“I would like to know what the trajectory of this neighborhood is,” Brooklyn Basin resident Summer Holmes saidy. She loves the waterfront, the diverse community, views of the City, and dance classes near the 9th Avenue terminal.
But getting to and from the neighborhood is challenging. Holmes often drives to Alameda for groceries. The shuttle to BART is infrequent. One afternoon, a freight train blocked her only way home.
Eight lanes of freeway and two rail lines run between Brooklyn Basin and my home. Brooklyn Basin is a mere half-mile away, but walking home will take me 40 unpleasant minutes over a distant bridge. Access between East Oakland and Brooklyn Basin is difficult, and even dangerous if you’re a pedestrian.
Brooklyn Basin’s challenges show a larger Oakland challenge: There’s no single entity that helps transform the visions of development projects into thriving neighborhoods. Brooklyn Basin was promised as a thriving waterfront community. To make it livable, Oakland needs a “one-stop shop” to cut through the red tape.
There’s a three-headed dragon behind these problems. Too many City departments need to coordinate to cut through the red tape needed to get projects done. Developers want to build what sells now, not what is best for Oakland residents over the next century. And large projects need political muscle to move them out of planning stages. But the time it takes to get them done often outlasts leadership.
Brooklyn Basin broke ground in 2014 and is set to produce 3,100 units of housing and 200,000 sq feet of retail space. There’s new housing, parks, and a new community on a disused part of the Oakland Estuary.
Complex projects like Brooklyn Basin require coordination between several departments and agencies. It’s not easy to know who is responsible for fixing issues. When disputes arise — as they always will — the project can stall out.
San Francisco’s Office of Community Infrastructure and Investment (OCII) provides a model. This office manages large, complicated build projects like Candlestick Park. OCII is “one-stop shop” that handles the planning, manages the funds for big projects. It’s a great way to streamline processes, funding, and logistics of major developments.
Oakland needs one dedicated office whose only job is to develop thriving neighborhoods with parks, work centers, and affordable housing. Places like the Coliseum, Brooklyn Basin, or Howard Terminal could qualify. This office would manage the funding and the plans for these complicated but important projects.
Take Parcel N”, a spot on the estuary in Brooklyn Basin that was supposed to be a park once the land is cleared. Developers have now pushed back claiming financial strain. This office could resolve these conflicts.
The three-headed dragon keeps projects controversial and lengthy. Often people in these communities wait for years, even decades, before plans move forward, like the former Oakland Army Base in West Oakland.
Residents need to know where things are going, the trajectory of Oakland. Big projects that involve important matters like electricity, sewage, transportation, and housing all need to have a rock solid plan and someone to see it through.
Brooklyn Basin cannot become another stalled promise. We need jobs and homes, green spaces, and public transportation to get to and from neighborhoods. But without coordination, it will remain a nest of disconnected projects. Without a good way to plan and build, it will fail.
Oaklanders deserve the city we pay for with our tax dollars and votes. Residents like Holmes should know the trajectory of the neighborhoods they call home.
Sara is a proud resident of the Clinton/East Lake area of Oakland, where she enjoys her current gig as a stay-at-home mom. She grew up in Minnesota and Colorado before moving to the Bay Area in 2006. She has a background in art and worked as a graphic designer for many years. She feels her connection to the community is best held by exploring new places, asking people about their stories, and bearing witness to the changes surrounding us all.
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