Community

OP-ED: Will City Preserve Oakland Auditorium for the People of Oakland?

Published

11 years ago

June 7, 2015

By James Moore Jr.

As a second-generation Oakland native, I have fond memories from my youth of the Oakland Auditorium, now called the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, attending Big Time Wrestling, Bay Bombers Roller Derby, Oakland High School Tournament of Champions (TOC) Basketball games, Black Panther Party Rallies and of course James Brown and Motown concerts.

The Auditorium has played host to Martin Luther King, Jr., Elvis, the Grateful Dead and all varieties of civic, sports and community events since 1915.

And now there is a recommendation by the city that would turn the Auditorium arena into office space, destroying one of the only venues of its kind and unraveling a major swath of Oakland’s historic fabric.

The proposal by Orton Development, aside from re-purposing the arena, provides very little detail on the programming or how Oakland residents will benefit.

However, city staff has forwarded their proposal for review by the council’s Community and Economic Development Committee.

Fortunately there’s also a competing proposal that would restore and rejuvenate this Oakland landmark, including the arena, in a manner that engages the greatest number of Oakland residents, provides an incredible amount of economic impact and creates opportunities to positively impact small local businesses.

Creative Development Partners, an Oakland-based development firm with deep roots in local community development, has raised $66 million for a proposal that includes an embedded training and employment program in partnership with Oakland Unified Schools, Laney and Merritt Colleges, to provide career pathways for high school and community college students in a range of accessible and upwardly mobile fields. CDP’s proposal creates added value to the Auditorium through the addition of a new arts-integrated hotel built next to the building, allowing Oakland to attract meetings, conventions, concerts, sporting activities and all sorts of special events.

The plan also includes a cultural and performing arts center, building upon Oakland’s incredible arts scene and supported by a broad range of local and regional arts organizations.

While opposed by a small group of historic preservation activists, CDP has designed a “deep-green” and sustainable hotel that integrates into its surroundings and complements the Auditorium and Oakland Museum.

As they said, “we want to respect the past, while participating in the future.” Oakland desperately needs hotel rooms and the Auditorium provides an opportunity to create a headquarter hotel, which captures convention and special event business.

With the mind blowing amount of new development and money flowing into Oakland from private and institutional sources, it’s important to be mindful that all money isn’t good money, and the same rules that apply to new immigrants to Oakland and the unintended negative impacts of gentrification, it’s imperative that Oakland pursues an equitable development strategy that benefits the most citizens, instead of catering to only the more affluent among us.

We also need to fulfill a promise to young people and other long-time residents, that if you do right, opportunity will come your way.

Anyone who has roots in the city understands the significance of this historic building and the need to restore and reopen it. Creative Development Partners’ project needs to happen and needs for your voice needs to be heard.

The two projects will be heard at the next city Community and Economic Development (CED) Committee meeting on June 9, 1:30pm at City Hall. The details of the project can be found at www.1lmoakland.com. It’s the responsible choice and will set Oakland apart as a national model for equitable economic development.

James Moore, Jr. is the director of the African American Business Exchange and producer of multi-ethnic cultural events.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Community

WCCUSD Joins Statewide Organic School Food Purchasing Cooperative

Other districts involved include: Alameda USD, Albany USD, Berkeley USD, Capistrano USD, Cupertino Union SD, Hayward USD, Laguna Beach USD, Lagunitas Elementary SD, Mt. Diablo USD, North Monterey County USD, Pajaro Valley USD, San Leandro USD, San Ramon Valley USD, Santa Clara USD, Sausalito Marin City SD, Tahoe-Truckee USD and West Contra Costa USD.

Published

3 days ago

October 13, 2026

Post News Group

West Contra Costa Unified School District food services team members pose for a photo at Back-to-School Night. Photo courtesy of WCCUSD.

By Richmond Standard Staff

Seventeen California public school districts, including West Contra Costa Unified (WCCUSD), have joined a purchasing cooperative to pool their buying power and expand access to organic food in school meals.

The nonprofit Conscious Kitchen recently announced the launch of the Conscious Organic School Food Purchasing Cooperative. Its founding districts serve more than 300,000 students combined.

The cooperative partnered with food distributors UNFI and Sysco to expand the organic products available to participating districts. Combining schools’ purchasing demand helps distributors plan with suppliers while creating more dependable markets for organic farmers and food makers, according to Conscious Kitchen.

Other eligible California school districts can access the cooperative’s products and pricing through its existing contracts without conducting their own bids. Mt. Diablo Unified School District serves as the lead district for the cooperative’s grocery bid.

Barbara Jellison, WCCUSD’s executive director of food services, said the cooperative builds on years of work bringing fresh, organic food into school kitchens.

“The next challenge has always been how to make that possible for more districts,” Jellison said. “The Co-op gives schools a way to take what we have learned and move it to a completely different scale.”

