News

Progress at LBNL’s Richmond Facility

Published

11 years ago

July 5, 2013

Oakland Post

Artist’s rendering of the state-of-the-art campus of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Richmond facility.

Judith Morgan

By For Richmond Staff

With its state-of-the-art campus, bike paths leading to the Bay Trail, lecture forums and welcoming cafes, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s Richmond development is shaping up to be a boon for the city.
And the For Richmond coalition has thrown its full support behind the project: Not only will it create jobs for residents, but it will also encourage development of other clean technologies and businesses and draw more people and revenue dollars to Richmond.
“We’re all very excited because we are expecting this significant project to draw all kinds of new businesses to Richmond, which means more jobs for residents who need them,” said Judith Morgan, President and CEO of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce and a For Richmond steering committee member.
Coalition members are thrilled to see plans for the project moving forward – despite possible delays due to federal budget cuts. At a recent community meeting at Richmond City Hall, UC Berkeley and LBNL representatives told a group of about 100 community members that project plans are in the approval process, and they described how they see the area unfolding over time.
Graham Fleming, vice chancellor of research of UC Berkeley, described the plan for Richmond as “synergistic,” with UC Berkeley, LBNL and private developers all eventually building in the West Richmond area along the coast.
“It will take decades for the full vision to be realized, but it’s good to have a big picture in mind,” said Glenn Kubiak, chief operating officer for Berkeley Lab.
That big picture is both ambitious and impressive.
“We intend this to be a premier research hub. This can only be good for the Bay Area, only be good for Richmond and is good for all of us around the world,” said Barbara Maloney, a partner with BMS Design Group, which is overseeing the design plans. “This can become a real center of research. There’s plenty of land for other research companies to establish themselves nearby.”
The campus is already taking shape on the drawing boards with building placement, parking structures, trails and protected open space all outlined for the site.
Because the area has sensitive grasslands that need to be protected, there will be 25 acres of natural open space with minimal human access. The remaining 108 acres will be developed into research facilities, educational facilities, parking, food courts and open areas.
Parking lots will be placed on the outer edges of the property, most off the main road into the site. As a result, the center of the property will remain mostly car-free but bisected by Regatta Boulevard. The area will have walkways connecting four office clusters, or “neighborhoods,” with several open areas for socializing and eating.
The first of the four campus corridors will be developed along South 47th Street, near the Bay Trail, giving the community parking and access to the trail as soon as possible. The first phase is expected to be up to 600,000 square feet and house 1,300 people.
As more employees start working out of the new development, transportation solutions will be provided, including shuttle service linking the Richmond campus to the local BART stations and UC Berkeley, and possible ferry service linking Richmond to the Bay Area.
For Willie Hicks, the For Richmond jobs chair and the president and business representative for Laborers Local 324 in Richmond, all of these new plans mean one thing: jobs, jobs and more jobs for Richmond residents in need of work.
“Projects like this are fantastic because they attract other projects and businesses that put our workforce back to work,” Hicks said.
Morgan echoed that sentiment, adding that LBNL has made a commitment to support locally-owned small businesses, meaning that local restaurants, dry cleaners and drug stores, among others, will all benefit.
“This project is a win for this community many times over,” she said.
To find out more about the project, visit http://richmondbaycampus.lbl.gov/

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Activism

NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention Highlights Black Voter Engagement, and More

A Friday panel featuring NAACP Chairman Leon W. Russell and Regina Wilson, Executive Director of California Black Media, examined Project 2025, an initiative perceived as a potential threat to civil rights, healthcare access, and environmental protection. This session emphasized Project 2025’s projected impact on Black communities, noting that policies within the initiative could diminish gains in civil and environmental rights over decades. Russell and Wilson highlighted the need for vigilant monitoring and community mobilization to address these challenges.

Published

3 days ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

NAACP State Conference President Rick Callender (right) engages in a discussion on voter engagement and community advocacy with NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson during the 37th NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention in Los Angeles. Photo by Rich Woods.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The 37th NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention concluded on Sunday, Oct 27, following four days of discussions and workshops at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott. Bringing together civil rights leaders, policymakers, and advocates from California and Hawaii, the convention operated under the theme “All In.” The participants discussed critical issues impacting Black communities, including criminal justice reform, health equity, economic empowerment, education, environmental justice, and voting rights.

On Saturday, the President’s Fireside Chat brought together NAACP President Derrick Johnson and CA/HI State Conference President Rick Callender, who discussed the urgency of voter engagement and community advocacy.

Guest speakers included Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), who spoke at the Women in NAACP (WIN) Labor Luncheon about the intersection of labor rights and civil rights. California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond delivered remarks at the Leadership Dinner on education equity, focusing on policies to ensure all students have access to high-quality education.

