Waymo, the autonomous vehicle technology company owned by Google parent Alphabet is reportedly “expanding testing” in Emeryville The report may not be what you think though as Waymo is already permitted to operate across the entire state as long as a human specialist is behind the wheel This testing does not necessarily mean their driverless “robotaxi” service is imminent in the city although clearly the company has long-term plans to offer their service beyond just San Francisco and the Peninsula Waymo builds sophisticated maps using manual mapping drives E&E News (Environment & Energy), a publication owned by Politico, published a report today based on some communications between Waymo and 2025 Mayor David Mourra Mourra acknowledged that Waymo has reached out to him and the city but that “there was no time frame given for the expansion.” Mourra explained that he and the City have yet to actually meet with Waymo representatives Mourra expressed excitement that they are considering expanding to Emeryville and the East Bay saying that as an avid biker “he felt safer around the autonomous vehicles.” Waymo PR Manager Ethan Teicher also denied that their were any immediate plans to offer their robotaxi rides in Emeryville “We don’t have plans to expand to the East Bay in the near future,” Teicher replied to an inquiry we made back in March after first hearing a rumor of their entry into the East Bay “But people in the East Bay may see Waymo vehicles in their community.” Labor leaders have raised concerns over the technology eliminating jobs and have sought stricter regulations to slow the pace of their adoption “We will continue to engage with local officials and emergency responders as we bring our technology to more places across the state,” Teicher provided in a follow up email San Francisco has embraced the technology and it’s difficult to be in the city for more then a few minutes without seeing one of Waymo’s white Jaguar sedans with the spinning LiDAR scanner mounted to its roof Recently elected SF Mayor Daniel Lurie has embraced the technology and recently announced they were expanding Waymo’s usage to portions of Market Street that have previously been restricted to public transit Subscribe to Emeryville’s only dedicated news source Please consider making a recurring contribution at any level you feel comfortable with to help sustain local news for the Emeryville community is a third generation Californian and East Bay native who lived in Emeryville from 2003 to 2021. Rob founded The E'ville Eye in 2011 after being robbed at gunpoint and lamenting the lack of local news coverage. Rob's "day job" is as a creative professional I’m mostly over my initial discomfort about Waymo cars driving near me While they look weird and their spinning sensors are a bit distracting I prefer them to the blind trust in black box AI that their competitors are attempting to force us into I will never trust the safety of my family on the street to AI models that don’t fully sense their immediate surroundings Receive a free item from our E'ville Threads Shop with your support (min Prefer to subscribe via Apple Pay or Google Pay Become a recurring E’ville Eye supporter for as little as $5 per month and get a FREE custom tee or cap (minimum one year commitment) Organize In response to Sutter’s announcement on Feb 2025 that the hospital system is finalizing plans for a $1 billion complex in Emeryville RN in the emergency department at Summit Medical Center and member of California Nurses Association “Sutter nurses demand the maintenance of health care services in our Berkeley community and that the hospital system fulfill its obligation to seismically retrofit the Ashby campus We are especially concerned that Sutter does not have a plan for continuing services beyond the 2030 seismic retrofit deadline—three years before the in-patient hospital is projected to open in Emeryville Nurses will be using the power of our union to demand transparency and dialogue so that our patients and our communities receive the safe and equitable transition they deserve.” Sutter held two discussions for staff about the expansion Each lasted only 30 minutes with a brief five-minute Q&A session hardly enough time for nurses to get into the practical details about how this expansion impacts health care services Union nurses at Sutter will be seeking answers from the health system about service plans and the implementation of new artificial intelligence technology at its Emeryville campus.  California Nurses Association/National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the nation with more than 100,000 members in more than 200 facilities throughout California and more than 225,000 RNs nationwide CE courses are free to National Nurses United members See all classes See all issues © 2010 - 2025 National Nurses United    |    Privacy Policy By: 5:30 am on February 20 Images shared by Sutter Health alongside yesterday’s announcement show an aerial image of the newly built complex at 5555 Hollis Street Both that and the adjacent building at 5300 Chiron Street will eventually offer outpatient services including inside the multi-level garage along Horton Street The group also hopes to construct a new 335,000-square-foot medical center with up to 200 beds and emergency services alongside a long list of facilities for medical care Construction is expected to open as early as 2032 Details about the design have yet to be established Emery Yards masterplan with completed structured highlighted in yellow Sutter East Bay Medical Group is a multi-specialty group within the Sutter Health umbrella Sutter Health is a not-for-profit healthcare provider serving over three million patients across California and Hawaii The Sacramento-based system has over 57,000 staff members and clinicians alongside 12,000 affiliated physicians said in the press release that “our Emeryville campus project represents one of the most significant investments we’re making across our system over the next decade and is part of our broader vision to meet the community’s growing demand for expanded access to our services across the East Bay footprint.” The announcement by Sutter Health came yesterday morning after the firm closed the purchase of Emery Yards, the 12-acre masterplan from BioMed Reality according to reporting by Hannah Kanik for the San Francisco Business Times Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates Like YIMBY on Facebook Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews Emeryville and Piedmont are such economic nuisances to Oakland They suck up so much retail tax revenue (Emeryville) and wealthy property tax revenue (Piedmont) right from under Oakland’s nose I don’t know how much of a loss this particular project will really be for Berkeley and Oakland This project won’t pay property taxes and employees will live in Berkeley and Oakland at similar rates to a project on the other side of the city border Employees and visitors will patronize local eateries but that is pretty minor in the scheme of things Maybe if Oakland actually learned how to vote in their best interest you wouldn’t need to worry about this Unfortunately Oakland has chosen and they want their city in the state it is in Any time a development is proposed in West Oakland people lose their minds There’s a large segment that prefers it to be crappy so prices are cheaper Emeryville is more development friendly and projects get approved fairly quickly There’s no reason West Oakland shouldn’t be similar or even denser than Emeryville should be build up exactly how Emeryville has done it Oakland city leadership spent almost a century using highway projects and economic development to punish and attempt to push out working class black and Chinese immigrant residents so I think those communities have plenty of valid concerns about development Personally I hope that Oakland is able to grow and foster increasing density however I think the history of those neighborhoods need to be addressed when proposing development to help the people that live feel like this isn’t just another attempt to displace them (unless it is..) During most of that same period Emeryville was a factory town with almost no residents so when it changed its development pattern in the 90’s there wasn’t the same complex dynamic with long term residents Stop having historical awareness and factual understanding of different neighborhoods People here might actually have to learn something about the places they want to build on Oakland needs to learn how to plan for the future and attract deveopment There is no reason other than corruption and incompetence that Oakland isn’t incentivising the same development that Emeryville has recieved I didn’t know that about Emeryville’s history especially during the early to mid-20th century Following Oakland’s crackdown on gambling in 1919 leading to the proliferation of establishments such as the Santa Fe Club During Prohibition and the Great Depression the city was known for its numerous speakeasies earning a reputation as a somewhat lawless red-light district described it as “the rottenest city on the Pacific Coast.” but in general I wouldn’t trust generative AI for getting facts right E’ville also once had the highest density of EPA Superfund sites in the US Going back to 1991 it was hard to tell when you went from Oakland to Emeryville while Emeryville was established by industrialists to avoid Oakland taxation (and voters)… that didn’t happen Then ~7000 by 2000 and today it’s pushing 13,000 and a density greater than many parts of SF Oakland’s problems are largely self-inflicted The working class black community and the Black business community in Oakland was systemically destroyed by highway project designed to go through the most dynamic black neighborhoods The result is a population that is extremely skeptical of any attempt to “improve” their communities Personally I think it would be helpful for everyone in Oakland to increase development but the skepticism towards the development community due to decades of missteps by developers and city leaders Your comment is exactly why Oakland is always left behind Curious about the impact this will have on Sutter’s Oakland campus and recently-built hospital Hard to imagine that two hospitals a few miles from each other are needed serving the same demographic Is the patient population increasing enough to support this $1bn investment There’s also Kaiser in the same market… Berkely has several thousand new residences in the works There is still so much empty land around Emeryville and West Oakland but I surely enjoy another lot filling in with pronounced height I live in the area of West Oakland that shares Emeryville’s zip code and our mail comes from their Post Office I’ve been watching the construction of this campus and nearby redevelopment of former Sherwin Williams paint factory into residential I thought this campus was being developed for medical labs/research Maybe Sutter is going to use it for those types of uses They are currently building a new medical office building on Pill Hill… This will take the patients/traffic that are currently going to Alta Bates in Berkeley which they are closing by 2030 due to it being seismically unsound There is an Oaklandside article that just came out about it So it shouldn’t have too big an impact on the Oakland campus ga('send', 'event', ‘Robert ‘Becker, 'Impression', 'https://sfyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/desktop-ad.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ADVERTISEMENT ga('send', 'event', 'SF YIMBY', 'Impression', 'https://sfyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/sfyimbyadnews.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); ga('send', 'event', 'SF YIMBY', 'Impression', 'https://sfyimby.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/sf-yimby-dot-com-graphic.jpg', { nonInteraction: true }); Follow on Instagram © COPYRIGHT New York YIMBY LLC TrendingCommercialSan FranciscoASutter pays $450M for Blackstone campus in Emeryville12 acre with two buildings for 1.3M sf redevelopment plan Listen to this article00:001xKey PointsAI Generated.✨This summary is reviewed by TRD Staff Sutter Health bought a 12-acre life sciences campus in Emeryville for $450 million which it plans to redevelop into a 1.3 million-square-foot hospital and medical center The Sacramento-based health care firm bought the 530,000-square-foot campus and a couple of vacant lots at 53rd and Horton streets, the San Francisco Business Times and Fierce Healthcare reported The seller of the two research buildings and lots was Blackstone’s BioMed Realty The deal works out to $615 per square foot Sutter made seven real estate purchases to amass the dozen acres that will make up its Sutter Emeryville Campus a $1 billion hospital and medical center expansion into the East Bay The nonprofit health care system paid $170 million for the building at 5555 Hollis Street and $156 million for the building at 5300 Chiron Way. Biomed renovated the offices on Chiron Way, once home to Zymergen then built the offices on Hollis next door It bought a nearly 2,000 car parking garage And it paid $90 million for vacant land at 4563 Horton Street and $18 million on an empty lot at 1400 53rd Street Plans by Sutter Health call for building a 335,000-square-foot hospital with up to 200 beds and redeveloping the life sciences buildings for 530,000 square feet of outpatient services SIGN UPThe hospital would include labor and delivery emergency care and neonatal intensive care to harbor such specialties as imaging and laboratory services expects to welcome its first patients as early as 2028 The hospital would open between 2032 and 2033 Sutter Health owns 21 hospitals across Northern California, according to its website. In December, a consortium led by Sutter joined forces to build an $800 million pair of medical campuses containing 1 million square feet in Santa Clara “Our Emeryville campus project represents one of the most significant investments we’re making across our system over the next decade and is part of our broader vision to meet the community’s growing demand for expanded access to our services across the East Bay footprint,” Warner Thomas BioMed Realty once had big plans for Emery Yards, originally planned to be a 1-million-square foot life sciences office and research campus the developer appears to have cashed in on a slumping market Laboratory vacancy in Emeryville hit 39 percent in the third quarter which had an average vacancy of 14.1 percent — Dana Bartholomew A retail theft crew accused of targeting dozens of Home Depot stores across Northern California is facing prosecution under a new state law aimed at cracking down on organized retail crime Among the stores was the Emeryville location that was involved in 24 of the estimated 200 incidents that took place across 11 counties The Santa Clara DA’s Office made the announcement via a press release following a successful raid of a storage unit and home in South San Francisco as well as homes in Richmond and San Leandro This raid netted over $65,000 in merchandise the crew targeted Home Depots throughout Northern California often striking multiple locations in a single day They would then resell the stolen goods at local Bay Area flea markets Working closely with Home Depot’s Organized Retail Crime Investigators the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office tracked the actions of the crew across the state they executed search warrants at four locations across Contra Costa The Santa Clara Sheriff’s office referred to the crew as “The Blade Bandits” detailing that 1,300 items valued at over $92,000 were recovered BLADE BANDITS BUSTED!Major Bay Area takedown of a theft crew targeting #California @HomeDepot stores.🧰 Nearly 200 thefts linked💸 $92,000+ in tools recovered👮‍♂️ 4 arrests📍 Raids in Richmond, San Leandro & South SF🛠️ Over 1,300 stolen items seized pic.twitter.com/1KfYcfBNIB They were arraigned on May 1 at the Hall of Justice in San Jose and charged with multiple counts of retail theft AB 1779 authored by State Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D – Thousand Oaks) The law allows District Attorney’s to more effectively respond to organized retail thieves by allowing a single office to prosecute conduct that took place across county lines they could escape arrest and accountability for their thefts,” Santa Clara DA Jeff Rosen said If you steal from Santa Cruz and San Jose and Sacramento you will spend time in prison in California.” By: 1:15 pm on April 9 EAH Housing has secured a new $12.8 Million loan to finish their affordable housing development at 4300 San Pablo Avenue in Emeryville. The KTGY-designed project has been in the works since 2020 but has hit several funding roadblocks delaying completion hopes to push the project over the finish line The much-needed affordable project has a target demographic of seniors and transitional-aged youths with qualifiers set at individuals who earn between 30%-60% of the median income The 68 one and two-bedroom units would range between $731 and $1553 per month the project has had concerns over losing both state and county funding with the state removing the ability for projects to apply for $25,000 per unit in buildings servicing special needs and the project being unable to provide units at a low enough cost to meet the benchmark for Alameda County Measure A With rising costs of construction slowing progress there has not been sufficient private or other outside investment to bridge the gap until now EAH housing and the Emeryville City Council are hopeful that this will be the final funding push needed if the county waives its benchmark requirement for funding the loan total may be reduced by $2.5 million but the project will move ahead regardless if the developers cannot find funding for seniors and transitional-aged youths at 30%-60% AMI the state and county should re-evaluate our funding buckets The project is proposing basically VLI and providing housing to two underfunded demographics with high need A recent SF Chronicle report provided some concerning data regarding Emeryville home values. According to the report Emeryville is one of only two cities in the Bay Area that has seen a decline in home values since the 2020 pandemic While San Francisco has seen a 3% decline in median home values since 2019 according to Zillow data Emeryville has seen a 12% decline over this same span This drop is being driven by 15.6% drop in value of condominiums over the past five years falling from a median $568,000 in 2019 to $479,000 today Single-family homes in Emeryville have been less impacted and saw a 10.5% increase in value during the same period, rising to $742,000 (the accuracy of Zillow’s home value estimates, AKA “Zestimates,” have been questioned by some) This decline seems to driven be a perfect storm of higher interest rates While most of these market forces aren’t exclusive to Emeryville they are clearly impacting the city more than others in the Bay Area Emeryville’s unique condo-heavy housing inventory seems to be what distinguishes it from other cities and the primary culprit in the overall decline 88% of Emeryville’s housing stock is multifamily units according the city’s latest Housing Element report with 64% of these units being studio and one-bedroom units One big factor in the depreciation of condos is spiking HOA dues These HOA increases are being driven by inflation and insurance costs among other things More people working from home is also a factor driving up the use and costs of energy A separate Chronicle report notes that median HOAs in the Bay Area saw an increase from $550 in 2019 to $690 in 2024 This was the second highest among major metropolitan areas according to a recent Redfin report State law requires HOAs to keep a reserve fund to pay for repairs Associations are always under pressure to keep monthly HOA fees low but this can come at the expense of having lower reserves An unexpected expense can come with a special assessment to condo owners if reserve levels are not adequate if they know of a potential special assessment will be reluctant to purchase units without factoring this into the cost The Chronicle also recently detailed issues with finding Homeowners insurance which is intertwined with property values and HOAs California’s ongoing home insurance crisis has complicated the condo market with some losing their policies altogether These rising insurance costs often trickle down to homeowners association fees Recently appointed Emeryville Mayor David Mourra notes that he has seen his association’s insurance costs go from $40,000 to $100,000 in the past 7 years News regarding homeowner insurance isn’t getting any better as Liberty Mutual, California’s fourth-largest home insurer, recently announced they are planning to exit the state’s condo and rental insurance markets in 2026 The state has been slow to react but is actively formulating a plan under the guidance of State insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara to tackle this crisis One of Emeryville’s key attributes has always been its proximity to job-centers People can live close to SF and Oakland without living in SF and Oakland Emeryville consistently scores high in walkability indexes because of its proximity to retail Emeryville’s median home value of $513,000 is the lowest in the San Francisco metropolitan area This has traditionally made buying in Emeryville appealing to singles and young couples buying a “starter home.” more residents fled to the suburbs seeking outdoor space an extra room to convert to a home office and less congestion While most employers have mandated some form of a return to office hybrid work appears here to stay and a full five day commute is less common making living further more bearable Some Realtors are optimistic that when the interest rates eventually drop we should in turn see a return to a more “normal” market in Emeryville “Post COVID when interest rates were in the 2 to 3 percent range, home prices dramatically increased flooding the single family home market – which ultimately pushed many buyers who wanted a home and wanted to take advantage of low interest rates into the condo and townhome market,” provided Compass Realtor Chris Clark demand has flattened and those with means that want to are able to get into a single family home “Interest rates have recently dropped and I would expect to see some good news in 2025 for condo/townhome owners wanting to sell,” Clark Offered if owning a condominium is not going to come with the benefit of appreciation equity and stability that traditionally comes with homeownership this may make renting in Emeryville favorable for the foreseeable future some of this article makes no sense since insurance rates are rising not just statewide but across the country following Florida’s Surfside collapse among other factors and Commissioner Lara has assigned bayside cities like Emeryville a high fire risk rating essentially broadening the base for higher insurance rates across more of the state when in actuality a bayside city has a much lower fire risk more people that want to are able to get into a single family home.” I massaged Chris’ quote to clarify what he meant The “struggle” is that the houses cost less We recently bought a condo this summer and struck out when we looked at emeryville We had been renting on 64th street and just loved the area so much but we couldn’t afford any of the places on the doyle walking trail nor were there two bedroom units available in the tall building by public market We had originally looked at water gate but they denied us because of our dog ( 60 pound lab) and said we’d have to pick her up in the common areas HOA fees where we looked were astronomical—with a mortgage over $2,800 for most places not including insurance not sure why most renters would want to change their fees to almost $5000 a month and we were definitely sold a lie of it with a realtor we originally had we felt a bit crazy towards the end of it that there were so many options in emeryville but none actually worked Condos don’t “appreciate” as much as single family homes (which has land) but condos do and there’s still value for home equity The interest rates make everything more expensive Buyers will want to get more bang for their buck with SFH if they are going to use so much cash for downpayment But there’s wayyyyyyy more competition in SFH and that also drives up the price The selling price is lower because most buyers use conventional loans or don’t buy with all cash People will still need housing and not everyone can afford million dollar single family homes nor is there enough stock renters will see similar increase in living expense and they will eventually buy instead of rent The insurance rates and HOA dues increase are going to eventually affect renters Landlords will pass along the costs in the rent HOA are a mainstay across America and new developments will be HOAs Buying will always be cheaper than renting All the units being rented have rising insurance and utilities and landlords that pay high taxes trying to make people think throwing money towards rent is the way to go From today’s WSJ on the often prohibitively