Uncategorized

Unfair Treatment of Turner Group Construction “Only the Tip of the Iceberg”

Published

13 years ago

April 18, 2013

Oakland Post

Desley Brooks

Joe Debro

By Ken A. Epstein

The City of Oakland’s failure to offer Turner Group Construction an honest shot at winning the Oakland Army Base demolition contact is “only the tip of the iceberg,” and explains, at least in part, the city’s continued dismal record of employing small, local contractors and African American construction workers on its projects, according to Councilmember Desley Brooks.
“What does (Turner Group’s experience) say about how Oakland’s flawed process? Here is a company that in seven years has gotten less than $50,000 in contacts with the City of Oakland. They spoke up, but there are a lot of firms that are afraid to speak up because they think they will get penalized,” Brooks said.
The obstacles small contactors face can be traced back to the staff and their overly cozy relationship wit the big contactors, she said. “In this instance that staff was going right along with sole sourcing contracts even though they knew it was in violation of the rules. And would have done it were it not for a Turner Group Construction or me and Larry (Reid) asking: Why are you sole sourcing this?’”
“Our staff is letting (the big contractors) dictate what is happening on our projects,” Brooks said. Most of the rest of the City Council is “ eager to let them do what they’ve always done. And that’s why the economics are the way that are in the city.”
Joe Debro, president of Bay Area Black Builders, agrees that the unfair procedures are connected to city staff and their ties to big contacts.
“No matter what the council policy is, the staff does what it wants to do,” Debro said. “This has been going on for the last 30 years or so. The politicians pass what are fair laws, but they don’t have any way to enforce them.”
The staff has all the information and controls the process, he said. Frequently, Debro said, “They come in at the last minute (at City Council meetings), needing something passed that night, or they are going to lose the money next week. But they’ve known that for six months. “
Unfortunately, the influence of developer Phil Tagami and other large contactors on the process is the normal operating procedure, she said. “I’ve been saying consistently since I’ve come on the council. We have to make sure the playing field really is level, not just lip service.”
There will never be significant hiring of Oakland workers on projects as long as the city relies on big out-of-town contactors. Local hiring cannot be separated from ensuring that contacts go to small, local construction firms, she said.
According to Brooks, one way to improve opportunities for small firms would be to create self-insurance, bonding and an owner controlled insurance program (OCIP), all of which would reduce the amount of capital that companies must take out of circulation for long periods of time to guarantee their job performance.
An important reform was putting all the Army Base project hires and where they live on the web, a policy that Brooks advocated.
Another significant reform has been the city’s prompt payment policy. “If the city actually implemented that policy, which I wrote, small contractors wouldn’t have to carry the city while they wait to get paid,” said Brooks.
In examining the city’s record of offering contracts to small companies, it is important “to follow the dollars,” not just the numbers of companies, according to Brooks.
In one $14 million deal, the developer hired contractors for $10 million, and a “good percentage went to African American contractors,” she said. ”But it was only for a total of $160,000 out of $10 million worth of contacts.
“It’s not just the percentages of participation – let’s look at the distribution of the dollars and wealth.”

Oakland Post

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Uncategorized

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

6 months ago

June 17, 2025

Oakland Post

Special to The Post

The City of Oakland’s Housing and Community Development Department (Oakland HCD) announced its awardees for the 2024-2025 New Construction of Multifamily Affordable Housing Notice of Funding Availability (New Construction NOFA) today Five permanently affordable housing developments received awards out of 24 applications received by the Department, with award amounts ranging from $7 million to $28 million.

In a statement released on Jan. 16, Oakland’s HCD stated, “Five New Construction Multifamily Affordable Housing Development projects awarded a total of $80.5 million to develop 583 affordable rental homes throughout Oakland. Awardees will leverage the City’s investments to apply for funding from the state and private entities.”

In December, the office of Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 City Councilmember, worked with HCD to allocate an additional $10 Million from Measure U to the funding pool. The legislation also readopted various capital improvement projects including street paving and upgrades to public facilities.

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is the media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Activism

Oakland Housing and Community Development Department Awards $80.5 Million to Affordable Housing Developments

Published

11 months ago

January 30, 2025

Oakland Post

Rebecca Kaplan, interim District 2 city councilmember. File photo.

Special to The Post

The following Oakland affordable housing developments have been awarded in the current round:

Mandela Station Affordable

238 Affordable Units including 60 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $15 million + previously awarded $18 million
Developer: Mandela Station LP (Pacific West Communities, Inc. and Strategic Urban Development Alliance, LLC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 1451 7th St.

Liberation Park Residences

118 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $28 million
Developer: Eden Housing and Black Cultural Zone
City Council District: 6
Address: 7101 Foothill Blvd.

34th & San Pablo

59 Affordable Units including 30 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $7 million
Developer: 34SP Development LP (EBALDC)
City Council District: 3
Address: 3419-3431 San Pablo Ave.

The Eliza

96 Affordable Units, including 20 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $20 million
Developer: Mercy Housing California
City Council District: 3
Address: 2125 Telegraph Ave.

3135 San Pablo

72 Affordable Units including 36 dedicated for Homeless/Special Needs
Award: $10.5 million
Developer: SAHA and St. Mary’s Center
City Council District: 3
Address: 3515 San Pablo Ave.

The source of this story is media reltations office of District 2 City Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan.

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

Oakland Acquisition Company’s Acquisition of County’s Interest in Coliseum Property on the Verge of Completion

The Board of Supervisors is committed to closing the deal expeditiously, and County staff have worked tirelessly to move the deal forward on mutually agreeable terms. The parties are down to the final details and, with the cooperation of OAC and Coliseum Way Partners, LLC, the Board will take a public vote at an upcoming meeting to seal this transaction.

Published

11 months ago

January 11, 2025

Oakland Post

Alameda County Board of Supervisors Chairman David Haubert. Official photo.

Special to The Post

The County of Alameda announced this week that a deal allowing the Oakland Acquisition Company, LLC, (“OAC”) to acquire the County’s 50% undivided interest in the Oakland- Alameda County Coliseum complex is in the final stages of completion.

Oakland has already finalized a purchase and sale agreement with OAC for its interest in the property. OAC’s acquisition of the County’s property interest will achieve two longstanding goals of the County:

The Oakland-Alameda Coliseum complex will finally be under the control of a sole owner with capacity to make unilateral decisions regarding the property; and
The County will be out of the sports and entertainment business, free to focus and rededicate resources to its core safety net

In an October 2024 press release from the City of Oakland, the former Oakland mayor described the sale of its 50% interest in the property as an “historic achievement” stating that the transaction will “continue to pay dividends for generations to come.”

The Board of Supervisors is pleased to facilitate single-entity ownership of this property uniquely centered in a corridor of East Oakland that has amazing potential.

“The County is committed to bringing its negotiations with OAC to a close,” said Board President David Haubert.