Honors were given to longtime social justice advocate and former Assemblymember Mike Davis for his work in community activism. At the same time, actor and activist Danny Glover and the Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown received the 2024 Legacy Hall of Fame Awards, recognizing their lifelong commitments to advancing civil rights.

The convention also offered practical workshops, including “What’s On Your Ballot?,” where coalition leaders provided analyses of California propositions, explaining their potential impacts on community rights and resources. The Voter Turnout Workshop provided background and encouraged participants to promote voter turnout through community-centered outreach strategies.

Sunday’s events closed with a Prayer and Memorial Breakfast honoring the contributions of past and current civil rights leaders.

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Bay Area

Alameda County Judge Blasts Defendants Over Delay in West Oakland Fire Trial

Judge Kimberly Lowell excoriated the RadiusRecycling/SchnitzerSteel defendants in court for causing delays in prosecuting this case. Since the defendants first appeared in court on July 23, they have obtained three extensions of the arraignment date.

Published

3 days ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Criminal charges announced this week are related to the August 2023 scrap metal fire at Radius Recycling Inc., formerly Schnitzer Steel. Photo courtesy of Oaklandside.

Special to The Post

District Attorney Pamela Price announced that a hearing was held on October 30 in the criminal prosecution of the Radius Recycling/Schnitzer Steel involving a fire at the West Oakland facility on Aug. 9-10, 2023.

The Alameda County criminal Grand Jury indicted radius Recycling and two of its corporate managers in June 2024.

The court clarified that the defendants will not receive more extensions on their arraignment and plea.

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price agreed with the court that defendants should not get preferential treatment. Price and her team appreciated the court for clarifying that future delays by Radius will not be tolerated.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s (BAAQMD) public data shows that during and after the fire, the smoke plume traveled across Alameda County with high levels of PM 2.5 (Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter) detected around Laney College in Oakland, Livermore, Pleasanton, and West Oakland.

PM2.5 is particularly harmful to infants and children, the elderly, and people with asthma or heart disease.

“This fire posed a great health hazard to the people of Alameda County,” said Price. “High, short-term exposures to a toxic smoke plume have been shown to cause significant danger to human health.

“Additionally, in this case, Oakland firefighters battled the blaze under extremely dangerous conditions for 15 hours with assistance from a San Francisco Fire Department fireboat and a fireboat from the City of Alameda Fire Department,” Price observed.

The team prosecuting the case from the DA’s Consumer Justice Bureau looks forward to resolving any future motions and having the defendants arraigned in court on Dec. 9.

The media relations office of the Alameda County District Attorney’s office is the source of this report.

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Alameda County

D.A. Price Charges Coliseum Flea Market Vendors in Organized Retail Theft Case

The charges against Octavio Ambriz Valle, 52, Devora Ambriz Valle, 49, and Felipe Del Toro Trejo, 54, include multiple felony counts of possessing stolen property and organized retail theft in concert. It is alleged that the trio of vendors possessed stolen property valued at $348,466 from nine different retailers, including Kohl’s, Macy’s, PetSmart, Sephora, Sunglass Hut, TJX, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart.

Published

3 days ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Alameda County courthouse. Courtesy photo.

Alameda County Courthouse File photo.

Special to The Post

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced today that her office charged three people in connection with multiple organized retail theft crimes stemming from a sophisticated criminal enterprise operating at the Oakland Coliseum Flea Market from March 26, 2023, through April 17, 2024.

It is alleged that the trio of vendors possessed stolen property valued at $348,466 from nine different retailers, including Kohl’s, Macy’s, PetSmart, Sephora, Sunglass Hut, TJX, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart.

Last year, the District Attorney’s Office successfully competed and received a $2 million grant from the California Department of Justice to combat organized retail theft. Price added another $2 million to bolster the Organized Retail Crime Alameda (ORCA) unit which is fully operational and collaborating with numerous law enforcement agencies.

“For over a year, this enterprise supported criminal networks by requesting and buying specific products from brazen boosters who repeatedly terrorized retailers,” said Price. “I want to acknowledge our Organized Retail Crime Alameda (ORCA) Vertical Prosecution Unit for its great work and the role they played in this multi-jurisdiction investigation, which included the California Highway Patrol Golden Gate Division Organized Retail Crime Task Force, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, and San Ramon Police Department.”

If convicted and sentenced on all charges, Octavio Ambriz Valle faces a maximum sentence of nine years in County jail; Devora Ambriz Valle faces a maximum sentence of five years in County jail; and Felipe Del Toro Trejo faces a maximum sentence of three years and eight months in County jail.