Business

$5 Parking – Bringing New Life to Uptown and Downtown Business Areas

Oakland leaders gathered downtown in front of the Fox Theater at 1805 Telegraph Ave. to announce safety plans being launched under the city’s new program ‘Five After Five.’ This program allows workers and the community members to park at the Franklin Plaza Parking Garage, located at Franklin and 19th streets, for only five dollars after 5 p.m. on weekdays, and all day on weekends.

Published

6 months ago

November 7, 2023

Magaly Muñoz

Oakland City Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan spoke at thepress conference in front of the Fox Theater. City of Oakland photo.

By Magaly Muñoz
Post Staff

Oakland leaders gathered downtown in front of the Fox Theater at 1805 Telegraph Ave. to announce safety plans being launched under the city’s new program ‘Five After Five.’

This program allows workers and the community members to park at the Franklin Plaza Parking Garage, located at Franklin and 19^th streets, for only five dollars after 5 p.m. on weekdays, and all day on weekends.

The intention for the new program is to draw more visitors to downtown businesses while offering a secure parking location at the Franklin Parking Garage for customers and employees to leave their cars without fear of people breaking into them.

“More folks on the streets having fun, catching a show or catching dinner, that means that there’s going to be more people in the street and that means less crime and more business for our downtown merchants, which of course means we, the city, can collect those tax dollars and give it right back through services,” Mayor Sheng Thao said.

Speaking of the extended hours pilot parking program, Oakland City Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan said, “Thank you to everyone who worked together to help launch this important pilot program to enhance the vitality of our businesses and the safety of our community. I’m pleased we are able to provide secure parking and later hours, to better serve residents, customers, workers, and our growing restaurant and nightlife scene.”

According to Oakland Police Department crime reports, auto burglary is up 35% from last year and carjacking is up 24%.

Thao said the garage, with 373 available parking spots, will be open until 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday to encourage more nightlife activity in the area’s bars, restaurants, and theaters. The garage will be equipped with cameras and security to ensure a safer environment for patrons and their vehicles.

The new extended Franklin Parking garage hours are:

Monday through Wednesday: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Thursday through Friday 7 a.m. to 3 a.m.
Saturday 12 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Sunday 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Safety ambassadors and foot patrol units will be stationed along busy areas of the city, including Jack London Square, Fruitvale, the Laurel District and many more.

Another initiative to attract more foot traffic is the Activate Oakland grant that will provide recipients up to $10,000 in funds to organize events that support businesses and culture in Oakland. Recipients of the grants will be announced in the coming weeks.

Carroll Fife, councilmember for District 3, which includes the downtown area, stated that this plan has been a long time coming and it’s one of the measures they can take to make sure that businesses can thrive and stay in Oakland.

“This is just the beginning,” Fife said.

She acknowledged that more needed to be done to ensure that the community was transforming, but this program was a step in the right direction.

Along with the security personnel and cameras, Tony Leong, general manager of Fox Theater, said that the corridors leading to the Franklin Plaza garage will have better lighting so that those engaging in nightlife will feel safer walking to their cars.

He added that event parking used to be $20 in the parking garage, but with this program, the rates will be more affordable, and the garage will stay open until 1:30 a.m. so that people do not feel rushed to leave immediately after a concert or show.

“This is just the beginning of an improved corridor; it’s going to be safer and it’s going to be a lot more vibrant. We’re going to make sure foot traffic is up and that everyone is out and about around here,” Leong said.

With violent crime rates up 22% from 2022, the speakers were asked how a parking garage can ensure the safety of the community members walking the streets, just trying to enjoy their night.

Thao stated that the foot traffic will allow for more people to witness and catch the crimes. She added that there will also be more OPD officers patrolling the area on the weekends.

“It’s not so much about bringing people to the downtown area…the more people we have on the street, the more eyes and ears, we’re going to be able to be safer,” Thao said.

The ‘Five After Five’ program will operate throughout the holiday season. Once the holidays are over, the city of Oakland will assess the program’s impact and propose recommendations for its future.

Kimberly Jones, from the office of Oakland City Councilmember At-Large Rebecca Kaplan, contributed to this report.

Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper.

Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities.

The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

Posts by Magaly Muñoz

Up Next

Peralta Selects Dr. Tammeil Gilkerson as New Chancellor

Don't Miss

Día de los Muertos Festivities in Oakland Bring in Crowds of Celebrants

Magaly Muñoz

A graduate of Sacramento State University, Magaly Muñoz’s journalism experience includes working for the State Hornet, the university’s student-run newspaper and conducting research and producing projects for “All Things Considered” at National Public Radio. She also was a community reporter for El Timpano, serving Latino and Mayan communities, and contributed to the Sacramento Observer, the area’s African American newspaper. Muñoz is one of 40 early career journalists who are part of the California Local News Fellowship program, a state-funded initiative designed to strengthen local news reporting in California, with a focus on underserved communities. The fellowship program places journalism fellows throughout the state in two-year, full-time reporting positions.

Click to comment

Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

17 hours ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Bay Area

State Controller Malia Cohen Keynote Speaker at S.F. Wealth Conference

California State Controller Malia Cohen delivered the keynote speech to over 50 business women at the Black Wealth Brunch held on March 28 at the War Memorial and Performing Arts Center at 301 Van Ness Ave. in San Francisco. The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

Published

6 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

American Business Women’s Association Vice President Velma Landers, left, with California State Controller Malia Cohen (center), and ABWA President LaRonda Smith at the Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the ABWA at the Black Wealth Brunch.

By Carla Thomas

The Enterprising Women Networking SF Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) hosted the Green Room event to launch its platform designed to close the racial wealth gap in Black and Brown communities.

