakland Community Land Trust Seeks Initial Board Members
PolicyLink Adds Mapping Tools to Equitable Development Kit
Editor's Picks - Major Projects to Watch in Oakland
Upcoming Events and Conferences

CITY PURSUES HOUSING, NOT STADIUM, FOR UPTOWN DEVELOPMENT

On July 23, the City Council voted to grant a third one-year exclusive negotiating agreement (ENA) to Forest City Residential West, Inc. to develop the Uptown project area bounded by 18th Street, 20th Street, Telegraph Avenue and San Pablo Avenue. While details of the plan keep changing, they recently included approximately 800 rental units and 55,000 square feet of retail space. Approximately 160 units (20%) were to be reserved for low-income households (earning 50% or less of area median income -which is $37,500 for a family of four) and 40 units would be reserved for moderate-income households (earning 120% or less of area median income - $89,400). In late June, the Oakland Tribune reported that Forest City was asking for a $41 million subsidy from the city, which was 96% of the cost for building the affordable housing portion. The city typically limits the use of affordable housing subsidies to a maximum of 40% of affordable housing costs. This site was also identified as a possible location for a new downtown baseball stadium and entertainment district. In granting the ENA to Forest City, the council rejected an amendment which would have allowed the city to also pursue negotiations with the Oakland A's baseball team.

ARMY BASE PLAN NEARING ADOPTION - HEARING ON JULY 31

On July 31, 2002, the Oakland Base Reuse Authority (OBRA) and the Oakland Planning Commission will hold a joint special meeting and a joint public hearing regarding the certification of the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and adoption of the Oakland Army Base Final Reuse Plan. While a number of steps would remain before final conveyance, certification and adoption of the EIR and Final Reuse Plan would be major milestones in the Army Base transfer process. Overall, 368 acres will be conveyed to the Redevelopment Agency. The meeting will convene in the City Council chambers of City Hall at 6:30 PM. For further information contact the OBRA office at 510-238-6427.

WEST OAKLAND PAC EXAMINES EMINENT DOMAIN, COMMUNITY OUTREACH - MEETS AGAIN AUGUST 14

The West Oakland Project Area Committee (PAC) is holding a number of sub-committee meetings that begin to address a variety of important issues. The Eminent Domain Committee met on July 24 to learn more about eminent domain and discuss whether and how it could be used in West Oakland. The Community Outreach Committee meeting was held jointly with the 7th Street McClymonds Town Hall Meeting on July 27. The Projects and Programs special meeting will be held August 1 from 6:30-8:30. That meeting will include an overview of blight studies and city plans as well as discussion of specific projects. The full PAC will meet again at 6:30 PM, August 14, at the West Oakland Senior Center - 1724 Adeline St. For further information, please contact Elois Thornton at the Community and Economic Development Agency, (510) 238-6284.

CENTRAL CITY EAST PAC HOLDS SECOND MEETING - AUGUST 5

The Central City East redevelopment area will be Oakland 's largest, covering over 90,000 residents and stretching from just east of Lake Merritt to 106th Ave in East Oakland. According to city estimates, the redevelopment area could generate $433,000,000 in tax-increment over the next 45 years. The PAC will help create the plan that guides use of these area redevelopment funds. (See our website www.urbanstrategies.org for more information on the Central City East Redevelopment Project Area.) The next PAC meeting will be August 5, from 7:00-8:30 PM in the Patten College activity room, 2443 Coolidge Ave. The agenda includes discussion of blight, environmental impact reports and allocation of tax increments. The PAC should also be filling a vacancy and hearing presentations from PAC members interested in being the Chair and Vice Chair of the committee. Contact Theresa Navarro at the Community and Economic Development Agency, (510) 238-6250, for agenda and other public information.

OAKLAND CHURCH PLACES HIGHEST BID FOR OAK KNOLL

The Greater St. Paul Baptist Church placed the highest bid, $22.5 million, for the 174-acre former Oak Knoll Naval Hospital. The city's offer of $11 million was rejected earlier this year, leading to the government placing the property up for auction on May 15. The bidding closed on July 8. According to the Oakland Tribune (7/9/02), the Church is planning to build about 500 homes, some affordable and some market rate, as well as a church, school, and senior assisted living facilities on the large property east of 580, off Mountain Blvd. More detailed plans should be available in about a month. The land will not be turned over to the church until the government determines the church has funds to support its bid. The church said it would reveal the identity of its private backers once the government gives approval for the purchase.

PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ENDS ON LEONA QUARRY EIR

The public comment period closed July 29 on the controversial Leona Quarry draft environmental impact review (EIR). The proposed project would include the construction of 564 residential units of which 19 single-family detached units would be constructed along Campus Drive and 545 attached units would be constructed in the lower portion of the project site, the former 128-acre Leona Quarry just east of the Edwards Avenue exit off I-580. The 545 lower units would consist of a variety of housing types (townhomes and condominiums) and potentially live/work units and/or senior housing. The project would also include about 10,000 square feet of neighborhood commercial space, a community center, up to 1,043 parking spaces, a pedestrian trail and an approximately two-acre park. The plan and the EIR have been criticized by a number of area residents who in mid-July organized a neighborhood garage sale to raise funds in hopes of hiring an independent geologist to examine the site.

OAKLAND COMMUNITY LAND TRUST SEEKS INITIAL BOARD MEMBERS

The Oakland Community Land Trust (OCLT), a grassroots - community-based organization, was recently established as an independent nonprofit public benefit corporation to create a self-sustaining solution for increasing the supply of land available for developing affordable housing for Oakland 's low and moderate income residents. OCLT is presently and actively seeking a combination of neighborhood individuals and public/community-based organization candidates to serve as its Initial Board of Directors. The Initial Board will work to implement a citywide CLT program, enforce controls that ensure effective management of the corporation, while acquiring funds and land; and finally, develop an effective outreach and public education program. This Initial Board will serve for approximately one year, until the community elects its first board. A public information meeting is being held on July 31, 2002, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., at Oakland 's City Hall. For more information, call 510-663-3396 or email oaklandclt@yahoo.com

POLICYLINK ADDS MAPPING TOOLS TO EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT KIT

On July 10, PolicyLink announced the addition of a new Community Mapping tool to their Equitable Development Toolkit, available online at www.policylink.org. Community Mapping is a vibrant way of depicting a neighborhood's economic and social assets and inequities. From a simple hand drawn map to the use of advanced software, community mapping contributes to equitable development of neighborhoods, cities, and regions. A community map, for example, can show the relationship between affordable housing and the location of jobs, schools, and transportation. The PolicyLink Community Mapping tool includes more than 20 examples, including some from Oakland, of how mapping supports neighborhood revitalization, community-building, and equitable development.

EDITOR'S PICKS - MAJOR PROJECTS TO WATCH IN OAKLAND

A number of major projects are underway or under consideration in Oakland that could dramatically impact their immediate neighborhoods, Oakland and the region. As we envision an equitable future for Oakland, we recommend paying special attention to the following, some of which are highlighted in this edition of Equitable Development Watch: Oak to Ninth, 10K developments, Army Base, BART transit villages (Fruitvale, MacArthur, West Oakland, Coliseum and its airport connector), the Uptown development, Oak Knoll, Leona Quarry and Central Station (old Amtrak station). A number of these projects are likely to receive direct public support such as affordable housing or redevelopment funds. Others may benefit from indirect subsidies such as street and other infrastructure improvements. We feel it is important to identify who benefits from development. When development is done equitably, all Oaklanders, including low- and middle-income residents, benefit.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND CONFERENCES

August 14-15,Legal Issues Symposium, training in Monterey by the California Redevelopment Association addressing current legislative, policy, legal and regulatory information concerning redevelopment. See www.ca-redevelopment.org/LIS.htm or call (916) 448-8760 for more information.

September 18-19,Introduction to Redevelopment, training in Pleasonton by the California Redevelopment Association designed to provide the basics of redevelopment in a down-to-earth and understandable format. See www.ca-redevelopment.org/Intro.htm or call (916) 448-8760 for more information.

September 22-25,International Economic Development Council Annual Conference will be held in Oakland. The event is expected to attract over 1,000 economic development professionals for workshops, tours and presentations on a wide variety of topics. Tours of Oakland, Emeryville and Berkeley are featured during the conference. Early registration ends August 2. See http://iedconline.org/AnnualConference/home.html for more details.

Editor: Jeff Abramson
Urban Strategies Council
672 Thirteenth Street
Oakland, CA 94612
(510) 893-2404 * Fax (510) 893-6657

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