Oakland Projects and Business Development (San Francisco, Berkeley: 2013, apartment complex, schools)

[WesternGulf]

Originally Posted by jade408

The Broadway corridor is ideal for a streetcar because:
1. it is under-utilized
2. It is well served by all forms of transit transit: buses, BART, freeway
3. It would connect Downtown and Uptown with the already established Piedmont Ave area to form a contiguous strip
4. It is ideal for the smart growth plans
5. It is centrally located and a great location for a retail district

Although the Grand corridor is well connected to downtown, I agree it needs more transit options. But it feels pretty contiguous compared with the Broadway corridor.

I agree northern Broadway needs something along with Jack London but having a streetcar running above the existing BART tracks seems like a waste. If anything, a streetcar is needed for the heavily populated Oakland areas such as Piedmont Avenue/north Broadway, Grand Lake and Jack London that need better accessibility to BART. Also the MacArthur stretch to serve Glenview, Laurel and Dimond. I always thought BART would be better served on the 580 through Oakland than the 880 through Oakland.

[jade408]

Originally Posted by WesternGulf

I agree northern Broadway needs something along with Jack London but having a streetcar running above the existing BART tracks seems like a waste. If anything, a streetcar is needed for the heavily populated Oakland areas such as Piedmont Avenue/north Broadway, Grand Lake and Jack London that need better accessibility to BART. Also the MacArthur stretch to serve Glenview, Laurel and Dimond. I always thought BART would be better served on the 580 through Oakland than the 880 through Oakland.

It was intentional that BART is along 880, away from the "rich people's homes." The same reason trucks are not allowed on 580 through all of Oakland.

[18Montclair]

That's actually a massive amount of money

Voros: Feds betting $3.7 billion on Oakland solar firms - San Jose Mercury News

[jade408]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

That's actually a massive amount of money

Voros: Feds betting $3.7 billion on Oakland solar firms - San Jose Mercury News

Wow! I wonder what the trickle down economics for that would be.

[18Montclair]

The Ellington appears to be doing well...
For Values and Views, San Franciscans Looking East - Business Wire - SunHerald.com (http://www.sunherald.com/2011/04/21/3045248/for-values-and-views-san-franciscans.html - broken link)

[Parti Rhinocéros]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

The Ellington appears to be doing well...
For Values and Views, San Franciscans Looking East - Business Wire - SunHerald.com (http://www.sunherald.com/2011/04/21/3045248/for-values-and-views-san-franciscans.html - broken link)

Good trend, to be sure. There's quite a bit more buyer activity right now.

We had a property (Exploring 311 Wayne Avenue «) priced at $995,000 sell WAY over listing and really quickly.

Good thing for Oakland.

[Stephen1110]

"The Oakland Zoo is on the verge of getting approval for a decades-old dream to build an exhibit to celebrate California's native wildlife and terrain."

"The 45-acre zoo would expand uphill, taking 56 more acres, a quarter of which would be filled with buildings and exhibits."

"It would feature exhibits on California grizzlies, American bison, wolves and jaguars - all of which are regionally extinct. It would also have animals that once were threatened but are now recovering, like California condors, mountain lions and black bears."

Within the new addition, 40 acres would be undeveloped and dedicated to preserving native grasses and re-introducing native plants that are locally extinct. What makes the project even more special, said zoo Director Joel Parrott, is that the conservation message and exhibits would be combined with "a spectacular view of the San Francisco Bay."

"With the completion of this project, the Oakland Zoo is expected to be the third largest in the state, smaller than only San Diego and Los Angeles."

Oakland CA zoo plan - environmentalists see irony

[Stephen1110]

"Do the mayors of Oakland, San Jose, South San Francisco, West Sacramento and Watsonville have anything in common? Quite a bit when it comes supporting and growing regional exports through the Port of Oakland."

"Exports have already outpaced imports at the port, and the elected leaders pledged at Friday's Northern California MegaRegion Summit to share their ideas and cooperation to try and double the amount of cargo moving through the port by 2015, and in the process cement the region's role as a global competitor for trade and jobs."

For his part, Reed said despite his city's size and importance as the heart of technology, Oakland and its port play a very important role in Silicon Valley's competitiveness.
"We are tremendously dependent on Oakland for our trade," he said. "Ninety-five percent of the marketplace (for our technology) is overseas. If we are going to be competitive, we have to export."

MegaRegion Summit draws mayors, business leaders - San Jose Mercury News

[18Montclair]

Originally Posted by Parti Rhinocéros

Good trend, to be sure. There's quite a bit more buyer activity right now.

We had a property (Exploring 311 Wayne Avenue «) priced at $995,000 sell WAY over listing and really quickly.

Good thing for Oakland.

Yes indeed.

[jade408]

Another new restaurant this week in Oakland.
Health food, fast at Berlyn's Eatery.

Preview Berlyn's Eatery of Oakland | The Feast