high cost of home ownership due to insurance and property taxes. A NATIONAL problem.https://www.wsj.com/economy/housing/home-insurance-property-tax-vs-mortgage-cost-43ab76ed?st=bwAFWJ If you quiz people in the greater Bay Area where Emeryville is they’ll likely mention something about IKEA And while locals may shudder at this notion it’s irrefutable that the blue-and-yellow-themed Scandinavian furniture store is part of Emeryville’s modern identity and a symbol of the city’s economic resurgence that began to rapidly accelerate in the 1990s If there’s anything more emblematic of Emeryville’s shift from a gritty And while the Emeryville IKEA is no longer the only IKEA in the Bay Area it’s still the first and a source of pride for the city and its residents IKEA officially marked 25 years in Emeryville Prior to IKEA, the land was the home of Judson Steel that straddled the Oakland border from 1882 to 1986 Judson employed thousands during its century-plus of steel fabrication that included contributions to both the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges among many other iconic structures Increasingly stringent environmental regulations in tandem with ongoing labor disputes and foreign competition applied financial pressure to Judson Birmingham Steel acquired the factory the following year and continued operations as Barbary Coast Steel until 1991 when they closed the plant for good and moved their equipment to Seattle It was later revealed that soon after this departure was announced store in Pennsylvania in 1985 and their instant popularity with consumers lead to a rapid expansion plan City of Emeryville Economic Development & Housing Department project coordinator Ron Gerber recalled visiting an IKEA store and deciding it would be a perfect fit for Emeryville. “I had to get them in Emeryville,” Gerber recalled in this 2000 Oakland Tribune story shortly before the store’s eventual opening The state’s early 1990s economic recession would delay this vision by nearly a decade With the completion of the East Bay Bridge Shopping Center in 1994 in tandem with the departure of Birmingham Steel, the city began expediting plans to redevelop the area referred to as The South Bayfront The City’s Redevelopment Agency began acquiring land used for decades for heavy industry and undertook remediating the soil To guide development in the area, the city created the South Bayfront Design Guidelines. These plans called for both residential and mixed-use regional retail, including a shopping center and hotel at the site of the former C.K. Williams/Pfizer plant This shopping center would later become Bay Street and the hotel a Courtyard by Marriott (now “Sonesta”) In order to make this area more attractive to developers The Powell Street I-80 interchange was one of the few ways in and out of the area The city devised plans to connect 40th Street to Shellmound over the Southern Pacific railroad tracks to alleviate congestion at Powell St The 40th Street-Shellmound overpass was completed c The Swedish-owned modern furniture store had already opened two locations in Southern California (Burbank in 1990 and Fontana in 1992) with two more on the way With their eyes set on Northern California they began scouting locations with accessibility A buzz began to grow in 1997 when it was revealed in local news sources that IKEA was in “preliminary” talks to acquire the 10-acre parcel that overlapped Oakland (precisely 38% in Oakland) they’d need to convince both cities that the economic benefits outweighed the vehicular problems that a new store would inevitably create They purchased the site on October 1997 for $14 million IKEA representatives enticed local officials with sales tax revenues exceeding $1.4 million annually and 300 retail jobs paying above the state minimum wage The location anticipated north of $55 million in sales its first year and $100 million annually within 5 years Sales tax revenue would be spit proportionately between the municipalities with 60% going to Emeryville and 40% to Oakland “We’ll help put Emeryville on the map,” IKEA project manager Gary Ternes told SF Gate while advocating for approval of the project IKEA also promised to be a retail anchor that would attract other retailers to the area “We could not get a better site for this location,” Ternes noted pointing out the visibility from the MacArthur Maze Those opposed to the project argued that the “extreme” congestion and auto emissions created outweighed any economic benefit The store was projected to draw 1.5 million annual visitors into the city this approval by both cities was provided in 1998 Construction of the store was estimated to cost $16.9 million They officially broke ground on the 314,000 sq it was their 5th IKEA in California and 14th in the U.S and the Emeryville Police began planning for the insurgence months in advance The force enlisted 20 officers distributed across 10 traffic hot spots around the city and a contingency plan of waving people back onto the freeway should the city experience total gridlock as many as 250 fans were already in line for the promise of a free chair valued at $149 to the first 100 customers and discounted Swedish meat balls to the legions of fans that made the trek the 1,000-vehicle lot had already reached capacity ”Emeryville was in a state of stupor, and its roadways were in a state of gridlock,” described SF Gate reporter Steve Rubenstein filled to capacity shortly after dawn and folks ditched their cars as far as a mile away and trudged with uplifted eyes to the gleaming giant yellow-and-blue apparition on Shellmound Street.” The gridlock never breached the adjacent highway as feared and no accidents were reported within the city The estimated 15,000 customers matched projections with many customers traveling all the way from Sacramento IKEA later mitigated the parking issues by constructing a multilevel parking garage south of the store that was completed the following year (entirely in West Oakland) This increased parking capacity from 1,000 to 1,800 spaces A year later, in 2002, the Bay Street Shopping Center opened to the public adding to the city’s retail corridor that now extended nearly the entire length of Shellmound including the Powell Street Plaza and the then-named Emery Bay Public Market Emeryville stood as the only Bay Area location for only a few years as an East Palo Alto location opened in 2003 This second location “eased traffic significantly,” according to the city IKEA has also opened a smaller, mid-market location in SF. A third store recently received approval in Dublin after a long process There are currently 52 IKEA stores in the U.S The Emeryville IKEA continued to improve on the location, including adding solar panels to their roof in 2011 and other circulation refinements IKEA continues to be active in the community in collaboration with the Emery Unified School District they furnished a new Teen Center at the ECCL The Emeryville IKEA will acknowledge their Silver Anniversary milestone beginning April 25 when they will launch a 25-day celebration including activities Additional information can be found on IKEAs website IKEA has proven to be a 100% win for Emeryville the City Council and Manager had the courage and foresight to ignore the NIMBY nay-sayers and approve IKEA IKEA very graciously donated ALL of the furniture for the Chamber of Commerce when we moved our office to the Horton Street location in 2002 — and IKEA had two employees spend an entire day with us assembling the furniture Emeryville was quite fortunate to land IKEA The Emeryville Planning Commission held a study session on Thursday March 27 to review plans for a proposed Rivian Service Center at the former Engine World Warehouse on 67th & Shellmound streets Rivian is an American electric vehicle manufacturer founded in 2009 by Robert Joseph “RJ” Scaringe CA with most of their vehicles are manufactured in Illinois 67th Street was of course the same proposed corridor of the recently aborted Tesla Collision center albeit closer to the Greenway and a bigger concern for cyclists and pedestrians The location of the proposed Rivian center is zoned for heavy industrial while the proposed Tesla center was for light industrial The withdrawal by Tesla may have been fortuitous in the wake of recent protests against the brand that is synonymous with Billionaire Elon Musk. Tesla properties have become a magnet for protest activity and vandalism in recent weeks with the nearby Berkeley showroom being called “Ground Zero” for this political unrest Rivian’s application for a Major Conditional Use Permit proposes a 61,775 square-foot facility that would provide service to Rivian vehicles and include office space plus additional storage there would be no heavy duty repair or maintenance at the site or exterior vehicle paint would occur there although battery replacement service and a nominal amount of battery storage would be included The service center plans to receive customers from 8 am to 6 pm during weekdays and abbreviated hours of 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday non-customer-facing operations would continue from 5 pm to 2 am Rivian states the loudest dBA instrument they use does not exceed 67 dBA planning regulations prohibit noises in excess of 60 dBA after 9 pm The center expects a customer intake of 20-25 appointments in a given day They also expect an average of four delivery trucks plus typical traffic consisting of car rentals and ridesharing The service center would include 60 interior parking spaces including 30 for employees 25 for vehicle storage and 5 for loaner vehicles 18 of the spaces would include EV charging there would be 4 spaces for customer drop off City regulations allow for only 11 parking spaces necessitating Planning Commission review and approval the property would construct an ADA ramp and a new sidewalk along 67th (already underway) City staff proposed the addition of four trees in addition to a landscaping strip at 1483 to ornament the site Rivian currently operates properties in SF’s Hayes Valley neighborhood, South San Francisco, San Jose, and recently received approval on a new facility in Milpitas Although not presented as one Rivian’s “Spaces” showrooms representatives were straightforward about Rivian’s intention to sell their vehicles out of the space if approved Both Rivian and Tesla do not operate lots with inventory of their vehicles but sell online and alert the buyer when pickup is available Regional Development Lead Karolina Kaczmarczyk and Real Estate Lead Zachary Ryburn “When we are thinking about where we’re building and communities we’re coming to we’re looking for ones that share similar values that we have,” Kaczmarczyk provided we feel like Emeryville absolutely shares a lot of values with sustainability and innovation we feel like we’re this would be a really great fit for us.” “Northern California specifically is an extremely important market for Rivian,” Ryburn detailed teasing additional locations in Hayward and Martinez Following the staff and applicant presentations The Planning Commission made several comments and recommendations with most centered around concerns over battery storage/fire suppression and employee parking The applicant will be tasked with addressing the Commission’s feedback before returning for a Public Hearing where approval could move the project forward Video of the Study Session can be viewed above beginning at [26:40] The complete staff report and submitted docs can be downloaded on Emeryville.org. Matt is a California native who has lived in the East Bay since 2020 In addition to writing grant proposals in a professional capacity he also dabbles in a variety of personal writing projects As a Cal graduate with eclectic interests ranging from art and literature he finds Emeryville and the East Bay to be an apropos and vibrant center of life Emeryville businesses along 40th Street and Park Avenue are beginning to mobilize to express their concerns over the planned 40th Street Multimodal Project that is expected to kick off construction later this year presumed to have been installed by a local property owner are urging businesses and residents opposed to the project to voice their displeasure with the city Conception of the project goes back to 2018 with several public meetings over the past six years The project aims to enhance bike/ped safety and transit throughout the corridor through lane reconfigurations a protected two-way cycle track and the addition of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes The project is split into two phases with the first extending from Adeline to the 40th/Shellmound overpass The second phase would extend the project north along Shellmound all the way to Christie Avenue Estimated total cost of the project is expected to exceed $30 million with $17M of this currently procured and several applications for additional funding still being reviewed The latest City Council meeting held on November 19 City of Emeryville Public Works Director Mohamed Alaoui presented highlights from the two part, 180 page traffic study conducted by Fehr & Peers noting 12 bike/ped collisions along the corridor between 2015 and 2019 Four of the five collisions that involved injury were near the 40th & San Pablo Avenue Intersection and one at the Target entrance on the southern side of 40th Street Data in the Fehr & Peers study claimed that these proposed closures would only amount to an approximately 20-second delay on Park Avenue for motorists The contentious part of the project involves several partial and full closures of streets that intersect the northern side of 40th Street in order to accommodate the cycle track and BRT lane Several business and property owners stepped forward to raise concerns over vehicle access “Access to small businesses located at these properties will be adversely impacted by those street closures,” said Tim Robison of Buttner Properties who own properties on the north side of Hubbard “One might conclude the city decided to present older data to make it look like there are a lot more accidents on Hubbard Street.” Robison questioned the use of older data in the study and accused the city of using it to exaggerate safety risk “We have significant concerns with the city’s traffic report The city used accident data that was well over five years old,” Robison noted that collision data included in the 5-year study included data as from 2015 Fehr & Peers consultant Rob Rees defended the methodology explaining that post-2020 data was skewed by pandemic-related disruptions and data from these years was considered an outlier “There are some communities that insist that we only look at three years worth of data or the most recent data A lot of communities are not looking at that COVID period of 2020 to 2021 because it is so dampened,” he explained Rees referenced the DoT Safe System Approach a more proactive approach for traffic analysis as one of their guiding principles for addressing roadway safety in their analysis questioned the street’s partial closure since the traffic data noted zero collisions McGoey predicted that delivery vehicles attempting to navigate this partial closure would inevitably cause back-ups on 40th “I’ve heard about debt and all the spend[ing] that the city wants to do but you can’t even take care of what you have now.” Another speaker accused the city rushing the project without proper engagement “We are reaching out to so many property owners and businesses that were never notified,” the speaker noted “How could you never notify a business or a property owner of something of this magnitude It was improper notification and you talk about transparency You’ve just been trying to slip this through the community as fast as you can.” The speaker also criticized the city for pushing the project without sufficient funding while ignoring other basic services and simpler solutions like traffic signals instead of closures but you can’t even take care of what you have now and [pushing] all that traffic to Park [Avenue] Another speaker criticized the plan for burying the closures in the girth of reports and not highlighting that Park Avenue would receive the brunt of the backups caused by them Former council candidate and cycling advocate Sam Gould was the only speaker to step forward to express support for the project and criticized proposed funding to study traffic impacts at Hubbard where he noted he was recently struck by a vehicle “You don’t need me to tell you that allowing right turns from 40th would be unsafe—the traffic study found this as well.” Council Member Kalimah Priforce raised concerns about the project’s impact on local businesses beyond just traffic studies “When I did meet with some of these businesses the people who who are workers are folks of color I’m concerned about how it affects their families.” PWD Alaoui reiterated that the data and studies were focused on traffic counts and safety and not the downstream impacts on individual businesses or their employees a consultant in charge of engagement with property owners also noted their concerns on the impact of future developments in the area finishing off his tenure on council at the time arguing that safety should take priority over any business concerns “I never want to be the council person who installs a teddy bear memorial in my community because we didn’t take some proactive action to actually make our community safer.” Bauters also dismissed claims that the project would deter customers pointing to studies showing economic benefits of improved bike and pedestrian infrastructure “Studies have been done and more are being commissioned right now that actually show economic enhancement to communities that invest in this type of infrastructure.” the council voted 3-1 to approve the project’s funding (Priforce dissenting and Kaur absent) The next step for the project involves further environmental review and final council approval of the proposed street closures Construction is anticipated to begin at the end of 2025 with completion scheduled by the end of 2028 2024 Council Meeting can be viewed below at [2:13:11] Additional information on the project can be viewed here. Those areas are absolutely dangerous for pedestrians I avoid 40th Street because I have a close call nearly half the times I walk there If these businesses thought long term about it they’d realize more foot and bicycle traffic would be a boon to them once it’s completed I support this project and believe when it is finished there will be more people supporting these businesses There are too many people now living on the 40th Street corridor for it to continue to be a highway for car traffic Strong support for the 40th Street project These businesses prioritizing their own profits over Emeryville resident’s safety is terrible I will not be shopping at these locations in the future I hope council isn’t swayed by these real estate groups like Buttner Properties and their expensive lawyers Smart business owners will realize that the completed project will bring more foot traffic and business to them While I wholeheartedly support Emeryville’s continued push to make the city more bike and pedestrian friendly I don’t agree that this is a responsible use of resources to do that less obstructive solutions like traffic lights might accomplish very similar results without the massive cost to the city or the large burden that this project would place on local businesses and residents Emeryville has made a point of attracting many successful businesses that require frequent deliveries and efficient transportation of goods would severely and negatively impact them which in turn would create problems for the city there has only been one bike/ped collision at 40th & Hubbard with the car attempting to enter the Target parking lot Rob Rees from Fehr & Peers says that they don’t want to look at the more recent data because COVID dampened the collision data but I don’t think this is a good argument because in the same time period there were nine bike/ped collisions in the whole corridor (compared to 12 collisions in 2015-2019) and five in the San Pablo Ave Transit Hub alone (compared to four collisions in 2015-2019) COVID did not dampen the collisions in the San Pablo Ave Transit Hub at all A better explanation for why the collisions at Hubbard have decreased are the improvements that the city made to the intersection in 2020 Old Google Street View photos show that up until 2019 there were only a few bollards to separate the north side and south side lanes so cars entering or leaving Target were able to make illegal time-saving moves sometimes hitting pedestrians and bicyclists they added more bollards to the north side but still left a large gap that cars could still go through So it appears that the city has already solved the main problem at this intersection I also looked at the 2015-2019 data in detail – I could only find three collisions at Hubbard Maybe they included one that happened inside of the Target parking lot The three true Hubbard collisions also don’t support the city’s theory that right turns from 40th onto Hubbard on the north side are to blame – almost all of them happened on the south side at the Target parking lot entrance but the city should be spending taxpayer money on solving real problems Hubbard St isn’t one of those problems Emeryville-founded Clif Bar, who have called their EmeryTech office on Hollis ‘home’ for over 15 years appear to be winding down operations at the location according to former employees who have reached out to us The Grove Valve building was renovated by Ellis Partners in 2007 and was occupied by a variety of tenants prior to Clif Bar including Charles Chocolates and briefly as an Andronico’s Central Market Over the past decade-plus, Clif developed a reputation for being among the best best places to work in America offering child care and fostering a work culture that paid employees They even supported a house band called the Grove Valve Orchestra and hosted community events at their employee theater their Emeryville headquarters employed more than 400 people and the company employed an estimated 1300 people across the US Clif Bar hosted community events like this performance by the Emery High band had an organic garden for employees and a private cafe named “Kali’s Kitchen.” After rebuffing an early offer from The Quaker Oats Company, Clif Bar was acquired by Mondelez International in 2022 for $2.9B Since, Mondelez has initiated a series of layoff rounds as they absorb the company. The Chicago-headquartered Mondelez was spun off of Kraft Foods in 2012 and owns dozens of popular brands including Oreo Since the buyout, Clif’s reputation as an employer seems to be in a free-fall with many negative reviews on Glassdoor pointing to the timeline of the acquisition “[Their] culture kind of tanked after Mondelez bought them out.” “[They] sold out everything good they stood for,” “[Their] culture kind of tanked after Mondelez bought them out,” “Mondelez has horrible business ethics and bad processes for a large company,” are among a few recent reviews posted on the jobs platform that allows employees to criticize their employers anonymously Early employees that were laid off reportedly received generous severance packages but these have tapered off according to former employees Several rounds of layoffs over the past two years has whittled down the local workforce to reportedly less than a quarter of what it once was and are now operating with a “bare bones” operation of Marketing Another round of layoffs is expected to take place in June according to our sources According to former employees familiar with the matter, most of Clif’s remaining employees will be moved to the “Tanium” building at 2100 Powell on the Emeryville Peninsula by end of Summer. Most of their R&D team will be moved to the Foundry31 building where Clif already leases space Premier Nutrition currently located nearby at the Foundry31 building are rumored to be moving into the space early next year Premier manufactures PowerBar among other nutritional products We reached out to the Mondelez media team for comment but did not year back within 24 hours Clif bar was the first “healthy” energy bar but that’s become a pretty competitive space in recent years Looking forward to whomever takes over their buildings in Emeryville 5yr Clif employee here – Gary (the owner) truly sold out in a way he said he never would Another story of the corruptive force of money/power imo an inspiration for how business could make the world a better place and now it’s just a part of another megacorp Also very thankful to have been a part of it while I was able to Thanks for the story – all very accurate based on what I’ve heard The company did in fact sell out to one of the behemoths it swore it would never become With the acquisition it did away with its community engagement watching upper management celebrate as business relationships that took decades to build were shut down A lot of people were heavily invested in this company’s vision and the acquisition was a reminder that in the end it was still all about profit over people If you think this company still represents the values and vision of the