Post News Group

Posts by Post News Group

Community

Democrats, Community Groups Back Measure EE to Change How Oakland Is Governed

Along with clearer executive responsibility, the Charter reform would also create new checks and balances, including an independent Budget and Legislative Analyst office, City Council confirmation of key appointments, expanded council hearing and subpoena authority, and give the council the ability to override a mayoral veto with six votes.

Published

3 days ago

October 13, 2026

Post News Group

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. Courtesy of Mayor Barbara Lee’s office.

By Oakland Post Staff

The Alameda County Democratic Party has voted to endorse Measure EE, the Oakland Charter reform measure on the November 2026 ballot. The party’s endorsement is announced alongside a broad coalition of organizations spanning labor, business, faith, and community advocacy, including Oakland Rising Action that are also supporting the measure.

Those supporters include:

League of Women Voters of Oakland
AFSCME Council 57
SPUR
Bay Area Council
Black Women Organized for Political Action
Faith in Action East Bay
Oakland Chamber of Commerce
Oakland Rising Action
Revitalize East Bay
Empower Oakland

Measure EE would reform Oakland’s hybrid governance system by establishing a strong-mayor structure, making the mayor the city’s chief executive, responsible for delivering effective, efficient services.

The measure would also reform and expand responsibilities of City Councilmembers.

Measure EE would create clearer lines of responsibility for the performance of city government, allowing voters to evaluate the mayor based on how effectively the city delivers services and produces results.

“Oakland voters deserve a City Hall where they know exactly who’s responsible when something goes wrong and exactly who to credit when it gets fixed. Measure EE puts that responsibility squarely with the mayor, backed by real checks and balances, so Oakland can finally move as fast as its problems demand. That’s why the Alameda County Democratic Party is proud to stand behind it,” said Igor Tregub, chair of the Alameda County Democratic Party.

Oakland Rising Action, a collaboration of racial, economic, and environmental justice organizations, has also issued a press statement explaining its support for Measure EE.

Measure EE “represents a critical opportunity for residents to clarify the governance role of the Oakland Mayor and City Council, so we, as residents, know who to hold accountable for the execution of voter-approved and budgeted services within city departments,” the statement said.

Measure EE would reform Oakland’s Charter, which is the city’s Constitution, strengthening “the role of the mayor as the CEO of Oakland, with the city administrator being hired and managed by the mayor explicitly.”

The measure would also strengthen oversight of city departments by mandating reporting directly to the City Council and provide the mayor with veto power in approving policies and the budget.

Measure EE was placed on the ballot by the Oakland City Council in June 2026. For more than half a year, the mayor’s working group on Charter reform engaged residents and elected officials on the options for governance of Oakland, which led to Measure EE.

“Oaklanders need clarity about who is responsible for the management of our city departments, our tax dollars, and our voter-approved ballot measures,” said Pecolia Manigo, executive director of Oakland Rising.

“The average resident believes that we already have a strong mayor system,” she continued. “However, this is simply not the truth in our City Charter. It is time for us to stop talking about the Charter changes Oakland needs. This is the first of many Charter reforms that are needed to improve conditions in Oakland, especially the flatlands. It’s time all voters start paying attention to who is making decisions for Oakland. This election allows us to say how we believe Oakland should be governed.”

Post News Group

Posts by Post News Group

Business

Veterans Housing Project Proposed for South Richmond

According to the development team’s presentation, the project has an estimated total cost of nearly $158 million. The presentation outlines five phases encompassing entitlement and construction documents, community outreach, soil remediation and utility work, podium and building construction, solar technology integration, and interior buildouts.

Published

3 days ago

October 13, 2026

Post News Group

Artist’s rendering of the complex that will have xx units for veterans. Courtesy image.

A proposed mixed-use development at 338 Carlson Blvd. could bring hundreds of homes and support services for military veterans to South Richmond.

Led by the Richmond-based Veterans Resource Program in partnership with Eagle Environmental Construction & Development, the proposal covers an approximately 2.3-acre property the nonprofit acquired in 2018.

The proposal features a multi-building residential development with various apartment sizes, though city documents and developer materials cite conflicting totals ranging from 226 to 268 units.

The proposal also includes approximately 40,000 square feet of commercial and retail space, about 200 parking spaces, and an entrepreneurial training and job-development component intended to connect veterans with economic and workforce opportunities.

Founded in 2011, the Veterans Resource Program provides housing assistance and other services to veterans, including those experiencing homelessness or transitioning from incarceration.

The proposal aims to advance Richmond’s affordable housing goals while connecting veterans with housing and supportive services. Details of affordability and veteran eligibility remain to be clarified.

The Richmond City Council was scheduled to receive an informational presentation on the project at its Oct. 6 meeting, following a continuance from Sept. 22. The item does not seek project approval or city funding. Any future request for city financial assistance or other public resources would require separate consideration and approval.