Jack London Sq to get developer's makeover

Square set for $300M makeover
Oakland council paves the way for 'world-class' Jack London project; neighbors not convinced

By Paul T. Rosynsky
STAFF WRITER, Oakland Tribune

Thursday, June 17, 2004 - OAKLAND -- The City Council has blessed a "historic," $300 million makeover of Jack London Square that officials expect will spur long-awaited redevelopment.

Late Tuesday, the council unanimously voted to give development firm Ellis Partners almost everything it wants to build a "world-class" waterfront.

"This is a turning point in the economic development of the city," said Councilman Danny Wan (Grand Lake-Chinatown). "It is historic, and I'm very happy and glad to be on the council that votes on this project."

The nine-building project will include a mix of retail businesses and offices, a centerpiece market hall and possibly a movie theater and 250-room hotel.

The San Francisco-based developer will have 15 years to complete the project and, for the most part, will not need future city approval to do so.

Building uses can be changed by the developer without additional city review, and only two buildings must be built within the first eight years of the deal. Ellis Partners said construction could begin as soon as September, when it hopes to begin restoring 66 Franklin St.

Council members said those concessions were worth it to give Ellis Partners flexibility. They also said the firm's partners are trustworthy and have already made compromises to ease concerns of the neighborhood.

"This is a big experiment for us," said Councilmember Jean Quan (Montclair-Laurel). "This is a little bit like a marriage. We are putting a little trust into this, and I appreciate the balance and the compromise."

In the months preceding the council's vote, Ellis Partners made several concessions in hopes of satisfying concerned residents who wanted assurances the project would be built as promised.

Ellis Partners reduced the total office space initially sought and agreed to bring all building designs back to the city for review.

The developer will now have three deadlines during the 15-year agreement. Ellis also agreed to have at least 60 percent of its food outlets owned by regional and local firms rather than national chains.

In addition, Ellis Partners agreed to give residents a larger say in how a proposed parking garage in front of the Amtrak station will look. But it will not have to change the mass or height of the structure.

"You don't always get your wish list," said Councilmember Jane Brunner (North Oakland). "But when you have a developer like this, it is critical that both sides get what they need."

Besides, Brunner and others said, without Ellis Partners stepping forward, Jack London Square would remain a center of struggling retail stores or become a hodgepodge of new developments that would take at least 20 years to build.

But many residents, who spent months trying to win concessions, didn't buy all the arguments.

"How is this project going to add to the quality of life of residents, not to the quality of life of the developers," said John Graves, a local resident. "This is like an arranged marriage and you can't get a divorce, you have to live with it."

Parking remains an issue, they said. The parking garage at the Amtrak station will be too big, and the location of fast-food restaurants should be reviewed by the city, residents argued.

Also of concern was a requirement that the firm provide only $150,000 worth of public art. Ellis Partners promised to spend more but would not commit to a number.

Hal Ellis, owner of the development firm, rejected an idea by Councilmember Desley Brooks (Eastmont-Seminary) to raise the amount of money to be spent on public art.

"It would be arbitrary to try to find a figure that would be fair," he said. "We are committed to having a very significant public arts program."

Gary Knecht, president of the South of Nimitz Improvement Council, focused on the parking.

Knecht said the city's calculation of how much parking the development would need is flawed because it is based in part on a study conducted in 2002.

"Every time we have had a public hearing on this project, it has gotten better," Knecht said. "So I would beg you to continue to have public hearings for the next 15 years so we can have the world-class project we have been promised."

James Falaschi, a partner in the development team, agreed the public has made the project better and said it will continue to have a voice in the development.

"When you step back and look at it, the project is better because of that," Falaschi said.

The City Council must vote on the project a second time July 6 before the deal becomes final. Ellis Partners must also win approval from the Bay Conservation and Development Commission, an agency that regulates waterfront development.

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