founders you are sorely mistaken It is now essentially just another corporate brand who somehow did not get in the right line for the severance package Clif has gone entirely to hell and all of the above is true The remaining 70-ish of us (from a high of about 500 pre-acquisition) are being relocated to the 2200 Powell St office building in July Who knows what the parameters of the deal really were The cost was the authenticity of a wonderful brand that we Brand and Community) and now there is only one We’re trying from the inside but there is no way to not feel like you’re in Dante’s 7th level every day I wish we’d at least been offered the opportunity to buy the company – we were employee-owners before this – or if they had taken a page from Patagonia’s book Those of us who had the good fortune of working a few years or more before the sale were extremely lucky that the value of our employee stock essentially quadrupled (we were issued the unallocated shares which doubled the shares we had at the time and mondelez paid double the last estimated share price) What this amounted to for me was a single payout that nearly doubled my cumulative salary for the entire 6 years I worked there prior to the sale Mondelez is a heartless corporation that gutted Clif Bar I personally made it through all the big rounds of layoffs and witnessed it become a ghost of itself with an empty building containing a few disheartened employees who seemed a shell of their former happy and productive selves For those that are still around and lament what it’s become I’d highly suggest looking for your next white road adventure and leaving mondelez in your rear view Everyone is entitled to their feelings but I choose to see my time their as gift and the sale as a catalyst to help me move on with funds that invested will take care of me and my family for years It’s sad but everything in life ends and I am glad to have been on the ride through the good times and even through the some painful Mondelez years if only to underscore how good we had it Gary and Kit if you’re out there – thank you from the bottom of my heart I moved again while still staying in Emeryville but this time into a larger space to fit my growing family I’m a Black Afro-Latina mother of two children (former member of the two/kids under two/years of age club) What has your involvement with The City of Emeryville been thus far or other relevant entities within the city I really loved the community and my neighbors We organized a Facebook group for tenants so we could all keep each other abreast of things going on in and around our complex and find ways to pressure our landlord to make repairs and provide security updates whenever crimes occurred on our premises When I moved to another apartment as a below-market-renter (as my family was getting bigger) I learned about the organizing work of “Community Mayor” Councilmember Priforce because we share the same landlord on top of him also being a leader in my church I joined the Emeryville Tenant Union when he approached me and stayed in touch When he shared that he was growing the tenant union into a neighborhood group called Emery Rising I was really excited and he wanted this election to be how the new group launches a progressive historically Black parish on the Oakland/Emeryville border I like to get involved in the community activism St Columbia is known for but it’s been hard to do so lately since getting into politics and raising my babies We just got through a round of potty training What skills and different perspectives would you bring to Emeryville’s City Council that might be currently lacking a General Contractor and I am the Community Relations Coordinator for Northern California I am an advocate for underrepresented communities I would bring a different perspective to the Emeryville City Council and could help with the lack of communication there seems to be between the current council and the community Since being aware of the political on-goings in Emeryville I’ve become ashamed to see how our city council behaves; most notably how incumbents Mayor Courtney Welsh and Councilmember Kaur orchestrated that Councilmember Priforce be skipped when he had the most votes over Councilmember Mourra and then now turn around and ask for the people of Emeryville for their votes come November and I hope people recognize that and vote for Calvin and I so we can change the culture in city hall The thing I worry about most is that as a Black (Afro-Latina/x/e) mother that people think I’m similar to Mayor Welch and that the way she has conducted herself as a representative of our city is how I would treat people Like calling a member of the Emeryville an expletive on twitter/x She does not represent being a strong Black progressive woman in political office that respects the seat she is in and the people she serves I am my own person with a different temperament and she is definitely not our Madam President-to-be Kamala Harris I also have been in Emeryville much longer than she was before she ran for city council I’m running to bring my perspective as a below-market-renter in returning affordability back to Emeryville and it’s time we had someone who can look out for renters and single family homeowners (which I have a dream of becoming) what do you see as the top 5 challenges that you’d like to help address in the city during your first term if elected We need to start listening to the people of Emeryville again So I think the biggest challenge is communication Talking to one another in a respectful manner instead of screaming at each other like last week when Mayor Welch was screaming at Councilmember Priforce for a while in closed session and the only reason why I know about it is because of friends I have in city hall who said you could hear her yelling throughout the building I called Councilmember Priforce just to check in with him and he told me couldn’t tell me what happened in that closed session but that he didn’t match her verbal violence He is OUR ONLY VOICE as renters in Emeryville and this is how he is treated I am not confident that any of the people who Calvin and I are running against would have done anything to stop that level of denigration They do what they are told and that is not being an elected representative of the people how are we going to move forward as a city No wonder we are having trouble with our running deficit and why it becomes unaffordable to live and stay in Emeryville and for our small businesses to thrive in Emeryville So much focus is on getting people into Emeryville and not enough on keeping families like mine here but if we can’t get decorum right then we can’t address the needs of residents and workers in our city Emeryville is facing a potential shortfall in the coming budget cycle The Emeryville Police Department’s budget is the highest in the city Are you prepared to make cuts to the police force to balance the city’s budget What other resident amenities or programs are you prepared to cut to fix this shortfall We are in this situation because of bad planning We need to get to the root of the problem in Emeryville and that is why we haven’t increased the Maximum Business Tax cap in a long time for non-small businesses who don’t contribute enough to our economy When I talk to other politicians and business leaders in other cities they are surprised by our caps and how we don’t have a reinvestment plan in place I don’t think we need to cut our public safety budget when my car was broken into just last week 6). Emeryville’s Art Center has not been prioritized by past leaders and is arguably no closer to being built than it was a decade ago Is this a priority for you and what can be done to get this to the finish line Councilmember Priforce when he first talked to me about running in this race he shared that he would want us to prioritize establishing the art center I want my children to enjoy an art community that feels less like marketing the city to outside big businesses and more about celebrating the talent and gifts we have in Emeryville and showcase artists outside Emeryville So this would be a priority for me and it’s more than just talk I would work with my colleagues to make it happen 7). The City recently adopted a version of a Code of Ethics that gives those outside of council almost no tools for fighting corruption in the city. Considering Emeryville’s long history of corruption and the inherent nature of small cities with little oversight should Emeryville have an independent ethics commission like many other Bay Area Cities I mentioned earlier about Mayor Welch’s verbal violence against Councilmember Priforce nothing would happen because Councilmember Priforce would be the only one who could do it and then the other council members would have to vote on it The same council members that had fewer votes than him but decided to skip him for vice-mayor That is a broken system and they chose it for a reason They want to stay in power and do whatever they want A code of ethics should include non-elected members of the public just like other cities who can judge if our city council is acting appropriately A free and active press is regarded as an essential pillar of democracy Our platform promotes transparency in local government and helps hold leaders Will you commit to supporting a free press by responding to our inquiries even when they are not flattering This is how I’ve learned a lot about Emeryville and I find it odd that council members running for election or reelection will complete questionnaires when they are running and then refuse to participate in answering questions to the press after being elected They use us to get elected and then abuse us once they get power We all have to hold ourselves accountable when we are elected 9). Despite some pressure, the Emeryville Council majority opted to not agendize a “Gaza Ceasefire” resolution as some cities in the Bay Area did Do you think these symbolic resolutions fit the role of local government and If you were on council at the time We didn’t exactly have protestors outside voicing their opposition for or against a ceasefire resolution Councilmember Priforce was the only one who requested a ceasefire resolution be added to the agenda and not a single other councilmember supported that If I were on the council I would have voted for a study session to see how Emeryville residents feel about a ceasefire resolution I think that was what Councilmember Priforce was pushing for I also think it shouldn’t just be about Gaza I wouldn’t have been endorsed by Our Revolution East Bay if I didn’t feel that way I think the ceasefire should include all of the conflicts in the world where babies are being unalived by gun violence and weapons of war 10). Emeryville’s latest 100% affordable housing project came in at nearly one million dollars per unit Can we ever really satisfy the demand for 100% affordable housing at this price tag and what laws or policies need to change to build more economical 100% affordable housing projects?  Thanks to Michael Barnes I learned that Emeryville failed during the fifth RHNA cycle to provide affordable housing to low-income families of Housing and Community Development (HCD) APR dashboard fifth-cycle figures shows that Emeryville met only 41.7% of its very low-income target and 139.9% of its above moderate-income target A lot of cities don’t have these terrible numbers yet we pride ourselves in being a pro-housing Not for people who look like me or share similar life experiences that include financial hardship and economic mobility 11). Emeryville already has tenant protections and the state has an anti-rent gouging law on the books (AB 1482) where specifically would you like to see these strengthened Emeryville has the worst tenant protections in Alameda County Our Just Cause eviction ordinances frail in comparison to our neighboring cities and many of them don’t have the median income that we do Emeryville does not have any tenant protections for below-market-renters to keep their rent from soaring to the 10% cap that the state has Many of the Just Cause eviction ordinances don’t apply to below-market-renters We are vulnerable and it has been that way for a while until Councilmember Priforce made it an issue a tenant’s right to counsel provided by the city and even a tenant’s right to first refusal should the property they live in is sold 12). In 2019, the city explored waiving or amending the required “family friendly” unit mix to encourage more highrise construction in the core of the city which is part of the city’s general plan Is this something you would support and do you have any caveats I think the trend of removing requirements that encourage more diverse populations family-friendly units and many others is the YIMBY policy of gentrification I didn’t know about YIMBY until this year and now it all makes sense why our city council acts the way they do as someone who works in the construction industry helping to build housing units I want to keep people in their homes just as much as I want to build them 13). Where do you personally align on YIMBYism and do you support their opposition to Prop 33/Rent Control which they say “will likely worsen housing affordability.” and that is one of the big differences between Calvin and I and other candidates We both believe in rent control and they are YIMBYs who don’t and want to call anyone who disagrees with them NIMBYs and don’t realize how historically racist that is 14). Grappling with increasing levels of street homelessness for over a decade, cities are finally starting to aggressively dismantle encampments following the Grants Pass ruling Should those who refuse services be “incentivized” into shelters and rehabilitation programs but I believe the unhoused deserve dignity in how we treat them I think we haven’t explored ways to include them instead of pushing them away to Oakland or Berkeley 15). A surge in crime in Oakland led Governor Gavin Newsom to deploy the CHP for a “surge operation” that has thus far led to 803 arrests crime has significantly declined in Oakland and in Emeryville What do you glean from this in terms of the safety of Emeryville residents but I appreciate Governor Newsom supporting Oakland but I wouldn’t give him the credit for crime going down in Emeryville Our brave officers at the Emeryville Police Department deserve praise Criminal recidivism in our justice system is a big topic of conversation and many blame “reformer“ DA Pamela Price for being too lenient on repeat offenders Where do you stand on this and do you support her recall That is the position of the Alameda County Democratic Party and Our Revolution East Bay so I’m sticking with them on that 17). In 2023, the city approved the installation of ALPR technology Do you have any concerns about the use of these surveillance devices and would you support the approval of additional cameras throughout the city?   Councilmember Priforce led the charge for us to get the cameras and now it seems like every member of the council wants to take credit but they are also the same people that skipped him from being mayor I’m with him on getting more cameras and I know he and Calvin have talked about a citizen oversight board to monitor the program so it doesn’t become a toxic surveillance program that ICE or a number of policing agencies can use The Biotech/Life Sciences sector is a big source of local jobs is Emeryville and currently struggling with a 37% vacancy rate Do you see this as an important issue and how can the city help It is an important issue and I think we need to investigate ways to diversify our office space portfolio Building towards one industry rather than multiple doesn’t seem smart It sounds like we were following market trends rather than taking the lead Do you believe that vacant storefronts are an issue in Emeryville and if so what is your policy prescription for remedying this (if any) Any resident unit or office space that isn’t occupied will be subject to the tax Office buildings and multi-unit apartments will have to find ways to incentivize people and businesses to be there Councilmember Priforce told us that he brought it up to the city staff and they didn’t think he had the votes on the city council for it to pass I also support the legacy business community who will be affected by the 40th Street Multi-Modal project The proposed full and partial street closures were never part of the original design and then they were added without properly informing and getting input from those businesses I think we need to take another look at how we preserve our small businesses in Emeryville I don’t want any criminalization of our children and young people coming to Emeryville’s shopping centers because it feels safe and offers amenities their cities may not have I think there is something wrong with the security situation at Bay Street and that we as a city need to take a look at our relationship with them so they can do what they do but work with us a lot better to protect residents and guests Learn more about Mia on her website or by contacting her via email at mia4emeryville@gmail.com Editor’s Note: Brown’s answers to questions 3 & 4 exceeded the requested 250 word count but we opted to leave them in tact It’s OK to disagree with others like Courtney Welch But it’s not OK for Mia Esperanza Brown, Calvin Dillahunty and Kalimah Priforce to blatantly lie to voters that “Council member Priforce’s slate of two, the only African Americans running for council“ https://x.com/priforce/status/1847806169395712281?s=46 Lifting oneself doesn’t mean having to erase the presence of Courtney Welch It’s not OK to lie to voters that the rules of mayorship were changed. There’s a reason voters do not see a mayoral campaign on the ballot. Because the rules of our government has not changed. https://www.ci.emeryville.ca.us/8/City-Council The Democratic Party of Alameda County had to issue a statement to stop the misinformation because the misinformation and unethical behavior from the mailers by Mia Esperanza Brown Calvin Dillahunty and Kalimah Priforce were escalating so badly Also ask yourself this when thinking about Emeryville’s budget: do you trust the competence and ethics of councilmembers or a Mayor or Vice Mayor with campaign finance violations/infractions LEADING Emeryville’s finances Mia and Calvin all have FPPC campaign finance-related issues at the time of this questionnaire It’s OK to disagree but it’s not OK to lie on facts about Emeryville’s form of government and to support lies to erase black history It is unethical and brings a new era of dirty politics When a candidate is willing to lie on such critical things KRON4 KRON4's Lindsey Ford reports: https://www.kron4.com/?p=2158697&preview=true Made in the Bay Area and being shown on the big screen local filmmakers discuss being featured at SFFilm Festival this year Video shows aftermath of tree crushing San Francisco parklet One man is in jail and another was hospitalized after a seemingly random attack in the Castro on Easter Three people are dead and three more are hospitalized with serious injuries after a Volkswagen Tiguan hit a tree on San Geronimo Valley Road just west of Sir Francis Drake Boulevard shortly before 7:30 p.m San Francisco Fire Department firefighters rescued an injured dog and an uninjured person from a cliffside along Mile Rock Trail in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area Thursday afternoon Bay Area photographer Lani Tinio shared a timelapse of the Moon rising over the Bay Bridge on Sunday with KRON4 and there is no shortage of activities going on around the Bay Area KRON4 Chief Meteorologist Lawrence Karnow has 4 Fun Things going on this weekend News of this upcoming Benihana comes just after the chain opened its fifth Bay Area location in San Mateo’s Bridgepointe Shopping Center, per the San Francisco Business Times That location took over a former Red Robin space In addition to San Mateo and the upcoming Emeryville location the brand operates restaurants in Burlingame One Group Hospitality acquired Benihana and its 77 locations in 2024 It’s unclear when Benihana is aiming to open Eater contacted One Group Hospitality for more information and will update this story should we hear back One of the Bay Area’s big-time boosters of natural wine will close for good on Saturday, April 5. The San Francisco Chronicle reports Minimo’s closing co-owner Erin Coburn telling the paper there were numerous reasons to call it quits Coburn wanted to focus on the positive: a queer- and woman-owned regenerative wine shop made it 10 years in one of the most expensive markets in the country all bottles are 10 percent off their original price A 42-year-old Emeryville man was arrested for attempted murder following a recent stabbing incident in the city of Mountain View according to local Police Officers provided medical aid before the City of Mountain View Fire Department arrived The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment “Officers arrested the suspect without incident and transported him to the Mountain View Police Department for further investigation,” according to Mountain View Police Ahlport lists his employment in Data Analysis on his LinkedIn profile Ahlport was later booked into the Santa Clara County Main Jail on one count of attempted murder under Penal Code 664/187(a) The E'ville Eye will occasionally publish press releases provided to us by local agencies of content relevant to the Emeryville community We are not compensated for these unless noted nor do they necessarily represent our views In this edition of our Bi-Monthly newsletter we share five stories relevant to Emeryville that you may have missed including: The San Francisco Business Times may have gotten scooped on maybe the biggest business story in Emeryville in the past decade (SF Chronicle reporter Sarah Ravani got the exclusive) but they’ve come through with a more comprehensive story detailing the transaction and the price tag of the sale According to their report the purchase cost of the 12-acre campus came out to $450 million spread out over 7 transactions A Commercial Real Estate Broker described the purchase as “a deal for Sutter” and that the inclusion of the nearly 2,000 parking garage made the site particularly valuable The broker noted that getting approval on such a project today would be unlikely as cities and activists have increasingly fought the inclusion of what they consider too much parking “Every other new development in town … the city was fighting them on parking for all of it.” BioMed Realty was likely willing to sell the campus amid a poor outlook for lab space that had reached a vacancy rate of 39% in Emeryville. Emeryville may be seeing a shift to medical tenants with several unoccupied lab spaces and pending projects in the city The cost leaves $550 million of Sutter’s $1B commitment for the planned medical center and other renovations It’s unclear what forces may organize to oppose the project, but the powerful National Nurses Association has already come forth to advocate that Sutter “fulfill its obligation to seismically retrofit the [Berkeley] Ashby campus.” The City of Emeryville has rolled out “passive pedestrian detection” crossings centered along Hollis and 40th Streets The system leverages existing traffic signal video detection systems to identify and monitor pedestrians at intersections Crossings enabled with this technology are marked with fluorescent green paw prints of various animals stenciled on the sidewalk These paw prints queue pedestrians on the optimal place to stand to ensure they are detected The city rolled out a similar program during the pandemic when hard surfaces were feared to be spreading the coronavirus A key to the various prints and a map of their locations can be found on the city’s website at emeryville.org/pedprints Another suspicious blaze occurred at the former Horn Barbecue space on Mandela Parkway on Thursday The space has continued to be a target of squatters, and fires have become increasingly common, according to the Oakland Fire Department. “We’ve been here before, at least a handful of times in the past six months,” provided in this KRON4 report Demolition of the space seems increasingly imminent as the tagged exterior and gutted interior has become a source of blight along the corridor March 6th Update: The badly damaged property at 2534 Mandela Parkway has been completely demolished The space existed as Horn Barbecue from 2020-2023 Brown Sugar Kitchen from 2008-2019 and Triangle Coffee before that A little-known but significant election was held recently for the Assembly District 18 Democratic Party delegates that includes Emeryville Delegates help shape the priorities of the State Democratic Party Voters were tasked with selecting 7 candidates from each gender column that included OSIF (Other than Self-Identified Female) and SIF (Self-Identified Female) and a total of 14 candidates Two slates emerged with competing priorities including a Labor-backed “People’s Slate” and a YIMBY-backed “Housing & Climate Progressive” slate The competing slates reflect a widening chasm in the Democratic party in regards to how to tackle the state’s housing affordability crisis with