City Government

City Council Approves Kaiser Permanente Thrive Center To Centralize W orkforce in Downtown Oakland

Published

5 years ago

July 20, 2019

The Oakland City Council voted unanimously to authorize a DDA (Disposition and Development Agreement) with W/L Telegraph Owner, LLC or a related entity for the sale of 2100 Telegraph Avenue.

Alan Dones, Developer

“It’s not the Kaiser Project, it’s the 2100 Project,” said developer Alan Dones, speaking at the July 9 City Council meeting. “lt’s between my company and Lane Partners, and we’ve been working on the project for 10 years. This project is one that is going to contribute to the well-being and betterment of people to earn a good living, have good housing, as well as a great office project,” he said.

The project will house the new Kaiser Permanente Thrive Center headquarters in Oakland. The new building is scheduled to break ground in 2020.

Kaiser Chairman and CEO Bernard J. Tyson previously had announced that the new building will accommodate the 7,200 national and Northern California Regional employees and physicians who currently work in seven different locations, and will enhance collaboration and provide more modern workplace technology.

Tyson said the design will emphasize green construction, and will include a health clinic, community meeting spaces, a showplace for locally inspired art and other benefits for the community which will include an increase of local tax revenues and help to create jobs in Oakland.

Bernard J. Tyson, CEO

This new downtown Oakland building will reduce operational costs by more than $60 million annually, addressing facilities maintenance, inefficient utility expenses and rising commercial real estate leases. Reinvesting these savings will advance Kaiser Permanente’s mission of providing high-quality, affordable care for its members and communities.

The new offices will include modern, environmentally sustainable, efficient working space with improved access to public transportation, all of which will support employee collaboration, productivity and Kaiser Permanente’s goal to be carbon net positive by 2025.

Kaiser Permanente’s 7,200 national and Northern California Regional employees currently work in seven separate sites, primarily in Oakland. Once construction of the Kaiser Permanente Thrive Center is complete in 2023, existing buildings currently owned by Kaiser Permanente will be acquired by local developer Lane Partners for renovation and commercial use.

Kaiser Permanente is the largest employer in Oakland and delivers significant economic impact to the city and the region. This new building is estimated to generate a one-time $23 million in economic benefit in addition to more than $15 million annually in local tax revenues for the city, according to site developer Lane Partners.

Over the coming months, Kaiser Permanente announced that it will engage its employees and the Oakland community in the planning and development of its new location, as well as best uses for public spaces in the building to foster collaboration and wellness.

Click HERE for more information on Kaiser Permanente’s future home.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

6 days ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

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City Government

San Pablo Appoints New Economic Development and Housing Manager

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo. Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Published

1 week ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Kieron Slaughter. Photo courtesy of the City of San Pablo

The Richmond Standard

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo.

Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Before that he was an associate planner in the City of Richmond’s Planning and Building Services Department from 2007-2015.

San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez lauded Slaughter’s extensive experience in economic development, housing and planning, saying he will add a “valuable perspective to the City Manager’s Office.”

Slaughter, a Berkeley resident, will start in his new role on Nov. 12, with a base annual salary of $164,928, according to the City of San Pablo.

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City Government

Aaron Osorio Rises Up Ranks to Become Richmond’s Fire Chief

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10. “I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.” Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Published

1 week ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Richmond Fire Department Chief Aaron Osorio. Courtesy photo

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10.

“I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.”

Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Osorio is a San Francisco native who rose up the ranks in the Richmond Fire Department over the last 21 years before being elevated to chief.

He joined the department in 2002 and has served in multiple roles including firefighters, engineer, captain, battalion chief, training director and deputy fire chief. He said he truly loves working in this community.

While it isn’t common for a fire department to hire a chief that came up through its ranks, Osorio was credited by the city for serving Richmond well during uncommon times.

The city lauded him for developing internal policies and vaccination clinics during the initial COVID response, for supporting activation of the emergency operations center in response to a potential mudslide disaster in Seacliff last year, helping to draft mutual aid agreements and working to increase fire response capabilities for industrial incidents.

He’s also led departmental hiring and recruitment since 2018.

Osorio said it is an honor to be hired as chief and has big plans for the department moving forward. He said he wants to continue hiring and promoting for vacant positions, and also completing a strategic plan guiding the direction of the organization.

He also aims to replace and renovate a number of fire department facilities placed on the Capital Improvement Plan and create new ways to recruit that will enhance the diversity of the department.

Osorio said his experience within, and love for, the city of Richmond puts him in a good position to lead the department. He says he knows what is needed and also the challenges that are unique to the city.

“I look forward to utilizing that institutional knowledge to move the fire department forward in a positive direction and enhance the services we provide to the community,” the chief said.

Osorio holds a bachelor of science degree in Fire Administration and is also a California State Fire Marshal-certified chief officer, company officer, and state instructor.

He also holds numerous certifications in fire, rescue, hazardous material, and incident command.

The chief has been married to his wife, Maria, for 26 years and they have two sons, Roman and Mateo.