Oakland Projects and Business Development (San Jose: crime, homes, layoffs)

[18Montclair]

This is a truly fantastic turn of events.

Void left in Oakland by APL quickly filled by others

Tower at 1111Broadway has seen its vacancy problem go away
By George Avalos
Oakland Tribune
Posted: 06/24/2010 03:57:12 PM PDT
Updated: 06/25/2010 06:49:04 AM PDT

Nearly all of the 115,000 square feet in an Oakland tower that had been abandoned by American President Lines has been filled, a remarkable turnaround for the downtown office market.

Fast-growing Solar Millennium has struck a deal to move from Berkeley to the Oakland office building, and Geosyntec, an engineering consulting firm, will relocate from another site downtown a few blocks away.

When American President Lines disclosed in late 2008 that it would defect from Oakland, shift 340 jobs out of the East Bay, and leave several floors empty in the office building, the prospects looked forbidding for the local market.

Since then, companies employing at least 330 workers — nearly all of them from cities outside Oakland — have moved, or signed leases to move, into the 1111 Broadway tower.

"This is a nice turnaround for the downtown market," said Joel Maimon, a Cornish & Carey commercial realty broker who arranged the deal to move Solar Millennium into the Oakland building.

What's more, 85 percent of the sublease space in the building is now occupied. All that's left is just under 18,000 square feet of sublease offices on the second floor of the project. That might not last long, either.
"There is interest in that space as well," Maimon said.

Even more jobs could materialize in downtown Oakland as a result of the most recent two deals. Solar Millennium rented 22,000 square feet on the fifth floor Geosyntec rented 22,000 square feet on the sixth floor. Both companies said the spaces they are taking will enable them to expand if they choose to do so.


Solar Millennium will move 50 employees to the 1111 Broadway building in mid-July, said Bill Keegan, a spokesman for Chicago-based Solar Trust of America, the principal owner of Solar Millennium.

Over the next several months, Solar Millennium will likely hire more workers at its new headquarters in downtown Oakland...

Void left in Oakland by APL quickly filled by others - Inside Bay Area

1111 Broadway is a gorgeous building.

http://www.loopnet.com/Attachments/4...A457D412__.JPG

Its located across the street from the systemwide HQ of the University of California and the Clorox World HQ

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3110/...a0dc144a_b.jpg

[jade408]

Originally Posted by bellalunatic

Has anyone here been to BocaNova yet in JLS??? An old friend of mine is one of the founding chefs....curious to hear reviews!

Went for desserts and drinks. Great space and the chocoalte bread pudding was AMAZING. And my vigin drink was good too. Planning a trip for dinner. Went to Chop Bar this week near JLS. It was really good!

[18Montclair]

Oakland's Class A Office Space Lease Rates Reaches Parity with SF

People often think Oakland is automatically and consistently less expensive than San Francisco, but that’s not exactly how the dynamic between the two cities works.

San Francisco tends to experience major spikes and dips in vacancy when the economy heats up or cools down, as it has of late.

Oakland’s market is much less temperamental. At 12.43 percent vacancy in downtown Oakland, the market is not hot by any means, but what many experts consider decent.


Read more: Oakland and SF Class A lease rates tied - San Francisco Business Times

Very interesting.

[jade408]

wow! Who knew. Only in SF to non-profits get nice digs when the economy tanks.

[ssmaster]

the owners of the new bars, condos,apts and restaurants in old oakland really try to make this a fun area.


Thursday June 03 - October 21 (5:30 to 9:00pm)
Thursday Night Live in The New Old Oakland
Music
Thursday Night Live Concert Series is a free concert the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, June-October featuring some of the Bay Area's finest Live Salsa. TNL features a street Margarita and Beer garden, Salsa dance lesson prior to each performance, held by Club One and a Kid's Art Zone by Mocha.
http://www.ibabuzz.com/outtakes/2010...n-old-oakland/

[lmk1707]

Originally Posted by ssmaster

the owners of the new bars, condos,apts and restaurants in old oakland really try to make this a fun area.


Thursday June 03 - October 21 (5:30 to 9:00pm)
Thursday Night Live in The New Old Oakland
Music
Thursday Night Live Concert Series is a free concert the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month, June-October featuring some of the Bay Area's finest Live Salsa. TNL features a street Margarita and Beer garden, Salsa dance lesson prior to each performance, held by Club One and a Kid's Art Zone by Mocha.
http://www2.oaklandnet.com/Events/index.htm#

Rad, thanks for the info! Also, I wasn't able to view it at that link, but here's another: http://www.eastbayexpress.com/ebx/thursday-night-live/Event?oid=1852209

There are outdoor movie events going on also:

THE OUTDOOR MOVIE SCHEDULE (location is Regeneration Church parking lot on corner of E.15th St. & 3rd Ave.)
Saturday, July 31st (Movie: Edward Scissorhands)
Saturday, August 28th (Movie: TBA...maybe either The Dark Knight or Jurassic Park or In America)
Saturday, September 25th (Movie: either Galaxy Quest or possibly if we can manage it, How To Tame Your Dragon if it is available by then)[/SIZE]

[ZhugeLiang]

Originally Posted by Mr. Fantastic

It's going to be on Jefferson St?

Only 4 blocks down, is one of the most dangerous areas of Oakland.

lol wut?

I realize you're from Mission Viejo, but you cannot possibly have become that suburbified.

[tstieber]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

2 blips on Jack London Square



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A little late in replying to this, but Bittersweet previously closed its Danville store too. It was a beautiful shop in a beautiful shopping center, but the center is off the beaten path, and I don't think chocolate is a big seller in 95-degree heat and the types of people out there watching their figures. A little surprised about SF, but the rents must be insane.

Still, how can they continue to open stores when they lose others?

[jade408]

The one in Rockridge is always busy, I think it'll do well there. It is close to the Blue Bottle Cafe, and the JLS neighborhood needs a few more places to relax. Bittersweet tends to do well where there is a lot of pedestrian traffic all day.

[Mr. Fantastic]

Originally Posted by ZhugeLiang

lol wut?

I realize you're from Mission Viejo, but you cannot possibly have become that suburbified.

I own homes in many different counties, cities, and states. I even own a 1,400 Square Foot, 2 bedroom apartment in Manhattan.

Oakland is by far the most dirty, crime filled, wreck of a city I've ever seen. Dellums couldn't run a lemonade stand, let alone a city.

Just watch what happens in the next 6 months when 1/3 of the police force disappears.