the Labor side typically advocating for strict rent controls and the “YIMBY” side pushing to streamline housing production including market-rate housing Turnout for this election was abysmal with barely 1,000 valid votes cast in a district with over 180,000 registered Democrats (barely .5%) Pre-registered voters must be registered with the Democratic Party and elections are held online and in person The anemic turnout make “gaming” the election easier and more easily influenced by organized fundraisers Winning delegates from Emeryville included Emery School Board trustee Regina Chagolla (472 votes), former city council candidate Sam Gould (421 votes) and City Councilmember Kalimah Priforce (294 votes) The top vote-getters are elevated to the Executive Board if they seek this Complete results for all Assembly Districts can be found on CADem.org The City of Emeryville has joined a coalition of local governments in a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s efforts to withhold federal funding from so-called “sanctuary” jurisdictions Emeryville is standing with larger cities like San Jose and San Diego in opposing federal attempts to force local authorities to assist with immigration enforcement Neighboring Berkeley founded the concept of a sanctuary city in 1971 during resistance to the Vietnam War. In 1985 under then Mayor Dianne Feinstein San Francisco took the concept a bit further by adopting a resolution to protect “law-abiding” undocumented asylum seekers from civil war-torn areas of Central America The resolution forbade the use of local resources and collaboration with federal immigration enforcement agencies The policy continued to evolve throughout the years to include even those involved in the criminal justice system arguing that it helped build trust within immigrant communities Emeryville was thrust into the conversation in 2007 following the passage of Measure C that boosted pay and benefits for hospitality workers. The aftermath of the law’s implementation and enforcement led to the Woodfin Hotel (now Hyatt House) firing 12 undocumented hotel workers Republicans have continued to amplify criminal cases where undocumented immigrants are involved in heinous crimes for their political gain. Nationwide, a recent ABC poll shows that only 6% of Americans oppose the deportation of those living in the country illegally who have been convicted of a violent crime The lawsuit filed by these municipalities attempts to block a Presidential executive order that threatens to withhold billions of dollars in federal funds from local and state governments that have passed these sanctuary policies These governments successfully sued the Trump administration in 2017 to prevent this funding from being withheld Any idea what the Emery Yards sale means for revenue for the city in the short term The city does have a Transfer Tax which last I checked was 1.2% which would amount to $5.4 million in revenue https://www.ci.emeryville.ca.us/1443/Measure-O—Real-Property-Transfer-Tax is property taxes a big source of revenues for the city can’t parse through priforce and Donahue’s brouhaha over budget shortfalls and over business taxes cap since their rhetoric is always so misleading but what Emeryville really needs are tenant protections and a Rent Board Landlords get away with murder here because the protections are so utterly inadequate City of Emeryville officials and staff made their pitch to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) for the addition of an Emeryville BART station at yesterday’s joint agency meeting The station would be part of the regions Transit 2050+ vision that will include a second Transbay tube from the East Bay to San Francisco An Emeryville station would potentially be part of a new line that would include West Berkeley with the future possibility of a connection to transit-adverse Marin County Emeryville Community Development Director Chad Smalley, 2025 Mayor David Mourra and new City Manager LaTanya Bellow attempted to jointly persuade the MTC and Link21’s Equity Advisory Council why Emeryville was worthy of consideration for funding a connection on the regional transit system “Emeryville is rapidly growing with our population expected to double over the next 20 years,” Smalley provided clicking through 544-page PowerPoint presentation required by the agency. “We have a plan for 3,600 Housing units and the recent plans by Sutter Health to build a 200 bed hospital could bring 1000s of jobs Our centrally located Transit Center where we propose adding a BART Station is already among the busiest Amtrak stations along the Capitol Corridor route and would be walking distance to this hospital.” Estimates provided by the Emeryville team indicated that it would remove 10,000 daily vehicle trips into the city and reduce carbon emissions by an average of 30,000 pounds per day The MTC Board’s recommendations will be presented to the other 26 official transit agencies operating across the nine counties that constitute the Bay Area the commission opened up the meeting to public comment where supporters and detractors had the opportunity to weigh in These comments reflected a broad and diverse spectrum of opinions “I’m all for this,” commented Sham Ghoul “But can we remove all the vehicle parking from the station and only include bike parking why can’t these sick people just ride their bikes to the hospital?” “I’m very worried about the gentrification this will cause in Emeryville.” “I’m very worried about the gentrification this will cause in Emeryville,” noted Ryan Donutwho “I really think this will push out all the trolls in the city living in subsidized housing.” “Why the hell would we want a BART Station in our neighborhood?!” said Nada Nimbington who identified themselves as a Marina resident but instead of referring to this as the Emeryville Station can we call it Huchiun Station,” said Preston Performington “This is a horrible idea,” said Thurston Blathermore “I live at Watergate and this would be very disruptive to the flounder fish population “We’ll definitely be weaponizing CEQA to stop this travesty.” I only have to come into the office like once a week now and when I do Despite what might be considered a logical place to provide a connection based on proximity to jobs and housing density Emeryville might be considered a long-shot for receiving State and Federal funding for the project based on the criteria established by Transportation Officials Similar to California’s High Speed Rail project, funding heavily relies on routes that service pre-determined Priority Populations established by a community poll “After conducting our 760-page Equity Impact Report we have determined that an Emeryville BART station would perpetuate transit privilege,” said Board Chair Sklyer Virtuous Emeryville has already benefited from disproportionate mobility access—Amtrak Emery Go-Round … until we address mobility justice in BART-starved communities like Orinda or Atherton “This is waste of money,” said D1 Director Debby Allin “Just let Elon build an underground loop like he did in Las Vegas it’ll be done in half the time at half the cost!” “I believe we should focus our efforts on Oakley instead,” provided D2 President Marc Phony “Oakley is an underserved community with a higher concentration of poverty than Emeryville therefore we should fund this extension from Antioch and continue inland based on this criteria.” “We owe it to the prison populations and the formerly incarcerated to prioritize their access to transit.” “Based on our established priority populations map (detailed above in green) I’m recommending we pursue a route that includes Alcatraz the Tenderloin neighborhood and Angel Island,” said D8 Director Yanice Ji “These might not be the densest areas or even the areas that will improve transit for the region but data is only one small variable and until we address these societal imbalances We owe it to the prison populations and the formerly incarcerated to prioritize their access to transit.” This meeting is the first of seven commissions that would need to provide a recommendation on the plan in order to move forward including the Environmental Commission the Unhoused Fare-Evader Commission and the Feelings-Based Route Optimization Commission “I would love to fund this project,” provided California Governor Gavin Newsom who touched on the subject in his new podcast “But we’re all in on the California High Speed Rail The route from Merced to Bakersfield is going to be absolutely transformative to our state!” Preliminary estimates for the new Transbay tunnel are expected to exceed $459 Billion and expected to break ground in 2075 I thought it was legitimate news until the second part of the article having to take a 20-30 minute Emery Go Round ride to MacArthur Station is annoyingly time consuming Not to mention the rough neighborhood around the station This was kind of a rollercoaster — at first I assumed it was a joke but clicked anyway and then it started to sound plausible So I at least give you props for the lengths you went especially with the route proposal graphic I opened this article with absolute excitement It was only until the quote from Sham Ghoul did I realize this was a prank Berkeley is proposing a log flume for commuters from Tilden Park to the Berkeley Amtrak Station Commuters who can’t walk back to Tilden Park at the end of the day can take an Uber for all of the handwringing the planning commission et al does about public transportation I don’t see them advocating for something like this It would be a lot more useful to the general public than Rivians KQED Live EventsPRX Podcast Garage EventsEvents Around the Bay AreaMember Benefits with KQED LiveVideos from KQED LiveWatch recordings of recent KQED Live events FeaturedThat's My WordAn ongoing exploration of Bay Area hip-hop history See Senior Director of TV Programming Meredith Speight’s recommendations from this month’s KQED 9 Watch recordings of recent KQED Live events Support KQED by using your donor-advised fund to make a charitable gift Results are a combination of data provided by the Associated Press (AP) and county election offices. The AP calls winners by analyzing vote tallies and other election data Check marks are used to denote a winner only when the AP calls a race City and town council members can propose new city ordinances and vote on a range of issues They also help draft the city or town budget To learn more about how we use your information, please read our privacy policy. See results for all elections on the Alameda County ballot Have a correction? Contact voterguide@kqed.org Results from the Alameda County Registrar of Voters began trickling in at 8 p.m Please note that Alameda County is notoriously slow with reporting results and the complete tallies could take several days The results on this page reflect the final update provided by the Alameda County Registrar of Voters Six Candidates are seeking three expiring Emeryville City Council seats Incumbents Sukhdeep Kaur and Courtney Welch are seeking their first full terms and are being challenged by Mia Esperanza Brown Analysis: Likely buoyed by their incumbency and prominent endorsements Courtney Welch and Sukhdeep Kaur are poised to be elected to their first full terms The third seat is the most compelling race with BPAC/Housing Committee member Matthew Solomon holding a slim lead over Mia Esperanza Brown Brown is running as part of a slate along with Calvin Dillahunty dubbed “Emery Rising” that is being fronted by councilmember Kalimah Priforce Dillahunty has received the fewest votes of the six candidates Priforce surprisingly endorsed Solomon “as the third candidate” which may ultimately come at the expense of Brown Candidate Sam Gould probably had the most disappointing results as he is a distant fifth despite committee experience an early entry into the race and some prominent endorsements Emeryville City Councilmember John Bauters and Oakland City Councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas are locked in a battle to replace retiring County Supervisor Keith Carson 11/5 Analysis: John Bauters is holding a steady lead over Nikki Fortunato Bas Bauters favorability over Bas is likely attributed to the ability to connect Bas to Oakland’s issues with crime and homelessness Bauters was also pro-recall of DA Pamela Price. While most Dems rallied around Price, Bauters did not and the results show that her recall was extremely popular with voters 11/11 UPDATE: Fortunato Bas has narrowed the lead to roughly 2% or 3,852 votes 11/15 UPDATE: Fortunato Bas has overtaken Bauters by 103 votes and the election is clearly trending in her direction Bauters initial 7% lead on election night has been eliminated with Mail-in ballots seemingly favoring Bas 11/20 UPDATE: Bas furthered her lead to 415 votes clinching the seat Four Candidates are seeking two expiring Emery School Board seats Incumbent John Van Geffen is seeking a second term with three challengers including Brian Donahue Analysis: Results for school board election are going about a expected with Elsie Joyce Lee leading the pack and incumbent John Van Geffen easily heading toward reelection running for the second time in successive elections Current fourth-place finisher Walter Pizzarro ran a non-existent campaign not even bothering to turn out for the League of Women Voters Candidate forum I think Matt and Sam actually split votes for 3rd Courtney and Sukhdeep were likely always the 2 leading during the first filing period it was Matt Kalimah quickly removed within a day almost all traces of his October 31 endorsement of Matt and from the Emery Rising voter guide too He had put up Matt’s info on Priforce website too Knowing that Matt and Sam were splitting votes this is why Priforce reversed course and asked people to only vote for Mia and Cal and to leave the 3rd vote empty Matt thanked Priforce for his endorsement but in the end turned him down explaining that he preferred to run a completely independent campaign At Matt’s request Kalimah quickly took down all references to Matt that he’d put up on his social media https://www.threads.net/@priforce/post/DBzlmowSipA?xmt=AQGzlnRTLBIom6aqORExxBvn13RSOYpJVYhD_zbJ-LLVZg https://x.com/priforce/status/1853851546720862404?s=46 “Bauters favorability over Bas” may also be “likely attributed” to Bauters’ exceptional effectiveness and a deep personal and professional experience in the services areas that the Board of Supervisors is charged with working on And a personal passion for solving these challenging issues her attack ad against Bauters that quoted The Tattler was a reason for me not to trust her That is not a reliable source and she shouldn’t have used it The election for school board makes clear how Emeryville feels about The Tattler Did Walter ever even really want to be in the school board race I always got the feeling he threw his hat in the ring to prevent an automatic appointment if it was only Brian Donahue and John VanGeffen for the 2 open seats it eliminated the problem of Brian being on the school board There is nothing “gadly” about Brian Donahue Love seeing a bit of schadenfreude bestowed upon his ass City of Berkeley Assistant City Manager LaTanya Bellow has been selected as Emeryville’s next City Manager Bellow has worked with the City of Berkeley since 2018 Bob Murray & Associates conducted an executive search to fill the position with over 45 candidates submitting their application Several of these candidates were selected to participate in an extensive interview process Finalists were identified and Bellow was ultimately selected for the position Emeryville’s last three City Managers – Bellow Paul Buddenhagen and Christine Daniel – have all come from the City of Berkeley Bellow has over 20 years of experience as a senior executive, project manager, and financial strategist in municipal management. According to her bio detailed in the City’s Staff report her leadership has been instrumental in initiatives like Berkeley’s 5-year paving plan contributing to a 45% reduction in unsheltered homelessness With expertise in financial management and complex negotiations Bellow holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Masters in Public Administration (both from Cal State East Bay) She is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Public Administration “This is one of the most important decisions that a city council makes,” commented Vice Mayor David Mourra during a discussion of her approval “I’m very confident in our decision to proceed with Ms “I will be leading this organization with transparency and with collaboration … plus a little fun,” Bellow provided in her brief comments at the podium The full discussion of her approval can be viewed below at [1:09:15] Bellow’s employment with the City of Emeryville will officially commence on January 6 The news of Sutter Health’s plans to open a massive campus in the center of Emeryville sent shock waves across the city when it was announced back on February 19 The sale of the property has already fetched the city over $11 million via the city’s property transfer tax The years of planning and building permits could bring additional millions in revenue for the city The business and property taxes collected should be an economic engine for Emeryville indefinitely helping fund the services and infrastructure Emeryville residents have come to expect But there’s clearly a lot to consider with this project other than just revenue 1.3 million square foot campus would be a regionally serving medical center meaning patients from all over the East Bay would be drawn to it likely producing several hundreds of daily car trips when at full capacity It’s not yet clear to what degree the battle will be waged over this project and what tools residents or the city has to push back on it Some residents might be surprised to learn this isn’t the first time a massive health care provider has targeted Emeryville’s central location for a hospital Emeryville was the site of an epic political battle that pitted the tiny city against a much larger neighbor with many forces and interests at play It’s worth revisiting this story and reviewing the parallels that we may yet witness again Originally developed in 1918 by Western Cannery the site was acquired by Virden Packing in 1921 It was next acquired by California Packing Corporation in 1927 who changed its name to Plant No 35 thrived for decades eventually adopting the name of one of their popular brands (Del Monte) The rising popularity of frozen foods in the 1960s caused a decline in canned food sales and many of California’s urban canneries became obsolete and were forced to close it was the last cannery operating in the Bay Area The plant was razed in 1992 leaving the site fallow and open to opportunity This opportunity came a year later in 1993 when Kaiser listed Emeryville as one of six locations the HMO was exploring to replace their aging Oakland Broadway hospital (the other five in Oakland) Kaiser had called Oakland home since the end of WWII when industrialist Henry J. Kaiser began pivoting from military production to consumer products (incidentally including an automobile designed in Emeryville) Kaiser expressed a preference for a 24-acre site on the Laney College campus occupied by playing fields and surface parking The site was preferred in part because of its superior public transit and highway access In exchange for allowing Kaiser to locate there Laney was promised it would play an expanded role in medical job training opportunities for their students The negative impact was that it could limit the college’s future growth opportunities we can’t keep all our eggs in one basket,” said Kaiser spokesman Ron Treleven at the time When brought to a vote by Peralta Community College trustees, they voted 5-1 to kill the land lease agreement citing the need for a “real campus” (incidentally, 24 years later the same board killed an agreement with the Oakland Athletics that would have kept the team in Oakland) City of Oakland officials scolded the board for their decision saying it was uninformed and personal with others blaming legal restrictions on use of the site which was intended for educational use A frustrated Kaiser immediately turned it’s focus to its Emeryville option based on the criteria we have,” said Kaiser spokesman Ron Treleven Emeryville officials seemed giddy over the prospects and moved quickly to enter into an exclusive negotiating agreement. “Clearly, our chances have been fantastically improved,” said Kofi Bonner Emeryville’s Director of Economic Development and Housing Emeryville’s advantage was its central location that was smack dab in the center of its service area that included Richmond and Albany The $300M hospital would provide $3.5M in up front payments and bring in an estimated $1.5 annually in taxes not to mention the thousands of jobs the project would bring to the city To lock in the support of Emeryville’s population (6,400 people at the time) they teased free healthcare to all residents Emeryville quickly began chipping away at the many obstacles that stood in the project’s way. Property was acquired and cleared, and businesses and homes were relocated which called for homes and open space on the land The 38-year-old Ghana-born Bonner, considered a wunderkind in the city planning realm, was a key-figure in the city’s well documented renaissance along with City Manager John Flores and Director of Planning Gaye Quinn are among the key strategists that helped transform Emeryville from the gritty industrial town to the mixed-use Bonner was involved in the early planning stages of projects that residents enjoy today including East Bay Bridge Shopping Center The Emeryville Child Development Center and “The Gateway Fashion Center” that ended up becoming Bay Street Bonner earned a Master of City Planning and a Master of Architecture from the University of California at Berkeley in 1987. He was considered particularly gifted in the public financing aspect of infrastructure projects. “He was very quick, particularly with numbers,” provided U.C. Berkeley professor of urban planning Ed Blakely “He’s not a perfectionist but he likes to get things done fast and do them well.” “We will be a self-contained city,” Bonner told the Oakland Tribune in a 1994 profile of him “We will have the amenities of a big city with the feel of a small town.” Some resistance to the project began to build within Emeryville from groups opposed to growth and the obvious traffic concerns But the biggest opposition did not come from within Emeryville would be catastrophic for Oakland’s tax base Forces began to mount to oppose the relocation A coalition was quickly assembled by a political operative named Brad Paul consisting of environmental, preservationist and Pro-Oakland booster groups. “I know how to stop things from happening,” a quote attributed to Paul in one of Emeryville City Councilmember Ken Bukowski’s Emeryville City Bulletin memos that he distributed throughout the city This coalition adopted the name “Bay Area Coalition on Kaiser” or BACK “Oakland’s downtown is the perfect regional site for Kaiser; Emeryville’s is a disaster,” Paul is quoted as saying Oakland took measures to delay the process by seeking a temporary restraining order from a Superior Court Judge “It’s sleazy how they’re just pushing this Emeryville Planning through as fast as they can,” said Stephanie Garrabrant-Sierra Another vocal opponent of the project was former Governor Jerry Brown who joined forced with BACK Brown, coming off an unsuccessful run for President that ultimately saw Bill Clinton’s election, had settled into Oakland to stage his political comeback. He moved his grassroots “We the People” platform to the city and began hosting a radio program that focused on political discussions Meanwhile in Emeryville, Ken Bukowski, finishing off a one-year term as Mayor, was enthusiastic about the project. “We should be proud that a business like that wants to come here,” Bukowski told the Tribune on November 13 While Bukowski was clearly in favor of the project “We’re being gigantified,” Harper told the Tribune on November 2, 1994. “With a handful of large industries calling the shots Emeryville could become a modern-day company town That’s putting all your eggs in a few baskets A “showdown” between these groups was set for the Emeryville Planning Commission meeting on November 3 Brown and members of the BACK coalition swarmed Emeryville council chambers in an effort to push back on the project “I have the comment that you inserted inside this monster tome with just 9 or 10 days to read it.” spoke Brown referencing the 1,300 page 3-inch thick Environmental Impact Report (EIR) while jamming his finger on the podium to emphasize his point ”I’m just here to tell you that we’re going to fight it every step of the way because we don’t think as a matter of law it’s right or as a matter of policy that it represents sound judgment on the part of the city.” Among the estimated 200 in attendance at the meeting were supporters of the project as well. ”They’re trying to portray Emeryville as Bumpkinville,” Emeryville resident Jonathan Marks said in a November 4th Oakland Tribune article “We‘re being accused