Bay Area

City Council Commits to Adopting Policies to Protect and Enhance Geoffrey’s Inner Circle and the Black Arts District

The Oakland City Council adopted a motion this week potentially resolving the ongoing fight between the many backers of Geoffrey’s Inner Circle and San Francisco-based Tidewater Capital’s proposed 40-story luxury apartment tower, which city planning staff greenlighted to be built inches away from the Geoffrey’s venue in what has been designated the downtown Black Arts Movement and Business District.

Published

2 years ago

January 23, 2024

Oakland Post

Geoffrey Pete, owner of Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, at Oakland City Hall. Photo by Jonathan ‘Fitness’ Jones.

By Ken Epstein

Proposed by Councilmember Carroll Fife and seconded by Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, the city council unanimously approved a scheduling motion to place the matter on the Feb. 27 meeting agenda of the council’s Community and Economic Development (CED) committee, pledging to write new policies to strengthen the Black Arts district and ensure the long-term viability of Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, named after its owner, Geoffrey Pete.

Speaking at Tuesday meeting, Mr. Pete withdrew his appeal challenging the planning commission’s approval of the Tidewater project and thanked his many community backers for their tenacious and vocal support.

“We have entered into an agreement with the City of Oakland in which we have decided to withdraw our appeal,” he said. “This was an unprecedented appeal … against the unjust decision by the city planners and the planning commission of the City of Oakland.”

Cautiously optimistic, he said “It is our sincere hope (that) making good on this agreement … your supportive efforts will not be in vain.”

He emphasized this resolution could not have been achieved without the many community members who raised their voices to support him and his club.

“Thank you for your seemingly undying support,” he said. “You have revitalized our community in one fell swoop … I never knew you could have the kind of impact you’ve had on this situation.”

Quoting Martin Luther King Jr., he said, “A man is a fool if he doesn’t realize that his wealth is a part of the commonwealth. No matter where you are, somebody helped you get there. Thank you for helping us get there.”

Councilmember Fife introduced the scheduling motion, which was worked out in discussions with community members prior to the meeting.

“Thank you, Mr. Pete. You’ve had an amazing amount of patience and also been a teacher and a leader throughout this entire endeavor,” she said, emphasizing that she has pledged to do what it takes to strengthen the Black Arts district.

“I made that commitment, and I’ve made it in writing,” she said.

Continuing, Councilmember Fife said, “I’d like to schedule this strengthening of existing legislation, which is (currently) the Black Arts Movement and Business District in name only. I think it was a noble effort that was passed by (former) councilmember (Lynette) McElhaney (in 2016), but it didn’t give the City of Oakland the tools necessary to really enforce what it means to be a cultural district in the (city).”

According to the scheduling motion, the Feb. 27 CED committee meeting would create city policies to:

“Implement a series of public streetscape improvements, including public banners, along Oakland’s Fourteenth Street corridor, to honor, uplift, commemorate, and increase public awareness of important Black cultural, sports, arts, and historical people and institutions.”
“Use available funds including available art funds. and to pursue grants and other funding sources to support arts, music, comedy, and cultural institutions in the district; including the preservation and financial support to ensure ongoing viability of its historic, cornerstone African American institutions, including Geoffrey’s Inner Circle.”
“To make resources available to businesses” for tenant improvements and to work with the planning and building departments to “strengthen the district and ensure long-term vitality.”

Looking ahead, in the wake of recent conflicts over market-rate real estate developments, supported by city planning staff and the Planning Commission, many community activists have begun to challenge the pro-gentrification biases that appear baked into the planning process.

These activists are raising the alarm over the lack of ordinary Oakland residents, who are unconnected to real estate development, on the Planning Commission and the readiness of planners to place the interests of developers over residents’ needs and concerns.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

2 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.