Bay Area

Does Holy Names University Need to Close Down? HNU’s Bond-Holder Says No

When the Holy Names University Board of Trustees declared in December 2022 that the college was closing, they said they could not afford to remain open and were under pressure to repay a recent $50 million loan.

Published

3 years ago

March 6, 2023

Oakland Post

Holy Names University campus. Photo courtesy of HNU archives.

By Ken Epstein

However, the lender, Preston Hollow Community Capital (PHCC), is saying something quite different. In a recent letter to City of Oakland officials, the lender wrote:

“It is important that we make two things abundantly clear. 1) HNU decided, on its own and over PHCC’s objections, to close down – despite the fact that we have expressed a clear and ongoing commitment to help them overcome their challenges; and 2) PHCC is committed to doing everything it can to keep this campus as an institution of higher education rather than watch it be bought and sold to the highest bidder for some other purpose,” including “potentially for luxury real estate development.”

In the letter, Preston Hollow describes itself as “a leading social impact investor in the United States. We invest in and assist projects of significant social and economic importance to local communities.”

For example, in January they created a project to assist Howard University, assist the historically Black college, in Wash., D.C., with a $300 million tax-exempt bond-financing arrangement.

In its letter to Oakland officials, Preston Hollow reached out to work with the city to save the campus as a center for higher education in Oakland.

“Please accept this letter as the beginning of a line of dialogue between PHCC and Oakland city leaders,” the letter said. “We are committed to working with you collaboratively – and hopefully with HNU’s collaboration as well.”

Some people in the Oakland community are questioning whether HNU’s leaders are interested in seeking alternatives to closing the institution and selling the property.

After HNU’s trustees closure announcement in December, several community leaders asked for a meeting with Board of Trustees Chair Steven Borg to offer assistance, a meeting he refused to attend.

In January, other leaders asked for a meeting with Borg to discuss a specific proposal for a partnership to keep the campus open. That meeting request was also refused.

Recently, Oakland City Council members have been working to find a way to preserve the mission of educating the university’s multiracial student body as teachers, nurses, social workers and undergraduates at the beautiful 60-acre campus with gorgeous views overlooking Oakland and the San Francisco Bay.

In response to Oakland Post questions, Borg did not offer to collaborate with Preston Hollow but criticized the letter for “false and misleading information while also claiming to be operating in good faith with HNU.”

He said HNU’s commitment is to operate the college until May 2023 and to “get the highest value for the property.”

He said that HNU had not missed any payments on its $50 million loan. “Instead, the default was technical in nature.”

This week, faculty and staff at HNU are meeting to discuss these new developments and to consider options that may exist to continue a higher education institution on the campus.

One possibility that excites many members of the Oakland community is the possibility of a partnership with a Historically Black College or University as part of a comprehensive plan to maintain the campus as a center of higher education.

Holy Names is an accredited, Roman Catholic, co-educational university founded by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary in 1868. Originally established as the Convent of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart by six members of a teaching order from Quebec, Canada, the original site of the convent was on the shores of Lake Merritt. In 1957, the school moved to its present location in the Oakland hills.

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Activism

OP-ED: AB 1349 Puts Corporate Power Over Community

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices have jumped more than 150 percent. Activities that once fit a family’s budget now take significant disposable income that most working families simply don’t have. The problem is compounded by a system that has tilted access toward the wealthy and white-collar workers. If you have a fancy credit card, you get “presale access,” and if you work in an office instead of a warehouse, you might be able to wait in an online queue to buy a ticket. Access now means privilege.

Published

7 days ago

January 9, 2026

Oakland Post

Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

By Bishop Joseph Simmons, Senior Pastor, Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, Oakland

As a pastor, I believe in the power that a sense of community can have on improving people’s lives. Live events are one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and ages can share the same space and experience – where construction workers sit next to lawyers at a concert, and teenagers enjoy a basketball game with their grandparents. Yet, over the past decade, I’ve witnessed these experiences – the concerts, games, and cultural events where we gather – become increasingly unaffordable, and it is a shame.

These moments of connection matter as they form part of the fabric that holds communities together. But that fabric is fraying because of Ticketmaster/Live Nation’s unchecked control over access to live events. Unfortunately, AB 1349 would only further entrench their corporate power over our spaces.

Power over live events is concentrated in a single corporate entity, and this regime operates without transparency or accountability – much like a dictator. Ticketmaster controls 80 percent of first-sale tickets and nearly a third of resale tickets, but they still want more. More power, more control for Ticketmaster means higher prices and less access for consumers. It’s the agenda they are pushing nationally, with the help of former Trump political operatives, who are quietly trying to undo the antitrust lawsuit launched against Ticketmaster/Live Nation under President Biden’s DOJ.

That’s why I’m deeply concerned about AB 1349 in its current form. Rather than reining in Ticketmaster’s power, the bill risks strengthening it, aligning with Trump. AB 1349 gives Ticketmaster the ability to control a consumer’s ticket forever by granting Ticketmaster’s regime new powers in state law to prevent consumers from reselling or giving away their tickets. It also creates new pathways for Ticketmaster to discriminate and retaliate against consumers who choose to shop around for the best service and fees on resale platforms that aren’t yet controlled by Ticketmaster. These provisions are anti-consumer and anti-democratic.

California has an opportunity to stand with consumers, to demand transparency, and to restore genuine competition in this industry. But that requires legislation developed with input from the community and faith leaders, not proposals backed by the very company causing the harm.

Will our laws reflect fairness, inclusion, and accountability? Or will we let corporate interests tighten their grip on spaces that should belong to everyone? I, for one, support the former and encourage the California Legislature to reject AB 1349 outright or amend it to remove any provisions that expand Ticketmaster’s control. I also urge community members to contact their representatives and advocate for accessible, inclusive live events for all Californians. Let’s work together to ensure these gathering spaces remain open and welcoming to everyone, regardless of income or background.

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Oakland Post: Week of December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 31, 2025 – January 6, 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

January 2, 2026

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Big God Ministry Gives Away Toys in Marin City

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grow up.

Published

3 weeks ago

December 29, 2025

Oakland Post

From top left: Pastor David Hall asking the children what they want to be when they grow up. Worship team Jake Monaghan, Ruby Friedman, and Keri Carpenter. Children lining up to receive their presents. Photos by Godfrey Lee.

By Godfrey Lee

Big God Ministries, pastored by David Hall, gave toys to the children in Marin City on Monday, Dec. 15, on the lawn near the corner of Drake Avenue and Donahue Street.

Pastor Hall also gave a message of encouragement to the crowd, thanking Jesus for the “best year of their lives.” He asked each of the children what they wanted to be when they grew up.

Around 75 parents and children were there to receive the presents, which consisted mainly of Gideon Bibles, Cat in the Hat pillows, Barbie dolls, Tonka trucks, and Lego building sets.

A half dozen volunteers from the Big God Ministry, including Donnie Roary, helped to set up the tables for the toy giveaway. The worship music was sung by Ruby Friedman, Keri Carpenter, and Jake Monaghan, who also played the accordion.

Big God Ministries meets on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Mill Valley Community Center, 180 Camino Alto, Mill Valley, CA Their phone number is (415) 797-2567.