of taking Kaiser from Oakland when what’s happening is Oakland is trying to take it from us.” Even Piedmont interests came out in opposition of the project fearing the impact of traffic caused by outpatient use of the existing Broadway facility The Planning Commission voted to continue the public hearing to give the public more time to review the EIR This delay did not change the outcome and the Planning Commission ushered the project through at the next meeting “The site was not ideally situated for a hospital and there was clearly a lot of problems with it but we felt a lot of pressure from the city to approve it,” provided still active Emeryville resident Kris Owens who was Chair of the Planning Commission at the time.  the plan was brought before City Council on November 21 Mayor Dick Kassis opted to delay the vote on the project The item came back to council on November 30 In what was described as an “exhausting” meeting that concluded at 11:30 p.m. council voted 4-1 to approve the needed General Plan amendment and EIR certification (Harper dissenting) Councilmember Nora Davis described the project as a “seed for rejuvenation along San Pablo Avenue that will spread south to Oakland and north to Berkeley.” Phase I of the project was slated to begin in early 1996 and be completed in mid-1999 a Health Education Center with a library that would be open to the public and “liner” buildings along the perimeter to accommodate other uses including food and retail tenants It also included plans for a future campus expansion just north of the campus along Hollis that would increase capacity to 450 beds and 3,600 cars. The biggest obstacle identified in the Environmental Impact Report was of course traffic and a city shuttle from BART was included in the approval to help mitigate this The 477-page PUD Document (Planned Unit Development) is still available online Emeryville’s Director of Economic Development Kofi Bonner was lured to San Francisco to be their Redevelopment Agency Deputy Executive Director Berkeley city council voted to file suit against Kaiser for failing to comply with The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) A divided Oakland began weighing its options for also filing suit to prevent them from moving Oakland was more conflicted about taking legal action as they didn’t want to completely alienate Kaiser and risk them completely abandoning their city who maintains a fueling and maintenance yard adjacent to the project voted to file an official complaint against the project citing fears of gridlock AC Transit was also weary of the competition by the proposed private shuttle that would take Kaiser customers to and from MacArthur BART Kaiser was able to successfully negotiate with AC Transit and Berkeley to avoid a potentially protracted legal fight Kaiser also agreed to pay Berkeley and Oakland nearly $4 million for traffic improvements plus contributions for low-income housing to ease the impact of the project on the adjacent cities citing shifting industry trends including shorter hospital stays Kaiser abruptly put plans for the hospital on hold They began exploring deals with competing hospitals that also have more rooms than they can use. “This is the future of health care — people consolidating and working together instead of competing,” said Kaiser spokeswoman Katherine Alexander in this December 1996 SF Gate article Emeryville City Manager John Flores noted the city was prepared to put the property back on the market “There’s a lot of interest in any property in Emeryville,” he noted fresh off the success of its groundbreaking Toy Story feature-length computer animated movie was rapidly outgrowing its Point Richmond facility and sought a more central location to boost recruitment efforts They set their sights on 15 acres of the former Del Monte site that they acquired for $5.8 million Emeryville City Council approved a master plan for the Pixar campus that included two new buildings with a private park for employees The city conceded the right of way to several segments of streets perpendicular to Park Avenue to satisfy their privacy concerns newly constructed to resemble an old factory like what was previously there was Pixar’s first film released from their new campus in 2001 Pixar is currently Emeryville’s largest employer with an estimated 1000 employees but could be eclipsed by Sutter Health if their project goes through as planned Kaiser spent a reported $43 million on the planning process before “settling” on the existing Broadway location for expansion a relative “sprint” for a project of this magnitude by today’s standards Over the years, some have speculated that Emeryville was merely used for leverage with Oakland to allow them to expand on their existing site. This expansion was eventually completed in 2014 Bonner’s tenure in SF did not last long and in 1995 he took a job with the City of Oakland. He’s held many positions since then and currently serves as CEO of Bedrock Detroit whose mission is to help revitalize the Detroit area Sutter Hospital is a non-profit and will not pay taxes The EIR and Conditions of Approval (Planning approvals) may require ongoing contributions by Sutter for special shuttle services (such as The Emery serving West Oakland BART) and non-profit organizations are generally subject to assessments like the PBID that funds the Emery Go-Round (EGR) My understanding is that Non-profits are exempt from income taxes but not ALL taxes I’ll need to probe a little deeper on the different revenues they’ll bring to Emeryville A whale sighting yesterday in the Eastshore Park area of the Emeryville Peninsula that delighted onlookers has turned into a potentially tragic incident An NBC Bay Area video segment shared footage of the Minke whale spotted by a customer of the nearby Shell gas station the whale appeared healthy and there were no visible signs of distress Sightings of this particular breed of whale are said to be rare agile baleen whales known for their speed and elusive nature the health of the whale has taken a turn and the struggling marine mammal was spotted beached just feet from the shoreline A crowd with several media outlets and onlookers has gathered at the scene Emeryville PD are discouraging onlookers from gathering to give personnel room to operate Alameda County Fire and The Marine Mammal Center personnel could be seen hosing the animal down to keep it moist and prevent it from dehydration A makeshift platform was built around the mammal in the mudflats to provide easier access to those attending to it A veterinarian specializes in marine wildlife has been called to the scene to evaluate the health of the mammal and its ability to dislodge itself it was in the best interest of this whale,” The Marine Mammal Center shared via X though results won’t be available for several weeks.” While not the outcome we hoped for, it was in the best interest of this whale. A partial necropsy is planned, though results won’t be available for several weeks. The whale appeared to be in good body condition, but had peeling white skin that looked to be healing from a sunburn. pic.twitter.com/1vFvrU49C7 The carcass will remain on the scene temporarily while Scientists tests samples back at their laboratory to determine the cause of its illness We will continue to monitor the situation and update this story as new information unfolds Eugene Tssui poses for a portrait at his exhibition at the Rotten City Cultural District in Emeryville on March 17 The gallery features his nature-inspired architectural designs including photos of the renowned ‘Fish House,’ along with his clothing designs and art. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)Eugene Tssui loves to feel like a kid again A man of many talents, Tssui (pronounced “sway”) established himself as an innovative and eco-focused architect in the ’90s, creating Bay Area fixtures such as the “Fish House” in Berkeley and the remodeled kitchen of the Flintstone House in Hillsborough. Not one to limit himself to a single discipline, he’s also made a name for himself as a painter and fashion designer (a sparkly purple space-like suit is one of his signature looks). He’s competed in gymnastics and boxing, and, at 70, he just started wrestling. He’s also a composer, pianist, flamenco guitarist and drummer. “The whole retiring mentality? No. You have to keep going,” he says. Currently, Tssui is the 2025 Architect/Artist in Residence for the City of Emeryville, with a career-spanning retrospective on view at Bay Street plaza through March 30. The project is part of the Rotten City Cultural District, developed by the California Arts Council, which seeks to advance Emeryville’s creative scene. As part of the residency, Tssui is dreaming up a self-sufficient, “true-zero” energy building for the city that he hopes will one day become a reality. Inside the Rotten City Cultural District gallery on Bay Street, Tssui offers a peek into his world of climate solutions through unconventional design. Tssui designs buildings entirely based on nature, from the exterior composition to their inner workings. The result is like something out of a sci-fi movie — a sole structure that perseveres through some post-apocalyptic scene, bending and breathing with the elements. It is in these other worlds where his mind lives. Tssui came to the Bay Area in 1983 to attend UC Berkeley for his master’s and PhD studies. He fell in love with California’s natural coastline and the Bay Area’s reputation as an innovation hub, and he wanted to contribute to that innovation outside of just technology. He focuses on the concept of “nature as teacher,” designing buildings, clothing and even furniture based on organic sources. His goal is to structurally and functionally work with nature rather than resisting it. The “Fish House,” formally titled Ojo del Sol, which Tssui designed for his parents in 1994, was modeled after the microscopic tardigrade, known for its extreme durability. He’s created several hundred intricately detailed, nature-based designs for unrealized buildings, including a two-mile-high skyscraper for San Francisco based on a termite mound and intended to house one million people. For decades, Tssui’s biology-based approach was not widely accepted. “I feel like, gee, I’m just a lone voice in the wilderness,” says Tssui. “All it takes is one first voice and things start happening. If that’s what I’m going to be, then so be it.” However, Tssui says he’s now hosted over 500 interns who seek him out specifically for his independent way of thinking. His work has become more iconic with age and the progression of climate issues. The modern green building movement, which seeks to combine nature into design and transcend net-zero carbon goals, follows closely behind Tssui, who has delved into these concepts for his entire career. “I really feel like my career is just beginning because with climate change and global warming, suddenly my work becomes totally relevant,” he says. Tssui believes that conventional architectural efforts fail to minimize the effects of climate change, as these buildings are often unnatural, inefficient and structurally unreliable. “Nature itself never creates a box,” he explains. “It is such a terrible geometric form that has no strength, no ability to resist stress and strain. And here we are doing nothing but boxes.” Tssui’s nonconformist art currently sits in a large, rectangular space on the first floor of the Bay Street plaza, filled to the brim with his work. Over a hundred sketches, hand-painted portraits, images of constructed buildings and architectural blueprints line the walls. Some of Tssui’s building designs are commissioned by clients, others are for himself. The majority serve as futuristic fantasies, too advanced for the limitations of city planning departments. To complete his residency, Tssui plans to design a building for an actual empty plot of land in Emeryville. He’s waiting on the city planning department to provide the plot’s dimensions before he can fully develop the project, which he envisions as a “true-zero” energy building that would include an athletic facility, auditorium, vegan food court and rooftop garden. “If [Emeryville is] serious about addressing the accelerating destruction of the planet, and architecture is 45% of that, then you will move forward with this project,” he asserts. To understand Eugene Tssui is to take in the full scope of his multihyphenate practice, well beyond his architectural designs. His interdisciplinary exhibit on Bay Street also includes portraits of loved ones, abstract ceramics and books of his work. Samples of his fashion pieces suspended by poles divide areas of the gallery. Most of these pieces are variations on a bright, monochrome suit with a high collar and strategically placed openings. He says these qualities allow for natural heating and cooling of the body, while also enhancing mobility. For one cape-like ensemble, Tssui used a silver, reflective material with gold accents, which serves as insulation, absorbing light and minimizing the heat going back into the atmosphere. Then there’s his musical and athletic achievements. In one image, Tssui performs a perfect handstand and splits at the Senior Olympics. In another, he stands triumphantly in his boxing attire as an eight-time amateur boxing champion. Learning new crafts throughout his life has engaged his childlike curiosity and maintained his passion. For Tssui, everything on display is interconnected. The endurance and self-determination he’s honed through sports and music are apparent in the intricate details of his drawings and textile work. Through his architecture and fashion designs, he shows that biology can easily be applied to other fields of study. Despite these broader concepts, Tssui’s goal for the residency is simple. He hopes his life serves as inspiration to others. This is what people can achieve if they pursue their passions and create their own lanes. Tssui is someone who has built a career defying the boxes we often put ourselves in. “Your sense of self-value is so important,” he says. “These things that I do bring me a sense of self-value and meaning and purpose in being alive to the world, and I want to share that with you.” Sutter Health plans 1.3M square foot medical hub at East Bay complex. Sutter Health has purchased BioMed Realty’s Emery Yards life science campus for $450M with plans to transform the 12-acre complex in Emeryville into a 1.3M square foot medical hub BioMed’s campus includes two life science buildings located at 5555 Hollis Street and 5300 Chiron Way and encompassing a total of 530K square feet The deal includes two vacant lots at 4563 Horton Street and 1400 53rd Street Sutter is planning to invest $1B in a medical hub on the property that will be called the Sutter Emeryville Campus including construction of a 335K square foot hospital that is scheduled to be completed by 2033 The Emeryville campus is the second massive flagship development in the Bay Area that Sutter has announced in the past three months the Sacramento-based nonprofit health care giant unveiled plans to spend $800M to transform empty office buildings at two sites in Santa Clara into a 1M square foot medical hub Sutter is partnering with The Sobrato Organization and the Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group to create two campuses to be called Sutter West Santa Clara and Sutter East Santa Clara on sites about a mile from each other on Mission College Boulevard San Diego-based Biomed delivered the first phase of Emery Yards which originally was planned to be a 1.3M square foot life science lab and office campus as Emeryville became the epicenter of a life science downturn in the Bay Area The life science vacancy rate in Emeryville peaked at 39% in the third quarter of 2024 the highest of any city in the East Bay market The overall 44M square foot life science market in the Bay Area rebounded in the fourth quarter ending 2024 with a huge surge in leasing activity led by large deals in the San Francisco Peninsula which accounted for nearly 86% of the total volume of 1.9M square feet across the nine-county region which more than doubled the Bay Area’s Q3 2024 total of 704K square feet represented an 89% increase over the 10-year Life science occupancy in the Bay Area also rebounded sharply in the fourth quarter with positive net absorption totaling nearly 351K square feet with positive net absorption totaling 360K square feet in Q4 swinging up from minus 547K square feet the previous quarter The continuing arrival of a wave of new supply prevented these positive trends from putting a dent in the overall life science vacancy rate in the Bay Area Four Bay Area projects encompassing nearly 1.1M square feet were delivered in the fourth quarter The largest ground-up project that arrived in Q4 Beacon Capital’s 540K square foot Berkeley Commons project The largest life science conversion project Kilroy’s 37K square foot Bohannon project in Menlo Park The onslaught of new supply will continue in 2025 including ground-up developments and building conversions encompassing a total of 2.7M square feet in the Bay Area Construction is scheduled to begin in the middle of 2026 Vice President of Northmarq (Sponsored) | May 06 With a competitive retail lending environment investors may need creative solutions to achieve positive leverage Multifamily and lodging saw "substantial increases," according to Trepp The Great Slowdown: Domestic Migration Into 2025 Dive into the data to explore domestic migration patterns over the past four years -- and uncover states and metro areas emerging as relocation hotspots in 2025 Browse More Resources › Leveling Up: Choosing the Best Renters Insurance Partner for Your Multifamily Housing Portfolio Picking the right renters insurance can be a headache This guide will help you find the perfect partner for your multifamily properties so you can boost resident participation and lower your risk The Return to Office: Recovery Still Underway Are you noticing unexpected shifts in office occupancy and commuter behavior This report reveals how evolving work patterns are challenging CRE brokers and offers crucial Discover a detailed analysis of office visit fluctuations real-world examples to inform strategic decisions and actionable metrics to guide client advising / For questions about GlobeSt.com, please call 800-458-1734 (9:00am-5:30pm ET, Monday through Friday, except holidays), or send an email to [email protected] In this edition of our Semi-Monthly newsletter Emeryville City Councilmember Courtney Welch was named among four appointees to the California Housing Partnership Corporation (CHPC) Board by Governor Gavin Newsom recently The California Housing Partnership Corporation (CHPC) is a nonprofit organization that works to expand affordable housing opportunities across California. Appointment to the Board A March 14 Press Release details her qualifications which include a resume in housing-related non-profits and advocacy organizations No compensation is provided for the position East Bay Times business reporter George Avalos penned a recent piece detailing how dramatically the value of the Public Market Tower at 6001 Shellmound has plummeted The building was sold by former owner CCRP to EverWest (now “Sagard Capital”) in 2017 Purchase price at the time was listed as $33 Million The pandemic-induced Real Estate slump has hit certain Commercial and Apartment properties hard including the nearby Bayview Apartments that was seized by its lender last year In Janurary Blox Ventures bought the $21.6 million loan for the tower through a foreclosure process for just $6.8 million (18% of the price it was most recently sold for according to EBT’s calculation) We should note that the Public Market Food Hall is owned and operated by Oxford Properties who acquired the property in 2021 Notable artist Eugene Tssui just wrapped up his residency at the Rotten City Cultural District space at Bay Street last week Tssui is a multidisciplinary artist and architect with accolades as a painter Tssui was profiled by KQED Arts & Culture for his designs that emphasize sustainability and biomimicry aiming to “harmonize with natural forms and functions.” Eugene’s son Sorell Tsui has grown into a heralded artist in his own right and is among the founders of ABG Art Group who are behind the Rotten City Cultural District team RCCD is working to amplify the city’s profile as a destination Arts District The next residency that will feature the work of sculpture Robert Orbal is scheduled to open today Subscribe to the RCCD Newsletter to be alerted to all of their various programming Founded in 2017 by Rich Yu and Gustavo Pesce (Pesce passed away in 2021) Abolone develops antibody-based medicines that activate cell receptors to treat pain Abalone is utilizing artificial intelligence to develop more precise weight-loss drugs that minimize common side effects their research aims to create medications that specifically target neurons responsible for feelings of fullness without activating those causing adverse effects like nausea or diarrhea AI technology plays a crucial role in this process by analyzing vast numbers of antibody sequences to identify optimal combinations for effective treatments writer and media personality Andy Cohen name-dropped “Emeryville” in a recent episode of his “Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen” Bravo TV show California…” Cohen reminisced with guest Candice Kumai who was a contestant on the show that debuted in 2006 We were learning as we went on,” he reflected Top Chef of course went on to become a huge success and is currently in its 22nd Season Parts of the first season of Top Chef were filmed at the Paulding & Company commercial kitchen space on 62nd Street Proprietor Terry Paulding retired in 2017 and the space became ITK Kitchen who shuttered amid the pandemic lockdowns Proud to be part of the E’ville community Thanks for finding us and following along Rich Emeryville voters will be tasked to fill three expiring City Council seats this upcoming election the race is shaping up to be Emeryville’s most competitive race in recent memory The E’ville Eye has provided each candidate with questions specific to Emeryville to help voters determine which candidates best align with your personal priorities We asked each candidate 20 questions previewing their views and priorities on Housing Candidates were given a week to provide answers with instructions to limit their responses to 250 words Please note that the introduction questions of the incumbent version of the questionnaire vary slightly 2024 Mayor Courtney Welch declined to participate These Candidate Questionnaires are listed below alphabetically With 2-term councilmember John Bauters looking to climb the political ladder a bit of a power vacuum in the city is at play For years, Nora Davis held the distinction of holding the most influence in the city followed briefly by Ruth Atkin and Jac Asher and then almost immediately by Bauters after he won his first term in 2016 Bauters has clearly been the chief driver of policy over this span Bauters‘ hand-picked successor appears to be close ally Courtney Welch who is throwing her support behind Sam Gould and Sukhdeep Kaur Some have pointed out Welch’s lack of professionalism in her role as a councilmember and questioned her ability to represent the city in a dignified manner Kalimah Priforce seems determined to seize this mantle and has coordinated a “slate” of candidates that include Calvin Dillahunty and Mia Esperanza Brown The “Emery Rising” slate is running under the Our Revolution East Bay platform Our Revolution grew from the 2016 Bernie Sanders presidential campaign and their candidates generally identify as Democratic Socialists Priforce is curiously promoting that he is “running” for Mayor presumably implying that if his slate of candidates win, he will achieve the Mayorship which he was previously passed over for Emeryville does not have a directly elected Mayor position and this role is decided and rotated amongst themselves annually Should Priforce’s slate win, it’s unclear if he would push to “leapfrog” Vice Mayor David Mourra and be elevated directly to the Mayor role in 2025 He would more likely push to become Vice Mayor in 2025 and Mayor in 2026 (the year he would be running for reelection) Priforce’s sharing of this slate strategy and his personal endorsements on Reddit sparked a flurry of anonymous comments questioning the legality of “running” for a non-existent campaign These commenters also questioned the financing of a mailer endorsing his slate which was apparently paid for from funds from Priforce’s 2022 campaign “He may have filed an amended 410 with the Secretary of State and did not provide a copy to me,” provided Emeryville City Clerk April Richardson regarding Priforce’s possible infraction Candidates holding the same office in multiple election cycles will maintain the same ID number It’s worth noting that should either of Priforce’s slate win Emeryville would have a majority of Black councilmembers for what is thought to be the first time ever This would be a tremendous turn of events as the city did not have a single Black Councilmember from 2005-2021 These