“Our goal is to educate Black and Brown families in the masses about financial wellness, wealth building, and how to protect and preserve wealth,” said ABWA San Francisco Chapter President LaRonda Smith.

ABWA’s mission is to bring together businesswomen of diverse occupations and provide opportunities for them to help themselves and others grow personally and professionally through leadership, education, networking support, and national recognition.

“This day is about recognizing influential women, hearing from an accomplished woman as our keynote speaker and allowing women to come together as powerful people,” said ABWA SF Chapter Vice President Velma Landers.

More than 60 attendees dined on the culinary delights of Chef Sharon Lee of The Spot catering, which included a full soul food brunch of skewered shrimp, chicken, blackened salmon, and mac and cheese.

Cohen discussed the many economic disparities women and people of color face. From pay equity to financial literacy, Cohen shared not only statistics, but was excited about a new solution in motion which entailed partnering with Californians for Financial Education.

“I want everyone to reach their full potential,” she said. “Just a few weeks ago in Sacramento, I partnered with an organization, Californians for Financial Education.

“We gathered 990 signatures and submitted it to the [California] Secretary of State to get an initiative on the ballot that guarantees personal finance courses for every public school kid in the state of California.

“Every California student deserves an equal opportunity to learn about filing taxes, interest rates, budgets, and understanding the impact of credit scores. The way we begin to do that is to teach it,” Cohen said.

By equipping students with information, Cohen hopes to close the financial wealth gap, and give everyone an opportunity to reach their full financial potential. “They have to first be equipped with the information and education is the key. Then all we need are opportunities to step into spaces and places of power.”

Cohen went on to share that in her own upbringing, she was not guided on financial principles that could jump start her finances. “Communities of color don’t have the same information and I don’t know about you, but I did not grow up listening to my parents discussing their assets, their investments, and diversifying their portfolio. This is the kind of nomenclature and language we are trying to introduce to our future generations so we can pivot from a life of poverty so we can pivot away and never return to poverty.”

Cohen urged audience members to pass the initiative on the November 2024 ballot.

“When we come together as women, uplift women, and support women, we all win. By networking and learning together, we can continue to build generational wealth,” said Landers. “Passing a powerful initiative will ensure the next generation of California students will be empowered to make more informed financial decisions, decisions that will last them a lifetime.”

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Business

Black Business Summit Focuses on Equity, Access and Data

The California African American Chamber of Commerce hosted its second annual “State of the California African American Economy Summit,” with the aim of bolstering Black economic influence through education and fellowship. Held Jan. 24 to Jan. 25 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, the convention brought together some of the most influential Black business leaders, policy makers and economic thinkers in the state. The discussions focused on a wide range of economic topics pertinent to California’s African American business community, including policy, government contracts, and equity, and more.

Published

6 days ago

April 20, 2024

Oakland Post

Toks Omishakin, Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CALSTA), answers questions from concerned entrepreneurs frustrated with a lack of follow-up from the state. January 24, 2024 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, Lost Angeles, Calif. Photo by Solomon O. Smith

By Solomon O. Smith, California Black Media

The California African American Chamber of Commerce hosted its second annual “State of the California African American Economy Summit,” with the aim of bolstering Black economic influence through education and fellowship.

Held Jan. 24 to Jan. 25 at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel, the convention brought together some of the most influential Black business leaders, policy makers and economic thinkers in the state. The discussions focused on a wide range of economic topics pertinent to California’s African American business community, including policy, government contracts, and equity, and more.

Toks Omishakin, Secretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CALSTA) was a guest at the event. He told attendees about his department’s efforts to increase access for Black business owners.

“One thing I’m taking away from this for sure is we’re going to have to do a better job of connecting through your chambers of all these opportunities of billions of dollars that are coming down the pike. I’m honestly disappointed that people don’t know, so we’ll do better,” said Omishakin.

Lueathel Seawood, the president of the African American Chamber of Commerce of San Joaquin County, expressed frustration with obtaining federal contracts for small businesses, and completing the process. She observed that once a small business was certified as DBE, a Disadvantaged Business Enterprises, there was little help getting to the next step.

Omishakin admitted there is more work to be done to help them complete the process and include them in upcoming projects. However, the high-speed rail system expansion by the California High-Speed Rail Authority has set a goal of 30% participation from small businesses — only 10 percent is set aside for DBE.

The importance of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in economics was reinforced during the “State of the California Economy” talk led by author and economist Julianne Malveaux, and Anthony Asadullah Samad, Executive Director of the Mervyn Dymally African American Political and Economic Institute (MDAAPEI) at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Assaults on DEI disproportionately affect women of color and Black women, according to Malveaux. When asked what role the loss of DEI might serve in economics, she suggested a more sinister purpose.

“The genesis of all this is anti-blackness. So, your question about how this fits into the economy is economic exclusion, that essentially has been promoted as public policy,” said Malveaux.

The most anticipated speaker at the event was Janice Bryant Howroyd known affectionately to her peers as “JBH.” She is one of the first Black women to run and own a multi-billion-dollar company. Her company ActOne Group, is one of the largest, and most recognized, hiring, staffing and human resources firms in the world. She is the author of “Acting Up” and has a profile on Forbes.

Chairman of the board of directors of the California African American Chamber of Commerce, Timothy Alan Simon, a lawyer and the first Black Appointments Secretary in the Office of the Governor of California, moderated. They discussed the state of Black entrepreneurship in the country and Howroyd gave advice to other business owners.

“We look to inspire and educate,” said Howroyd. “Inspiration is great but when I’ve got people’s attention, I want to teach them something.”