Why isn't Emeryville more built up? (Oakland, Hayward: apartments, condos, earthquake)

[checkup]

Relatively new to the Bay Area...was wondering why Emeryville isn't more developed? It's right beside the Bay Bridge on the East Bay side, so it has good proximity to SF and would be a good launch point to the rest of the East Bay and Oakland. It's also scenic, right beside the Bay with views of SF and the East Bay hills.

Yet, it's sparsely populated (only 10k residents), and there's lots of unused or underused land. I know they've built apartments and condos recently, but I'm surprised it wasn't already heavily built up, with tons of high rises. Not sure why it's also not quickly moving in that direction given rents and prices in SF right now...or in the past

Same question about West Oakland

[04kL4nD]

Actually, it is pretty built up. It's mostly commercial. I think you underestimate how small of an area it covers.

[Gentoo]

Emeryville is very built up for it's size. It's only two square miles or so. it was once all industrial, almost rust belt like with some lower income residents, a few of which are still there. The market place, shopping centers and the location of the train station were once all factories and heavy industry buildings. It was important for the railroad companies. Now the Marina isn't going to be built up because, well, it's a marina.

[18Montclair]

Haha...when I was a kid Emeryville was shipping containers and piles of old tires...it has come a long way,

[Gentoo]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

Haha...when I was a kid Emeryville was shipping containers and piles of old tires...it has come a long way,

Yep pretty much

[rkwalton]

Because it's building up now. It was mostly industrial before.

[DocGoldstein]

Emeryville isn't built up?

[capoeira]

Originally Posted by checkup

I know they've built apartments and condos recently, but I'm surprised it wasn't already heavily built up, with tons of high rises.

Tons of high rises? That area is near the Hayward fault which is due for a big earthquake any day now. The average interval between major earthquakes on that fault is 150 years and the last major earthquake on the Hayward fault was in 1868. Emeryville is in a liquefaction area. Building a high rise in a liquefaction area is a very bad idea.

"all of Alameda and Emeryville fall into the liquefaction areas."

Quake maps show shaky East Bay soil / Risk of 'liquefaction' in north Alameda County

[Ruth4Truth]

Originally Posted by checkup

Relatively new to the Bay Area...was wondering why Emeryville isn't more developed? It's right beside the Bay Bridge on the East Bay side, so it has good proximity to SF and would be a good launch point to the rest of the East Bay and Oakland. It's also scenic, right beside the Bay with views of SF and the East Bay hills.

Yet, it's sparsely populated (only 10k residents), and there's lots of unused or underused land. I know they've built apartments and condos recently, but I'm surprised it wasn't already heavily built up, with tons of high rises. Not sure why it's also not quickly moving in that direction given rents and prices in SF right now...or in the past

Same question about West Oakland

It used to be an industrial area, and only began to be converted to residential and commercial about 20 years ago. Development has to work around the train tracks and other permanent installations.

Since you're new to the area, you might get a book on the history of the Bay, to see how the towns developed, read about the project to fill in the Bay (Berkeley had planned to extend its area by 1/3, into the Bay), the movement to "Save the Bay", etc., so that you're better acquainted with the region, the seismography, soil stability issues as they affect development, and so forth. You'll have a better understanding of the area you're beginning to call home.

[sonarrat]

I'm more curious about why the Coyote Valley isn't developed. They've been pushing the boundaries of Santa Teresa ever so slowly and gradually, but there's still miles and miles of Monterey Road where nothing much is going on. If Emeryville was old tires and shipping containers, the Coyote Valley is old tires and wrecked cars.