roles will be settled after the election typically on the last meeting of December before the Holiday break The League of Women Voters Candidate Forum held on October 8 with all six candidates present can be watched on YouTube: What Kalimah has been doing seems misleading at best and a serious violation of ethics (and perhaps even illegal) at worst his candidates apparently haven’t filed financial disclosures with the city like all the other candidates have That Kalimah is pushing this hard to be mayor feels like he’s in it for the status and not the work That seems particularly incongruous for someone with supposedly socialist viewpoints Did Welch provide a reason why she would not answer the survey This is disqualifying for me unless she had a family emergency or something In terms of written items that candidates have declined to do I would be more concerned about the two candidates who thus far have failed to file California state Fair Political Practices Commission forms for their respective candidacies as every other candidate has is more grounds for concern than not turning in a questionnaire to a blog https://www.ci.emeryville.ca.us/1440/Candidate-Campaign-Statements She did not provide a specific reason but she has repeatedly accused us of spreading “misinformation” but every time I challenge her to point us to where this misinformation is If you read our Q&A with Priforce linked below he explains what I’ve suspected for some time: That previous councilmembers coach candidates to despise us which is why Welch and maybe others have exerted so much bias against us without ever actually interfacing with us I’ve actually met and chatted with Mourra & Priforce and I think they’d both describe me as civil and fair She’s perfectly within her right to not engage with our platform but unfortunately the voter and the Emeryville citizen who relies on our local news website for information ends up less informed about issues https://evilleeye.com/news-commentary/qa-councilmember-kalimah-priforce-reflects-on-a-tumultuous-first-year-in-emeryville-politics/ I think you provide a great civic resource Your about page here basically says as much has more of a blogger feel than a journalistic feel there are plenty of non-journalistic outlets that are featured on Google News — it’s overrun with them I would not ascribe Google News inclusion to anything more than a way for Google to get more clicks I’ve seen firsthand how you’ve treated Courtney Welch in these pages — I recall she made some minor error of fact when she was running and you wasted no opportunity to rehash it whenever you could which read to me like a “gotcha” every time It’s not something I think a serious news outlet would do the way you designed this very piece was meant to criticize her implicitly highlighting in red and all caps that she declined to participate in stark contrast to how you designed the green buttons for everyone else is your bias against her showing once again To your other point about the candidates who didn’t file their forms: I was responding to the anonymous commenter whom I think did miss the more important thing but I also think the way you cover certain things reveals a bias and if certain electeds feel like they can’t get a fair shake from you You can go with whatever arbitrary definition you like based on your feelings … or you can go with the New York Times definition Also know that I’m way more inclined to accept feedback from those that have chipped in over the years instead of those that have consumed and frequently criticized our free product for over a decade without contributing $1 I get that maybe you’re ideologically aligned with Welch so she should be exempt from criticism That’s not how accountability journalism works https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/briefing/local-journalism-worth-reading-from-2023.html?unlocked_article_code=1.TU4.gTKe.uU9WpSlQWwgx&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&tgrp=ctr I agree Courtney made an unforced error not responding to Rob’s questionnaire it is the only “as unbiased as possible” source of Emeryville news out there This made it easier for me to decide to vote for Sam Gould Rob may disagree but there is a difference between Priforce being a smart campaigner vs being sincere in civic conversation and the QA with Rob often amplified areas of misinformation The QA has served as the default source of one-sided allegations against other Councilmembers I know he’s not a journalist by training but he includes the facts when possible A journalist would have questioned the ethics and effectiveness of a civic leader losing access to campaign finances due to personal relationship A journalist would have questioned whether it makes sense it takes an ethical civic leader such a long time to handle (unfixed) campaign finance I have wondered why others don’t do this kind of advertisement QA like Priforce did with Rob They should learn to campaign instead of just working hard and thinking people will notice I think all other Councilmembers signed a code of conduct agreement which is why they don’t go around saying negative posts about Priforce I hope to do a Q&A with David Mourra when/if he steps into the Mayor role https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2024/10/campaign-finance-california-fppc-enforcement/ I think if we ask Trump for his responses in a one-way email QA if he committed any new campaign wrongdoing Being unafraid to engage (as many 3 minute public commenting periods may show) is not the same as engaging with facts The format of an email QA is a one way blank check not very conductive for investigative issues UNLESS fact checks from the FPPC or City Attorney can also be included What do they think about a fabricated mayoral campaign that’s not on the ballot while using funds to bankroll city council candidates that can stack the vote FPPC prohibits using leftover campaign funds for personal use or for a different office (what office One has to wonder if OREB took Priforce at his word when he told them the rules of the mayorship were changed to prevent him from being Mayor and if he becomes Mayor he’d codify a new set of practices. https://youtu.be/Gee-TIWiLzQ?t=6081 Emeryville’s form of government hasn’t changed I tried to do a one-time donation so that you’ll be “more inclined” to hear me out Let me know when you fix it and I’ll make a donation regardless of how I align with any candidate politically or how I feel about them personally I don’t think anyone is above criticism (in a fair way and I do actually think it would have served Courtney well to answer your questionnaire even if you’ve repeatedly shown bias against her and far more reputable than the next available option and it’s one of the best ways to connect with people in this city but that doesn’t mean I don’t respect what you do here I wouldn’t waste my time commenting here if I didn’t think it would do any good I wasn’t ascribing any negative value judgement when I described this site as a blog and I was making the distinction between a state agency and its legal requirements as opposed to a citizen website I’ve been a blogger and I’ve been a journalist — both have their value You have a negative association with the idea of a blog vs a news site which is why you took my choice of word as criticism All I can tell you is that I didn’t mean it pejoratively and I’m sorry I came across that way https://evilleeye.com/support/ Every dollar counts for keeping local news going Emeryville Tattler Brian Donahue is allies with Kalimah Priforce That says a lot about what priorities will be if Priforce is mayor Priforce openly told Our Revolution East Bay in their July meeting he was selecting city council candidates to run and those he select are supportive of him as mayor It’s pretty chilling that Mia Brown and Calvin Dillahunty weren’t even considering to run as late as July during the first filing deadline but were hand picked and recruited by Priforce to be voting tools for his mayoral ambitions he also told the group the city council had changed the rules of rotating mayorship each year so that he couldn’t be mayor Emeryville functions as a Council-Manager form of government The council in 2023 voted 4-1 to have Courtney Welch and David Moura as mayor and vice mayor No one else voted for Kalimah Priforce as mayor Let’s put aside the Priforce-Fake Mayor Campaign and let’s just focus on the issues of who will be the best candidates to serve Emeryville Let’s just read the questionnaire answers and watch the candidate forum debate Sukhdeep Kaur and Courtney Welch are informed in their responses You may not agree with every single one of their policy but they are sincere about serving Emervyille they have thought about the solutions and ideas This year we will use funds from our reserve funds to add to the General Fund to balance our budget I will vote ONLY for competent solid people who study issues transit occupancy tax and card room tax and won’t be huge personality distractions that we cannot afford – who proactively demonstrate they come to meetings having done their homework rather than to raise a disruptive ruckus we just cannot afford When I see 2000 social media contacts and nonsense that candidate has given me all I need to know to vote for someone else […] The E’ville Eye: Emeryville City Council Candidate Questionnaires […] I strongly applaud candidates whose track record shows actual service on city committees preferably committees that discuss budgets Candidates without this track record should serve first on city committees and then cycle into council candidacy Then the voting public knows the person has made the time and has demonstrated initiative regarding key Emeryville issues It’s a huge disconnect and a risk to everyone who lives here when a candidate without basic committee service experience suddenly says “I didn’t have or make the time for a committee but now I’m ready to serve on Council.” who briefly lived in Emeryville before running for a special seat without prior community involvement Calvin and Mia have been actively organizing with Emery Rising Merely holding a seat does not equate to leadership; it can often lead to bureaucracy if there’s no genuine engagement with the community It seems that some commenters are candidates themselves informed responses rather than repeating generic statements I gained valuable insights about Emeryville from Mia and Calvin Many residents are exhausted by John Bauters and Courtney Welch I support Mia and Calvin through Emery Rising aiming for Council Member Priforce to become mayor and improve tenant protections those favoring YIMBY positions will recognize true leadership which is not represented by Bauters or Welch Fran is pointing out something others have noticed: Mia and Calvin were not even thinking about running during July when the first filing deadline. As late as July, Kalimah Priforce told Our Revolution East Bay that he was running for mayor and that he was “selecting candidates” to run for council who will vote him to become mayor. https://youtu.be/Gee-TIWiLzQ?t=6171 Anyone who believes Mia and Calvin’s catchy slogans are people who believe in quick fixes instead of doing the hard and slow work that often is the reality of legislating I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to serve the city of Emeryville I hope that those chosen will act in accordance with the will of the community In this edition of our Bi-Monthly newsletter covering the first half of February who have served the local community for over 40 years “It has been a true honor meeting the wonderful people of Emeryville and assisting them with their vehicle needs,” wrote Boyd’s owner in a sign placed on the fence of the property “Thank you to all the wonderful people who made the journey possible The property was listed for sale in 2023 and the city has been eyeing acquiring it to expand the adjacent Stanford Avenue Park The Emeryville Planning Commission reviewed and made a recommendation to pursue acquisition at their June, 2024 meeting It was originally listed for $2.1M but reduced to $1.7M after soil contamination issues were discovered through routine testing that will require remediation The City of Emeryville officially took possession of the property on January 31 Oakland: Police say woman confessed to killing security guard during argument, but no charges filed thus far https://t.co/u1PB6lwceu An unnamed 24-year old Emeryville Woman is at the center of the recent shooting death of a Highland Hospital security guard 28-year-old Curtis Haynes was shot and killed on Saturday outside a liquor store near the 8400 block of International Boulevard in East Oakland According to this recent EBT report the two had previously been romantically involved but the relationship soured and devolved into arguing and angry text messages A verbal confrontation between Haynes and the woman occurred outside of the liquor store The woman claims that she found the gun used in the shooting on a chair outside the liquor store then put it back where she’d found it before fleeing the scene The woman has allegedly admitting to being the shooter but charges have yet to be filed against her An Emeryville woman in her 30s was the victim of attempted ATM robbery according to a report by The Berkeley Scanner The incident happened at a BMO bank branch along Shattuck Avenue at Vine Street was approached by two men who demanded her property she refused and the young men fled the scene No arrests have been made according to the Berkeley PD Emeryville residents are bracing for something most have become all too familiar with: Road construction and the traffic delays associated with it Hollis Street intersections slated to receive improvements include Powell Construction is expected to begin the week of February 24 and last through June 2025 (although this timeline could be impacted by weather) More information and project contact information are available on the city’s website A federal grand jury has indicted two Emeryville Residents on bank fraud charges according to a Press Release by the Northern District of California U.S 25-year-old Franchesca Calagui and 27-year-old Dondre Gray are facing charges related to receiving stolen U.S The indictment alleges that between May 2022 and March 2023 the pair obtained and signed stolen Treasury checks and recruited “runners” to cash them at a Chase branch where Calagui worked Authorities say the scheme involved at least 339 stolen checks worth a total of over $850,000 Both individuals were arrested and appeared in federal court TrendingCommercialSan FranciscoABay Area office woes continue with Emeryville sale at 80% discountSF investor takes control after paying $6.8M for loan linked to 109K sf building Blox Ventures CEO Jason Oberman with 6001 Shellmound Street in Emeryville (Getty Blox Ventures has bagged a 109,300-square-foot office building in Emeryville for $6.8 million An affiliate of the San Francisco-based investor acquired the eight-story office building through a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure at 6001 Shellmound Street, the San Jose Mercury News reported The seller was a group led by Colorado-based Sagard Real Estate The deal works out to $62 per square foot — 79.5 percent less than its last traded price EverWest bought the property in 2017 for $33 million taking out a $21.61 million loan that matured in December In January, Blox Ventures put itself in position to acquire the property by paying $6.8 million to buy the loan from PNC Blox became the lender and completed the foreclosure The $6.8 million Blox paid to buy the loan is 81.7 percent below the most recently available assessed value for the building built in 1988 next to the Public Market Emeryville food court SIGN UPBlox sees plenty of potential in the Emeryville market “Emeryville is a leading innovation hub in the Bay Area,” Jason Oberman said at the time the Blox affiliate bought the loan for the building “With global leaders like Pixar Animation Studios along with the area’s expanding residential offerings the long-term potential of this property is very promising.” The deal joins other East Bay office properties selling for a fraction of what they were once worth following a pandemic shift to remote work With higher interest rates and refinancing costs many landlords have struggled to keep their buildings This fall, Lakeside Group and Rubicon Point Partners acquired a 15-story, 279,700-square-foot building and parking garage at 180 Grand Avenue owns more than 6 million square feet of commercial real estate valued at more than $3 billion across the Bay Area and in Salt Lake City according to its website and the San Francisco Business Times In 2018, Blox and New York-basedAngelo Gordon bought a 58,000-square-foot commercial complex of offices, shops and a long-vacant supermarket in Palo Alto for $78.3 million. They leased out the market space and flipped it two years later for $103.6 million, 32 percent more than its last traded price.— Dana Bartholomew We have some retail and service sector updates within Emeryville to share since our last update in July Emeryville is losing a large chain furniture store but is gaining a smaller boutique one A new Bay Street tenant has officially opened their doors and the shopping center has announced a new initiative to attract the lunchtime crowd we may be on the verge of a new retail trend “Ghost Tenants” are retail businesses that only open on demand and fail to deliver the vibrancy and foot traffic that communities strive for The Ashley Homestore furniture store quietly announced it will be closing its doors this month but the store’s inventory is visibly diminished They are expected to close for good before Thanksgiving we’ve been told but wouldn’t be surprised if they hung on for the holidays The adjacent Ulta Beauty store closed in May leaving Nordrom Rack as the only large tenant in the parcel 11/24 Update: Ashley has officially closed their doors The sheathing covering the construction of the Red Door Escape Room at Bay Street was recently removed and they have officially opened their doors to the public as of today Announced in early August, the Escape Room is among Property Owner CenterCal’s efforts to bring more entertainment options to the shopping center which also includes a Sandbox VR and other entertainment options They are also looking to better activate the northern end of the mall adjacent to the Hyatt Place Hotel which also includes Tipsy Putt and Mumu Hot Pot The location offers five “quests” that can be booked in advance through their website (which identifies the location as in “Oakland” 🤨) The mostly vacant strip of retail along Hubbard has a new tenant … sort of. The windows of the unit are covered up but tipsters noticed a tiny sign and QR code that links to their website Teme Salon specializes in hair extensions and “prioritizing equity and anti-racism in the beauty industry.” Like the adjacent eyewear shop Teme is currently open by appointment only and does not currently maintain regular business hours or open to walk-up traffic We’ve all become familiar with Ghost Kitchens in recent years we may be on the cusp of the proliferation of Ghost Tenants where an “on-demand” business theoretically operate but never seems to be occupied by customers The retail area of the Emery has been slow to attract new tenants since coming online last year Residents of the Park Avenue District have been optimistic that the additional 500 units would attract a cafe or similar amenity that would help bring some vibrancy to the area The Farmers’ Market will be moving to the Public Market next year due to ‘low foot traffic’ in the area A new modern furniture store is moving into the 12,000 sq spot at 4514 Hollis most recently occupied by Bullseye Glass Enliven furniture sells curated mid-century modern and vintage furniture “sourced sustainably from all over the world.” They also offer consignment for “exceptional pieces.” They expect to open in early December according to employees we spoke with Their inventory is listed on their website Bay Street Emeryville is introducing a new parking initiative to make lunchtime visits more convenient visitors will receive two hours of free parking from noon to 2 p.m. This offer aims to attract professionals returning to the office allowing them to enjoy Bay Street’s diverse dining options without parking costs Visitors will still need to use kiosks or mobile pay to reserve spaces and reminders will notify them when their free period is about to end Bay Street is launching a QR code ordering system at the Bay Break Dining Terrace making group orders and split checks simpler allows customers to scan QR codes at their tables The option to continue ordering seamlessly throughout a meal will also be available To-go orders can be placed via the Bay Street website enhancing convenience for both customers and local residents visit Bay Street’s parking and dining pages online It should be noted that this free parking policy is ongoing and not just for the holidays More information about this initiative is provided on their website. Not unsubtable fake quickly solutions 😫🥺😤 Besides thing are worth way lezz 8nticing and intriguing Would love to hear more about Total Wine updates The Emeryville Planning Commission held a Public Hearing back on September 26 for a proposed Tesla Collision Center at a vacant commercial space at 1295 67th Street The proposal elicited some strong opinions from the public and scrutiny by the commission the proposal is slated to come back to the commission this month The location was most recently the site of New Logic Research who moved their operation to Nevada in 2019 The structure has entrances on both 66th and 67th streets The proposed Collision Center would involve repairs ranging from minor fixes to battery replacements and include a spray booth for panel painting The location would maintain 39 combined parking spaces for customers 6 of the parking spaces would be removed to accommodate storage and waste There would be no expansion of current square footage although the project would include the removal of the 13,000 square foot interior mezzanine within the building The interior would accommodate 29 service bays No exterior changes would be allowed without a separate design review Public improvements proposed by Tesla included sidewalk enhancements and compliance with local landscaping ordinances The center could employ up to 50 employees Chung next addressed possible community concerns created by the occupant including Air Quality which extrapolated from a Tesla collision center located in Pomona anticipated approximately 416 additional daily vehicle trips caused by their presence Current average daily traffic on 66th and 67th Streets were measured to be 1,224 and 2,402 trips The 416 additional daily trips constitutes about an 11% daily increase and deemed “negligible” by the traffic consultant A queuing analysis determined that the gated lot on 66th St would not generate an undesirable amount of traffic back-ups on 66th street Air quality concerns related to paint and solvents from their proposed spray booth including storage and disposal of these materials permitting requirements and enforcement by local fire codes As the vehicles being serviced are all-electric no combustible engines and concerns over the fumes generated by them would apply Chung highlighted that the hours of proposed operation would be weekdays from 7 a.m and that all repairs would take place indoors which Tesla indicated might be sought based on demand Enforcement of any issues would fall on the city to loop in the appropriate agency of any complaints General Plan consistency and positive economic impact City Staff recommended approval of the proposed project by the Planning Commission Four representatives from Tesla were in attendance to address concerns brought forth by the commission and the public Henmi asked for clarification on the precise air quality metric which Tesla representatives were unable to provide Henmi also recommended that a condition of approval be a requirement that the facility’s doors be closed during hours of operation to mitigate noise Lithium-Ion batteries can be trickier to extinguish than tradition car fires Chafe also challenged the accuracy of the traffic study as it was conducted in 2021 amid the pandemic Questions from the other commissioners included clarification on enforcement levers replacement of existing trees and other aesthetic improvements to the property Written comments and in-person members of the public were unanimously critical of the project asking that the commission reject it parking and air quality were all cited as concerns The reputation of Tesla was also cited on several occasions for their litany of violations at their Fremont plant “They are not a good neighbor,” noted a neighbor from the Liquid Sugar lofts which faces the proposed site on 66th “They’ve been sued endlessly for hazardous waste violations for refusing to follow health and safety guidelines that caused a massive spike in illness to start the pandemic They refused to close down when asked to do so.” A longtime business owner noted the additional strain the collision center