News
Near Unanimous City Council Vote Approves Popular Oak Knoll Project
With the final approval of the City Council, the former Oak Knoll Naval Hospital site in the foothills of East Oakland will be transformed into a thriving neighborhood complete with restored open space, a community center and new shops.
SunCal, the developer of the project, cleared its final legislative hurdle with near unanimous support by council members to build 918 new homes. Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan moved to approve the project with the support of six other members. Councilmember Dan Kalb abstained.
“It is City Council President Larry Reid and his decades of dogged focus and determination who deserves our thanks,” said SunCal developer Sam Veltri.
“We thank Greg McConnell for guiding us through the process,” he said. “Without his help, success would have been impossible.”
“This was a huge victory for East Oakland, Council President Larry Reid, and the surrounding neighbors, who have worked for nearly 20 years to get this project done and to ensure that appropriate community benefits are attached to it,” said McConnell, president of the Jobs and Housing Coalition and The McConnell Group.
Success came about by bringing together neighbors; the local labors union, LiUNA Local 304: Bishop Bob Jackson’s Men of Valor program, veterans groups, the NAACP, The 200, and independent African American contractors.
“This was a true community effort,” McConnell added.
The developer has committed to contributing to the Oakland Jobs Foundation to help pay to train unskilled workers, many of whom will be reentering the workforce.
David Soyka, a SunCal representative, said, “Our project labor agreement with LiUNA Local 304 and our support of local job training programs is important.”
The Oak Knoll project will generate a combined $36.8 million in annual revenue for the city, plus an additional $30.3 million in one- time revenue. The developer estimates the project will create more than 5,000 jobs with a retail center, community center, marketplace, and 90 acres of restored open public space, including a creek and trail restoration.
SunCal has committed to contribute $20 million to the city’s affordable housing fund, which Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan plans to use to help build on-site affordable housing on a city-owned five-acre parcel.
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The Oak Knoll hospital was demolished in 2011. The hospital was shuttered for 15 years prior to its destruction.
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#NNPA BlackPress
PRESS ROOM: New AARP Pennsylvania Poll: Black Voters 50+ Say Social Security, Inflation, and Medicare Will Influence 2024 Vote
NNPA NEWSWIRE — “With inflation and the rising costs of living squeezing all Pennsylvania households, Black voters 50+ are clearly looking for leaders with a plan,” said Bill Johnston-Walsh, AARP Pennsylvania State Director. “Candidates would be wise to listen to their opinions and concerns if they want to win in November.”
The post PRESS ROOM: New AARP Pennsylvania Poll: Black Voters 50+ Say Social Security, Inflation, and Medicare Will Influence 2024 Vote first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
AARP Pennsylvania’s first 2024 election survey shows that candidates should pay close attention to Pennsylvanian voters ages 50 and older and highlights the priorities and concerns of Black voters ages 50 and older that will likely influence the outcome of the 2024 elections. Seventy-nine percent of Black voters in Pennsylvania are extremely motivated to vote this year. When asked about the issues that are important as they decide whom to vote for this November, older Black voters cited Social Security (92% say extremely or very important), Medicare (89%), policies to help seniors live independently at home as they age (87%), the cost of prescription drugs (86%) as key issues. Social Security and Medicare emerged as their top priority issue in their vote for Senate this year, with nearly twice as many Black voters 50+ choosing Social Security and Medicare as any of the other dozen issues tested.
“With inflation and the rising costs of living squeezing all Pennsylvania households, Black voters 50+ are looking for leaders with a plan,” said Bill Johnston-Walsh, AARP Pennsylvania State Director. “Candidates would be wise to listen to their opinions and concerns if they want to win in November.” Among Black voters 50+, President Joe Biden (D) leads former President Donald Trump (R) by a large margin: 84% to 8%. In the race for U.S. Senate, Senator Bob Casey (D) leads Dave McCormick 87% to 7%.
Other key takeaways include:
- 96% of Black voters 50+ say they are more likely to vote for a candidate for the U.S. Senate who advocated making sure workers get the Social Security they paid for through a lifetime of hard work.
- Four of the five issues measured as cost concerns are important to many Black voters 50+: health care/prescription drugs, utilities, food, and housing; and
- 58% of Black voters 50+ are worried about their financial situation including 63% of women. Health care/prescription drugs and housing are the biggest cost concerns.
- 66% of Black voters 50+ and 73% of Black voters 65+ say Social Security is or will be a major source of their income.
AARP commissioned the bipartisan polling team of Fabrizio Ward & Impact Research to conduct a survey. The firms interviewed 1,398 likely Pennsylvania voters, which includes a statewide representative sample of 600 likely voters, with an oversample of 470 likely voters aged 50 and older and an additional oversample of 328 Black likely voters aged 50 and older, between April 24-30, 2024. The interviews were conducted via landline, cellphone, and SMS-to-web. The margin of sampling error for the 600 statewide samples is ±4.0%; for the 800 total sample of voters 50+ is ±3.5%; for the 400 total sample of Black voters 50+ is ±4.9%.
View the full survey results at aarp.org/PApolling.
For more information on how, when, and where to vote in Pennsylvania, visit aarp.org/PAVotes.
The post PRESS ROOM: New AARP Pennsylvania Poll: Black Voters 50+ Say Social Security, Inflation, and Medicare Will Influence 2024 Vote first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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