By Jack Stubbs
Over the last several years, the area around the Oakland Coliseum has continued to evolve, with various projects changing the fabric of the urban area just north of Oakland International Airport. The plans for another in-the-works project were recently submitted to the city for review.
In late February, a pre-application was filed for an eight-story mixed-use infill project at 8055 Collins Drive, the property owner for which is Construction Resource Center led by Len Turner. SM2 Design is the architect for the project.
According to the description detailed in the pre-application, the project team proposes the rehabilitation of an existing 10,512 square foot office/warehouse building and an adjacent 26-stall parking lot to make way for 40 residential units, as well as 11,700 square feet of business space including warehouse, retail and office uses.
The total building area of the project – located at the intersection of Hegenberger Road and Joe Morgan Way – is approximately 69,200 gross square feet. The development will occur in two phases, according to the pre-application.
Phase 1 pertains to the first, second and third floors. Floors one and three, which comprise 13,100 square feet, entail two restaurants totalling 2,400 square feet, a 400 square foot pop-up space, 1,800 square feet of warehouse/manufacturing space, 39 parking spaces, an 8,500 square foot community wellness center, as well as a residential lobby and amenities. The second floor, which totals 9,100 gross square feet, will include 16 rooms as part of a short-term residential therapeutic program.
Phase 2 will yield 40 residential units across floors four through eight, with a mix of one- and two-bedroom options.
In terms of the building design, the submitted renderings show a distinction between the community/street-level oriented podium and the residential units above, with floor-to-ceiling windows incorporated into much of the building. It is not entirely clear, at this point, what landscaping features the architect will incorporate into the design scheme, though renderings show a tree-lined gravel parking lot adjacent to the building.
The development also sits within the Coliseum Area Specific Plan. Adopted by Oakland City Council in March, 2015, the initiative seeks to transform the underutilized land around the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum and Arena into a world-class sports, entertainment, retail and science and technology district, according to the city’s website.
The plan outlines several key objectives, which include retaining Oakland’s sports teams and maximizing the economic benefit of the sports teams and their facilities for Oakland and Alameda County; creating a regionally significant jobs and employment area that can expand Oakland’s ability to attract new businesses and support existing businesses; improving the area’s existing investments in transit-oriented developments and transportation infrastructure; and creating a vibrant urban mixed-use district to attract a community of new residential and commercial uses, along with an enhanced pedestrian experience and innovative place-making features.
The Plan, which covers approximately 800 acres, is bounded by 66th Avenue to the north, San Leandro Street on the east, Hegenberger Road to the south, and San Leandro Bay and the Oakland International Airport to the west.
In early February, as The Registry reported, significant strides were made with regards to the 120-Acre Oakland Coliseum site development.
Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, along with Mayor Sheng Thao and several Oakland elected officials,community members, business owners and faith leaders, joined the African American Sports and Entertainment Group (AASEG) for a press conference announcing an exclusive negotiating agreement with the City of Oakland for the City’s 50 percent interest in the Coliseum complex. The agreement marked the largest transfer of public land to African Americans in Oakland’s 171-year history.
“I am thrilled that we have the opportunity to bring jobs, housing at all income levels, sports, entertainment and more to this vital Oakland site, in a way that strengthens equity and vibrancy for the community at this transit-accessible location,” Kaplan, the author of the Oakland City Council and OACCA resolutions allowing for the ENA with AASEG, stated at the time of the announcement.