would add to an already impacted parking environment I don’t know where the other employees are going to park perhaps on the street which again is going to push parking even further.” Commercial Property representative Hong Ho was on hand to support Tesla’s application pointing out opportunity to expand the infrastructure of EVs and promote their adoption Hong also pointed to the recent challenges of finding a tenant for the vacant space And during this five-year period that we’ve had ownership I’ve only had six months of occupancy here.” Martinez led off the commission’s deliberation asking staff to clarify what was within and outside of the body’s purview there are feelings about this company,” Martinez provided citing the many examples of misconduct that the public had brought forth Martinez seemed to want to ensure they did not overstep the authority of their role and subject the city to litigation SpaceX, another of Tesla owner Elon Musk’s companies, recently filed suit against California’s coastal commission when one of the commissioners cited Musk’s tweets for rejecting launches from the Vandenberg Space Force base Planning Manager Miroo Desai suggested continuing the item was acceptable if additional information was requested but not provided as was the case “A number of issues that were brought up where there were no answers provided,” Desai outlined City Clerk April Richardson reiterated that if certain findings outlined in the proposal were not found “I’m not prepared to make the findings necessary to approve this application.” “I’m not prepared to make the findings necessary to approve this application,” Comr “I don’t find that it is consistent with the general plan specifically the piece that requires us to find that the location size and operating characteristics of the proposed use will be compatible with and not adversely affect the surrounding area including neighborhood characters noise and lighting.” Chafe went on to describe the location as an “outlier” compared to other collision centers The Commission tapped staff with addressing several applicable concerns including battery storage and designating specific loading/unloading areas Including enforceable actions if they fail to meet these recommendations was also suggested as a condition of approval A motion was made to continue the item at a future meeting and give Tesla and staff the opportunity to address these community concerns Long an industrial area of the city Northern Emeryville is trending residential and many in the city would like to continue this trajectory Emeryville currently is down to two “traditional” auto body shops including Continental on Park Avenue and Boyd’s on Powell St There are several along San Pablo Avenue just outside the city’s borders Some community members have begun to organize against the project and have started a change.org petition citing fears of increased air and noise pollution and risk of battery fires “This center would worsen air quality from paint fumes increase risks of thermal runaway from lithium battery fires creates hazardous waste often illegally disposed locally and strain our limited parking resources,” the petition started by Carlin Dacey argues “The proposed Tesla site threatens neighborhood safety given the site is located across from a senior community center and next to the Emeryville Greenway where children and families recreate everyday.” The item is expected to come back to the Planning Commission at their January 23 The replay of the Public Hearing for the item can be watched below beginning at [13:30] January 9 Update: Tesla abruptly withdrew their application two weeks before it was scheduled to return to the Planning Commission To support such an enterprise is to align with a morally and environmentally dispicable practice that underlines the reason why the accelerating destruction of climate change and global warming which the current fires in Los Angeles illustrate […] E’ville Eye published a story last week detailing issues with the project flagged by the Planning Commission including battery storage The Rotten City Cultural District team is busy prepping for what is thought to be the city’s first dedicated film festival The all-day festival will consist of six thematic blocks of short films covering topics like community resilience It will also feature a block of independent works from local Pixar creators There will be panel discussions with the curators and directors giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions The event will also include film workshops and events in their downstairs gallery space throughout the day Emeryville was selected in 2017 as one of the state’s first California Cultural Districts by the California Arts Council The ambition of these districts is to advance the arts and culture within the state Emeryville branded its district as “The Rotten City Cultural District” which is of course a nod to a quote by former Alameda County District Attorney Earl Warren Warren infamously called the city out as “The Rottenest City on the Pacific Coast” for rampant bootlegging and corruption during the prohibition era the city and local businesses have embraced it throughout the years Emeryville’s “district” differs from the others in that instead of covering a particular neighborhood The designation combines the city’s “Art & Innovation” aspirations spotlighting the city’s vibrant art scene that includes Jered’s Pottery The Compound Gallery and the soon to be open Gallery 4509 It also spotlights the city being home to technological innovators like Pixar Animation Studios and visionaries like Wareham Development This designation has opened up funding opportunities that the city has leveraged to help support new programs In 2024, the city selected ABG Art Group in tandem with District Works to manage programming for the district ABG has led countless other local creative endeavors and have a large portfolio of creative achievements that they have helped bring to life District Works specializes in event management and urban place management The ABG team consists of Co-Directors Sorell Raino-Tsui and Trent Thompson and Director of Business Management Erica Enriquez It’s a bit of a “homecoming” for Raino-Tsui who was born and raised in Emeryville and is the son of noteworthy architect Eugene Tssui) “It’s an exciting opportunity to create connections between artists “We are grateful for the partnership with ABG Art Group and District Works and are confident that their breadth and depth of talents will bring about a transformative experience for both artists and the community at large,” provided City of Emeryville Community & Economic Coordinator Amber Evans The team immediately engaged with various creative groups within the city undertaking a “vision quest” to better understand the unique desires of the Emeryville Artist Community Their initial efforts will be focused on building a sustainable infrastructure for the district as well as branding and promoting it to businesses and residents they’ve hosted artist mixers and fronted a block party They’ve also opened a dedicated space at Bay Street (donated by properties owners CenterCal Properties) that has hosted galleries and helped sell the wares of local artists They’re also working on populating a Database of local artists to help connect the local artist community with resources Their collaborative efforts with the city are slated to run through 2026 This film festival will be their biggest undertaking yet and an ambitious venture for a small city “An inaugural local film festival requires a lot of work,” said ABG Co-Director Trent Thompson “But we hope this will plant the seeds for something enduring that will flourish and be a source of pride for the city for years to come.” Films for the festival are divided into six blocks which include: The “Beyond The Lamplight” block will feature six short films curated by Pixar employee Blake Bauman showcasing what Pixar creatives work on in their free time The “Resistance and Resilience” block will feature stories of Black survival exploring the roots of inequity and the fight for justice. The block will debut the short film Negus In Nature documenting the outdoor adventures of a group of younger Black adventurers who are trying to reconnect with nature Awards at the festival including a “Best of Fest” award for each category selected by a panel of industry professionals as well as an Audience Award to be decided by attendees of event Other supporters of the festival besides the City Of Emeryville include CenterCal Properties and AMC Theaters A ticket for each block of films is $15 with VIP Festival Pass tickets that give you access to all blocks set at $45 Emeryville residents can get a FREE ticket with the promo code “RCCD” (code only works for individual tickets not the festival pass) Stay up to date on all of RCCD’s initiatives by following them on Instagram or subscribing to their newsletter Just asking: I can get one ticket to one film but NOT a whole festival pass to all fims with code RCCD? the code only works on single tickets so if you want to go with a friend/partner it looks like to have to register separately I’m not sure if you can register for all 6 blocks individually I understood the RCCD code gives you a $15 discount to the all day pass however I believe at this time the all day pass is sold out Receive a free item from our E'ville Threads Shop with your support (min. $5/mo. or $50/yr. one year commitment). Prefer to subscribe via Apple Pay or Google Pay? Subscribe to Emeryville’s only dedicated news source. Become a recurring E’ville Eye supporter for as little as $5 per month and get a FREE custom tee or cap (minimum one year commitment). Longfellow facing eviction lawsuit on empty Atrium Labs building. The travails of San Francisco's downtown office market since the end of the pandemic are well known the life science sector in the East Bay is experiencing the malaise of sagging demand and oversupply Emeryville appears to be the epicenter of the East Bay life science downturn with a vacancy rate that topped out at 37.5% in the first quarter of 2024 and held steady at 37% in Q2 The East Bay life science market as a whole where well over 1M SF of square feet of new lab space is nearing delivery posted a vacancy rate of 12.4% in the second quarter Berkeley and Alameda saw a surge in life science development backed by VC funding with close to 2M SF of deliveries between 2022 and 2023 had more than $650M in life science building permit applications between 2021 and 2023 The new development grew the city's inventory to about 1.5M SF the same size as Berkeley's life science sector with another 285K SF of life science space under construction in Emeryville demand has fallen sharply and there are signs of distress According to a lawsuit filed in Alameda County Superior Court this week Boston-based life science developer Longfellow Real Estate Partners has not complied with a lease termination notice from its landlord for a 128K SF building at 1650 65th Street in Emeryville part of a life science campus known as Atrium Labs which entered a four-decade-long ground lease for the property in 2021 with plans to build a 750K SF life science campus has fallen behind on rent payments for the scaled-back campus Longfellow converted an existing office building at the 65th Street site into the lab space The developer also purchased a neighboring property at 6601-6603 Shellmound Street with plans to renovate a 63K SF building into lab space and create a life science campus across the two properties the two renovation projects have been completed Swiss biotech firm Lonza Group signaled interest in leasing 150K SF at the campus in late 2022 Longfellow listed the Shellmound property for sale last month and could be facing eviction from the 65th Street building PSAI is seeking restitution and possession of the property damages totaling $11K per day following the Aug which in 2022 originated a $113M construction loan backed by the property In a statement provided to the Business Times Longfellow said it is "pivoting" on its plan for Atrium Labs and is negotiating with the landlord to modify the terms of the ground lease for the property we have made the strategic decision to pivot on our business plan at the Atrium Labs campus," the statement said "Longfellow and the ground lessor for the 1650 65th Street building are in discussions to modify the terms of the ground lease to ensure the long-term success of the project." "Longfellow remains a big believer in the Bay Area life science and innovation market especially at our existing campuses and projects located between Mission Bay and Palo Alto," the statement said Biomed Realty is building a 1.3M SF life sciences campus in Emeryville now called Emery Yards formerly known as Biomed Innovation Center The first 285K SF of the project has been delivered Other life sciences developers are pulling back from plans for speculative development Chicago-based CA Ventures scrapped plans to build a 350K SF life sciences project in Emeryville / For questions about GlobeSt.com, please call 800-458-1734 (9:00am-5:30pm ET, Monday through Friday, except holidays), or send an email to [email protected] Since our last July post we’ve compiled a roundup of updates on Emeryville’s retail scene an update on the forthcoming Planet Fitness Emeryville will soon be getting a second escape room joining Trivium Games on San Pablo Avenue It was announced in early August that A Red Door Escape Room will be opening at the former Arts Africains space at 5695 Bay Street next to Mumu Hotpot Red Door has locations across eight states CenterCal Properties’ Concord Shopping Center “The Veranda” also has a Red Door Escape Room Escape Rooms have exploded in popularity in recent years and have become popular for corporate team building events Escape Rooms create an immersive environment where groups are challenged to solve cryptic puzzles with hidden clues to escape from a series of rooms within the 60 minute time limit the addition of an Escape Room should help bolster Bay Street’s entertainment options joining the AMC 16 theater but where a Spirit Halloween will set up shop at Bay Street over Halloween season it’s at the former Express Clothing space at 5680 Bay Street Express shuttered in April as part of an announced closure of 100 stores after they filed for bankruptcy. Their sale to WHP Global was approved in June Spirit’s unique business model involves setting up shop for about six weeks between mid-September and Halloween Spirit’s reliance on shuttered businesses has earned it a reputation as being a “bottom-feeder business” and SNL perfectly captured this in a skit in their 50th season premiere First announced back in April the Bay Street MINISO held their grand opening on September 10 MINISO is a Chinese-owned variety store that sells products “inspired” by Japanese design Frequently accused of being a copycat of Muji or Uniqlo stores they specialize in household and consumer goods including cosmetics They also sell the popular Sanrio Hello Kitty products They are located next to the LoveSac at 5653 Bay Street As previously reported the former CVS on San Pablo Ave is slated to become a Planet Fitness This change in use required city approval as their operating permit requested expanded hours This updated permitting was provided in late 2023 They were initially expected to open by the end of 2024 but nearby workers we’ve spoken with have not noticed any construction putting this opening target in doubt they are experiencing delays in getting permits from Alameda County Health [Department],” provided City of Emeryville Planning Division staff noting unspecified “environmental issues” at the site We’ve reached out to PF’s corporate contact as well as the ACH PIO for updates and will update this post if we receive any new information Update: “We can confirm the club in Emeryville is currently scheduled to open in Spring 2025,” Planet Fitness’ PR agency responded to our inquiry “Please note that this is an estimated timeframe for our opening or the opening may be delayed due to unforeseen circumstances such as construction delays or other.” Community members can sign up to receive exclusive updates and offers at planetfitness.com/gyms/emeryville-ca/offers It appears that Footlocker has decided to stay put at Bay Street and construction is underway on a “permanent” space at 5652 Bay Street (previously an Athleta) They originally opened in 2020 in what was called a “seasonal popup.” The location remains open during construction which is expected to be complete in time for the busy holiday season the City of Emeryville and its community have envisioned a thriving Art Center at the corner of Hollis and 40th streets A project meant to solidify the city’s identity as a creative and cultural hub featuring a gallery the project is as far away from reality as when first introduced City leaders met again recently to hear what obstacles were standing in the way of advancing the project and discuss a viable path forward. Probably the most dejecting news revealed was that construction costs have ballooned to nearly four times the originally estimated cost of $14M in 2009 preserving much of its original brick walls and steel beams Dissolution of Redevelopment Agencies by the state in 2011 (upheld in 2012) put the project on ice until 2015 when litigation recouped about $8M of public funds allocated for the project There was some debate over wether CAST’s proposal (Community Arts Stabilization Trust) that included artist housing as an additional revenue stream ODI’s proposal was chosen in large part because it was more focused and did not rely on additional unprocured funding that would help fast-track construction Components of the originally proposed project there was optimism that the project might be completed in 2020 no visible progress was made over the next 16 months The 2020 global pandemic had a dramatic impact on construction costs and after attempts to further amend the project In 2023, after reestablishing the project as a priority for the city, City Council held a study session to discuss viable paths forward The City initiated a new feasibility study to reassess the project’s economic and structural viability This study would consider demolition of the existing structure was thought to be constraining ideas for the space An advisory group composed of stakeholders was assembled and tasked with providing guidance for the project They were unanimous in its recommendation that the center should be comprehensive incorporating all key elements rather than being built in phases or scaled back The item was brought back to council on November 19 2024 to review this feasibility study conducted by LMS Architects in collaboration with Artist Love and J This study provided a detailed cost analysis and raised key considerations about the project’s implementation One of the central outcomes this study was to detail the pros and cons and cost variance of adaptive reuse of the existing building or demolition and new construction on the same site the environmental impact of adaptive reuse versus new construction was relatively comparable The extensive modifications needed to repurpose the structure would require significant intervention and the two decades of decay on the structure likely increased the cost of adaptive reuse new construction would provide greater flexibility in designing a space that fully meets the community’s needs I did not anticipate that we would see numbers that were four times what we had for for the project.” whether through adaptive reuse of the existing building or new construction were significantly higher than initially anticipated Adaptive reuse was estimated to cost between $38 million and $45 million while new construction ranged from $41 million to $46.5 million These figures only accounted for construction costs the total project cost could exceed $50 million far beyond the city’s current $11 million in allocated funding This 63 page feasibility study was presented to council at their November 19 2024 meeting.Community Voices and Alternative IdeasDuring public comment community members weighed in with additional ideas and concerns the lone dissenting vote on ODI’s approval in 2018 reintroduced CAST’s plan of including housing to offset costs “These in effect air rights would help pay for the project The Museum of Modern Art expanded itself by selling air rights.” CAST, along with KALW Public Media, recently acquired the Warfield building on Market Street in SF with the intent of creating an anchor for arts “It’s going to take a lot of imagination to get this done and a lot of drive now think outside of the box when you’re thinking about this one.” Other members of the public urged the city to pursue the new construction option and to contract an outside entity for fundraising as opposed to using city staff resources “It’s a harder pull for cities to do this than a individual nonprofit who has long-term relationships already with these people,” provided advisory committee member and longtime resident After detailing the history of the project outlining key considerations brought forth Community Development Director Chad Smalley tasked council with three key decisions: Then Councilmember John Bauters pointed out the additional seismic risk of retaining the structure as well as possible unforeseen costs of adaptive reuse for recommending demolition of the existing structure but with efforts to retain some of the existing brickwork “To the question about what would provide the greatest flexibility Councilmember Mourra pushed to open up the Capital Funding consultant to looking into a housing component in their funding strategy With council members largely aligned on the path forward the next step will be to retain a fundraising consultant to develop a detailed funding strategy city staff will explore potential partnerships and innovative financing models to close the funding gap Emeryville’s long-awaited Art Center remains an ambitious yet attainable vision the challenge will be balancing financial feasibility with community aspirations the art center has the potential to become a landmark cultural institution that serves as a beacon for creativity and artistic expression in Emeryville for generations to come A video replay from the meeting can be viewed below [6:27 – 57:07] The Citizen App alerted users to a fatal accident in the Emeryville Target Parking lot at about 9:11 p.m streamed from the cabin of a nearby vehicle shows Emergency Service Personnel from the Oakland Fire and Emeryville Police departments expanding a blue crime-scene canopy over a body covered with a yellow emergency blanket Nearby is a white Ford F-150 truck with its front hood popped Yellow caution tape is strewn between trees Fatal Accident at Target @CitizenApp one commenter on the video noted that the deceased may have been working on the white truck when it ran him over A bystander administered chest compressions Another commenter described him as an older African-American male this would likely be classified as an “accidental death.” The location of the incident appears to be in the southern area of the lot along Mandela Parkway The Shopping Center is on the border of Oakland and Emeryville but jurisdiction generally falls with Emeryville 11/5 Update: The Emeryville Police confirmed the incident through a press release calling it a “Fatal Solo Vehicle Collision.” Emeryville Police Officers responded to Target after Oakland Fire and Falck Paramedics responded to the location for a vehicle collision that ran over the driver Officers arrived and found a white Ford F150 truck that appeared to have run over the driver who was working on it in the parking lot however the driver succumbed to his injuries The coroner responded and took possession of the deceased The driver has been identified as a 63-year-old male from Oakland but his name is being withheld pending next of kin notification by the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office 11/8 Update: The county coroner identified the victim as Willie T If anyone has any information regarding this incident please contact the EmeryvillePolice Department’s Criminal Investigations Section at (510) 596-3700 Some major news has broken regarding the BioMed Realty “Emery Yards” campus that has sat vacant since its recent completion A glut in Life Science space had given concern to when the project might begin to see occupancy and activation it was revealed that the site will not lease to Life Science tenants but will instead become a new medical center Sutter Health has announced plans for a transformative new $1 Billion, 1.3 million sq. ft. Emeryville medical campus. The 12-acre site is centered around 53rd Street between Hollis and Horton. “Our Emeryville campus project represents one of the most significant investments we’re making across our system over the next decade,” said Warner Thomas, president and CEO of Sutter Health.  “[This campus] is part of our broader vision to meet the community’s growing demand for expanded access to our services across the East Bay footprint.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sutter Health (@sutterhealth) Sutter unveiled plans to construct its flagship East Bay campus that will feature a regional destination ambulatory care complex and a new medical center with an initial capacity of up to 200 beds and room for future expansion The space was previously home to pioneering Biotech firm Cetus, followed by Chiron who were next acquired by Swiss-owned Novartis before selling to BioMed Realty in 2019. Approved in 2021 as The Emeryville Center of Innovation the project was later rebranded as “Emery Yards.” The existing Legoretta building and the newly constructed tower at 5555 Hollis Street will accommodate a combined 530,000 sq Parking will be provided at the existing 1,992-space parking garage on Horton Street The Emeryville expansion will eventually replace acute care services at the Alta Bates Ashby campus that the Health Care giant has considered closing instead of renovating to meet seismic safety requirements Berkeley officials have expressed concern about the impact a closure would have on local residents Newly elected state Senator and former Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín expressed satisfaction that care for local residents will not be overly disrupted as the new Emeryville Medical Center will be less than 3 miles from this Ashby campus “I am excited that Sutter Health is continuing its commitment to healthcare access for the East Bay region with this new medical center,” Arreguín said in the included release The Ashby campus will instead be “reimagined” to encompass an ambulatory surgery center The new medical center will be built at the vacant site at Horton and 53rd initially included as Phase 3 of the Emery Yards project Detailed plans for this part of the project have not been unveiled, but original entitlements for the parcel included a 200 ft. tower leftover from the Chiron days medical center will accommodate up to 200 hospital beds and is slated to include labor and delivery and additional space for future bed expansion “This plan ensures our East Bay patients have seamless access to the full spectrum of Sutter’s integrated services—from primary and specialty outpatient care to imaging and inpatient services at the new Sutter Emeryville campus,” said Arzou Ahsan president and CEO of Sutter East Bay Medical Group “We are thrilled that Sutter Health has chosen Emeryville for its new $1 billion flagship medical campus,” provied new Emeryville City Manager LaTanya Bellow “This transformative investment will not only enhance access to high-quality healthcare for our residents but also create new jobs and economic opportunities for our community Emeryville is proud to support a project of this scale which aligns with our vision for innovation and sustainable growth We look forward to partnering with Sutter Health to bring this world-class facility to life.” This change in use for “medical campus with acute and ambulatory uses” will require additional entitlements through the city with Planning Commission and City Council approval in the form of amendments to the Planned Unit Development applicable to these properties and associated environmental review The targeted opening for the new medical center is between 2032 and 2033 Read the full press release on SutterHealth.org I’m hoping for detailed traffic studies around this very wonderful project mainly because the developer converted 53rd Street from a nice wide street that could have handled the types of vehicles expected around a medical center to a narrow street with no room even for temporary parking Actually the design/idea of narrowing the streets came from Emeryville Public Works team Hopefully the added foot traffic can lead to more restaurants and cafes opening in the surrounding area Sounds wonderful for the city and our community But I do wonder how it jives with the traffic modifications that have been recently completed and/or are underway — creating artificial bottlenecks and dead-ends for automobile and truck traffic is the opposite of what any functional medical center would need We ought to find ways to open the city up for positive developments like this AND keep it safe for pedestrian and bicycle traffic In this edition of our Bi-Weekly newsletter we share six stories relevant to Emeryville that you may have missed including: The Café Rack/Ohana Cannabis dispensary was “ram-raided” again on December 18 “Ram-Raiding” (also called “Crash-and-grab”) is where a typically stolen car is used as a battering ram to gain entry to a business Nike Store (shuttered) and the former MedMen dispensary have all been the victim of similar style robberies Nirvana has since installed a bollard in front of their entrance and its likely we’ll see more of these installed in front of businesses that are frequent targets of these crimes the value of the lost goods pales in comparison to the damages inflicted on their storefronts and ensuing insurance claims The issue has gotten so bad, the San Leandro GameStop opted to close for good after being a victim These crimes are not an official crime category tracked by the EPD and would likely fall under commercial burglaries and considered property crimes if caught (likely a misdemeanor if no guns are involved). The recent passage of Prop 36 will make the third offense of this type of crime a felony and likely come with prison time California Governor Gavin Newsom made a stop in Oakland on December 27 announcing his office would be extending the stay of CHP in the area to help the efforts of local law enforcement Newsom also advocated that the City of Oakland revisit their police pursuit policy that prevents the OPD from chasing these thieves in many instances. This change in policy would require a vote by the city’s powerful Police Commission who have so far been reluctant to address this Four new Public Art Murals have debuted within Emeryville in December adding to the city’s robust collection. The murals are part of the city’s Art in Public Places program and paid for by the City’s Visual Arts Grant program the Emery Yards plaza ground mural on Horton Street was recently completed Artist Mila Moldenhawer (AKA @dadadoodles on instagram) used the same color palette as the adjacent Legorreta building. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mɪʟᴀ (@dadadoodles) The City of Emeryville went on a “bike rack blitz” over the holiday installing new inverted U racks around town Included in the installs were appropriate blue & green bows to commemorate the holiday The nearly 100 bicycle racks that will be installed in December and January are part of Emeryville‘s Sustainable Streetscapes Program Locations of these new racks that we’ve documented thus far include: A complete list of bike racks within the city can be viewed on this map. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Chuck Ragan (@chuckragan) Americana music artist Chuck Ragan took to Instagram to alert his fanbase that his gear had been stolen while touring Him and his band were staying at the Sonesta Hotel across from Bay Street on December 15 “After our show last night in San Francisco at Brick & Mortar we stayed in Emeryville CA at the Sonesta Hotel in their secured parking lot Sometime between midnight and early this morning our vehicle was broken into and our gear stolen,” Ragan provided “Unfortunately the hotel has no cameras in their lot and weren’t much of any help.” Ragan listed a variety of instruments including guitars drum-kits and amplification equipment among the stolen items Fortunately, the band launched a GoFundMe and were able to recoup nearly $10K for new gear to continue their tour For those curious what being in Emeryville looked like a century ago, the 1924 silent film “Greed” contains scenes shot in Emeryville as well as Oakland and San Francisco Written and directed by Austrian-born director and screenwriter Erich von Stroheim the film contains a 5:45 segment filmed at the former Shell Mound Park in Emeryville as well as along the bay front goes to Shell Mound Park (renamed “Schutzen Park” in the film) with the family of friend Marcus Schouler for “Washington’s Birthday.” The scene was filmed during the Prohibition years the year before the park closed The scene shows the group waiting at Oakland’s 34th Street Station for a train participating in the park’s shooting range Another scene is filmed of the couple walking from the station along a sewer line trail along the bay front was said to be nearly 8 hours long but edited down to two and a half hours at the request of the studio Both the 2.5-hour and a recreated 4-hour version are readily available on YouTube Films are under copyright protection for 95 years before entering the public domain For over 30 years, ECAP (Emeryville Citizens Assistance Program) has provided food, clothing, and essential services, serving more than 10,000 families each month. This holiday season more than 100 volunteers prepared and distributed 2,500 meals to homeless encampments in Oakland which has become a post-Christmas annual tradition as volunteers like Mary Maultsby-Jeffrey and Jamie Zuromski emphasize that homelessness often stems from mental health struggles and that showing care for the unhoused helps remind them they are not forgotten ECAP has been temporarily operating out of a location in West Oakland in anticipation of the completion of their permanent home that is expected to be completed in 2025 your publication is great but the giant ad for public market will not go away leaving only a small sliver to try to read the copy It makes the process of trying to read the news very annoying We promised Tuesday would be “Political Theater” in Emeryville … and it delivered for those that enjoy these theatrics The nearly three-hour meeting to discuss the censure of Councilmember Kalimah Priforce was filled with anger and emotion from both sides of the argument As detailed in our Monday story the resolution was brought forth by 2024 Mayor Courtney Welch in response to some alleged infractions by Priforce While none of these infractions individually rise to the level of being censured painting the picture of someone who considers themselves unaccountable to the rules and regulations that come with holding political office Welch and her allies have asserted that this was not retribution for Priforce’s persistent opposition to their preferred policy choices or him publicly campaigning against them and other criticisms “I understand the great interest in this meeting this will not become a circus,” Welch warned the crowd prior to the kick-off of the discussion laying down the ground rules for the evening by discouraging interrupting and other disruptive behavior Welch may have overplayed her hand if she thought she could squeeze this item through during a post-general election malaise amid the kickoff of the December holiday season Priforce was able to rally his supporters to turn out and advocate on his behalf and was greeted to applause The recent election’s outcome may have fueled the left wing/Green Party end of the political spectrum and they seemed prepared for a fight Members of the left wing are known for turning out A bit of Intrigue was added to the public comment portion of the meeting when organizers of the successful recall of D.A Pamela Price recall turned out in support of Priforce’s Censure Victims’ rights advocate Brenda Grisham and County Supervisor candidate Chris Moore were both in attendance as well as other key figures of SAFE which is a pro-public safety organization leading a backlash against left wing politicians in the East Bay You have disrespected 374,000 citizens of Alameda County … You should be censured!” noting her observation of bias in the matter made a personal plea to Welch and Bauters to drop the censure Many other members of the public spoke glowingly about Priforce and his willingness to listen to them respond to their inquiries and even go out of his way to help them A mother recounted how Councilmember Priforce’s support inspired her to form a parent-teacher association after her child faced bullying and inadequate responses from local institutions “I don’t know about this political stuff,” she said tearfully “but he has motivated me to fight for my kids.” Following the conclusion of Public comment Council deliberated starting with Vice Mayor David Mourra who will likely be stepping into the Mayoral role in 2025 member Priforce is very passionate and his words clearly resonate with many people Member Priforce’s actions do not match his words,” Mourra read “The ethical violations described in the resolution are factual and quite serious The behavior described is corrosive to the function of this council and the government of this city Member Priforce is fond of talking about how open and transparent he is who is giving money to you for political purposes how your are spending it — as we are all required to do by law That’s what we all signed up for — This is not open It casts a shadow when he votes on items before this council This is a basic concept to prevent political corruption that I’m sure everybody in this room can actually agree with I implore Member Priforce to match his actions to his words and provide the information being sought by the FPPC investigation so that this council can carry on the city’s business without further distractions.” It casts a shadow when he votes on items before this council.” Councilmember Kaur gave Priforce an out saying she would consider rejecting the censure if she had assurance that he would commit to filing his FPPC forms within 30 days Mayor Welch used the opportunity to call out what she considered hypocrisy in those that have called for campaign finance transparency in things they disagree with “I’m very surprised to hear the tide has changed towards being transparent and compliant about financial contributions to campaigns because we heard a few people bring up financial contributions to campaigns,” likely referring to money going to support Bauters’ campaign from Police Unions & Landlord groups “I think what I am hoping to hear tonight is some accountability from council member Priforce for the things that the Mayor has outlined in her notice for this event,” Bauters spoke when his turn “I have not heard facts stated that contradict the things that the mayor has alleged.” Priforce unconventionally spoke from behind the speaker podium instead of the chamber dais as if it was a campaign event speaking for over 30 minutes Priforce grilled City Attorney John Kennedy as if he was a prosecutor and Kennedy was on trial Priforce also distributed an “evidence packet” to the crowd that details information that he asserts vindicates him and spotlights some of Welch’s attack tweets portraying her as a hypocrite Priforce argued vehemently and seemingly threatened the city with legal action “Just think about the people of Emeryville for once and then you have the audacity to put us in some sort of legal jeopardy So I dare you!” Priforce screamed slamming his packet on the speakers lectern “I dare you to censor and sanction me and then say to the people of Emeryville that you’re thinking about them I dare you to censor and sanction me and then say to the people of Emeryville that you’re thinking about them has become a bit of a villain to the left wing post-election when the spotlight was shone on him This evening is unlikely to change this perception Bauters made a bit of a shocking and unprecedented amendment in the end seemingly adding a “parting shot” to his ongoing beef with Priforce by asking that a copy of the resolution be sent to every household in the city The resolution passed 4-1 with Priforce dissenting. Per the sanctions outlined in the resolution Priforce will now be required to relinquish his positions on city committees and regional boards Priforce becomes the first councilmember in the city to be censured since Ken Bukowski in 2010 who also faced campaign violations as well as admitted drug use and other issues Priforce thanked his supporters in a social media post for turning out for him adding that he would began a hunger strike and continuing his push for an independent Public Ethics Commission Priforce noted that he would end his hunger strike when this petition garnered 1000 signatures Thanks for being there to report on this so we don’t have to suffer through three hours of this The statement by Vice Mayor Mourra is very well done Absolute clown show from both sides last night More of the same nonsensical rants from Priforce that he normally spews at the regular council meetings He lies nonstop and doesn’t get called out because it’s such an overwhelming stream of BS It’s a very Trump-like style but masked with progressive keywords like “equity” etc Hopefully the people of Emeryville can see through his con Councilperson Priforce’s tactic offered ample testament of his personal appeal and creativity but NOTHING at all in terms of the business of the city and the responsibilities of a councilperson his performance and personal histrionics – as well as those of his screeching and sometimes foulmouthed – supporters – required the valuable time of multiple police officers and the police chief to ensure that the meeting was somewhat safe for all If Priforce didn’t explain how he felt he didn’t need to fulfill the obligations of a city council person on the one hand offer a complete education in creative theatrical performance that amply demonstrated why Oakland and Berkeley can’t solve their most important issues when one city council meeting after another is disrupted by staged chaos There he offered a performance that educated us all It was a personal witch-hunt by an outgoing member It feels like Emeryville is turning into Salem MA circa 1692 Sad because the city is starting to suffer and property value is falling but this is what they are worried about more than enough to keep up with population growth Bay Area home values have risen everywhere — except in this city https://www.sfchronicle.com/realestate/article/emeryville-home-value-city-19934696.php Property value is not falling because of the censure condo market is taking a hit because of the sky high interest rates and Emeryville has many condos The difference in mortgage between a 2.5% rate from a few years ago and a 6.75% interest rate now could mean at least $1000 more per months That’s why a condo that used to sell for $700,000 may now only sell for $600,000 Homeowners are paying more in mortgage still even if the sales price is lower than a few years ago Emeryville is SUCCEEDING in providing new housing Everyone else is FAILING and so their demand remains extremely constrained and prices remain high Priforce noted that he would end his hunger strike when this petition garnered 1000 signatures he wouldn’t need to use a hunger strike as a prop is Evilleeye going to report on the actual allegations He’s great in person but doesn’t seem to care about working with people to get anything done It doesn’t help that he would rather spend his time irritating the other council members instead of trying to get support for what he says he wants to do As an example he persistently says he wants to strengthen tenant protections but is never specific about what he actually wants to do I believe the other council members would be in support of this if he could verbalize it and propose it in an actual policy but he doesn’t He’d rather play the role of agitator and “hacktivist” (whatever the hell that is) Lots of damage and diversion and ZERO attention to the duties and responsibilities of a council person He is smart and obviously has an agenda that foments chaos and damage – and to what end For what reason/s is he targeting the city with this agenda and behavior Maybe that would work for him in some cities The evidence packet Priforce assembled is wild It’s a compilation showing him as a council member wasting city resources He wanted the city manager to step in to serve essentially as a nanny because Priforce couldn’t stand Sam Gould’s critical public comments Priforce has criticized in actually damaging manners toward every other council member I thought the focus on Sam Gould was extremely odd and petty Actually sort of freaked me out that he would go after someone who seems mostly to be a private citizen at this point since he doesn’t sit on the council I thought showed Priforce as pretty weak from a character standpoint The city council handled themselves very well along with the city attorney Their points made sense and none of the (very strange) grandstanding from Priforce changes the facts Priforce is not equipped for the role he finds himself in He needs to get educated quickly on what city councils are supposed to do and how they accomplish those goals if he’s going to get any good results from his time on the council Otherwise he’s a distraction and a blocker and he should pursue his personal grievances elsewhere Anyone else think that if Brian Donahue doesn’t want to be called a fuck boy he should stop acting like a fuck boy That guy is unhinged and his antics are getting extremely tiresome Courtney needs to get it together and act more professionally That can be true AND it can also be true that Brian acts like he’s the only resident of Emeryville and he makes city council meetings so toxic that I suspect he prevents many folks from feeling comfortable attending That is massively unfair to everyone else that isn’t Brian Donahue Founded in 2021 by Professor Charize “Cha” Apostol Misfit Combat Emeryville is on a mission to provide a safe and inclusive space for folks of all ages and backgrounds to learn practical self-defense and combat sports the gym actively welcomes people who might not feel included at traditional gyms Misfit Combat began as a small training group in a garage. By June 2023, it had expanded into a fully equipped training facility at the Vue46 Condominiums on 46th and Adeline. Prior to founding Misfit, Cha worked at nearby Head of Heels Athletic Arts. Classes are offered six or seven days a week for both children and adults in a range of martial arts disciplines, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, kickboxing, boxing, strength & fitness, and self-defense. All classes focus on fundamental skills and most are open to folks new to martial arts; there are also abundant opportunities for more advanced practitioners to develop competitive skills. Misfit Combat is guided by a diverse team of skilled coaches. Apostol has an extensive martial arts background as an IBJJF World No Gi Champion and a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Many of Misfit’s instructors have competition wins under their belts; some have professional backgrounds in gymnastics and dance. Each brings their unique background and expertise to emphasize technical growth while fostering a welcoming atmosphere. Misfit Combat proves that rigorous, high-level martial arts training and inclusivity are not mutually exclusive. Professor Cha understands firsthand the ways in which combat sports have historically been exclusionary. “We had a lot of trans and nonbinary friends who were also being discriminated against. So we thought—let’s make a space for all of us.” To ensure that Misfit would feel welcoming to everyone, Apostol and her team developed community guidelines that promote respect and consent. All members are encouraged to engage in open communication to create an environment of trust. These guidelines create a welcoming space for those who respect the community and ensure that harmful behavior is not tolerated. As Apostol boldly puts it, Misfit is a very inclusive space ‘unless someone is going to be an a-hole to anyone in class.’ View this post on Instagram A post shared by Misfit Combat (@misfitcombat) Recognizing the discrimination that trans and nonbinary people in particular face in the current political climate Misfit Combat has introduced a Queer Combat class on Fridays at 7 PM that is free to the public “That class draws 20 to 30 people,” Apostol notes “It’s a great place to meet people and learn but it’s also about building community self-defense Apostol shows that self-defense extends beyond individual safety “There are different kinds of self-defense,” she explains “It’s not just about someone mugging you in the street It’s also about dealing with domestic abuse or being harassed as a group We touch on all of that.” By teaching members how to support one another in real-world scenarios and by integrating martial arts with mutual aid Misfit Combat creates a space where community safety is a shared responsibility Through its intentional focus on inclusion Misfit Combat is reshaping the landscape of martial arts Apostol and her team aren’t just teaching people how to fight; they are cultivating a space where combat sports serve as a tool for empowerment and a foundation for community resilience The gym challenges the traditional martial arts culture that often prioritizes dominance and aggression over respect and collaboration kindness isn’t a weakness—it’s a force to be reckoned with Misfit offers flexible pricing including day-passes More information including their schedule, enrollment and costs can be found on their website and disability studies at Dominican University of California women’s disability literature from the mid to late 19th century