City Government

Brooklyn Basin on a Fast Track, Largest Residential Development in City’s History

Published

12 years ago

June 6, 2014

Media, labor groups and civic leaders were almost breathless with enthusiasm in their praise for the Brooklyn Basin development, 3,100 units of mostly market rate housing that broke ground this spring on the waterfront from Oak to 9^th streets near downtown Oakland.

Investors and others gathered for the groundbreaking in March as Oakland Mayor Jean Quan hailed the project, the largest residential development in Oakland history, not just as a milestone for the developers but for the whole city.

“Our history and future is on the waterfront,” Quan said to the 200 people who showed up for the event on the strip of land between the estuary and Highway 880.

However, some of the coalition of community groups that opposed the development when it was approved by the City Council in 2006 still consider the Brooklyn Basin to be one of the worst real estate deals ever agreed to by the city and contend that it may rank among the worst in the country.

The developers behind Brooklyn Basin include Signature Development Group and Zarsion Holdings Group Ltd., a Chinese investor that bought the property from Signature and committed $1.5 billion to build out the project.

Visiting Oakland, Weixun Shan, chairman of Zarsion Holdings, said he wants to complete the 3,100-unit housing development within three to four years. Originally, the development was to be built over a six-to-eight year period.

About 1,200 units of housing will be built as part of phase one of the project, according to Shan, who hopes to start the second phase before the first units become available sometime in 2015.

Opposing the project led by Mike Ghielmetti and his Signature Development Group was a community coalition, the Oak-to-Ninth Referendum Committee.

“Over a period of a couple of years, we were engaged in three lawsuits and lobbied unsuccessfully to try to get the City Council to demand a better deal for the city and to reject some of the onerous parts of the development agreement,” said James Vann, Oakland architect and housing rights activist who was on the steering committee of the coalition.

The project is creating a whole new neighborhood for 5,000 residents, without regard for the need for a school or access for all the new car traffic coming into the area, Vann said.

When the City Council approved the project without making changes that some coalition members felt were necessary for the public good, they circulated a petition, gathering more than 25,000 signatures in less than six weeks, more than enough to qualify for the ballot. But the petition was challenged by the developer’s attorney and disqualified on a technicality.

“This was one of the worst deals the city has ever been involved in,” said Vann. The city sold the 64-acres of valuable shoreline property to Ghielmetti for $18 million, way below market value, he said.

“The developer would be responsible for toxic cleanup, so he would not pay market value for the property,” said Vann

At the same time, the city agreed to buy back two parcels of land after the cleanup, totaling 4.5 acres, from the developer for the affordable housing for a cost of $29 million, almost two-thirds more than Ghielmetti paid for the entire property.

Under state law at the time, 15 percent of the 3,100 units or 478 units would have to be affordable housing.

The terms of the deal required the city to build the affordable units at a cost of $60-80 million, not the developer. If the city cannot come up with the money, the developer has agreed to repurchase the property.

But because state redevelopment law has changed, it is unclear at this time whether state law still requires any affordable housing to be built, said Vann.

The two parcels earmarked for affordable housing are built farthest from the estuary and next to the freeway. To protect those who live in these units from freeway noise and air pollution from nearby Highway 880, sound walls will be built and the units’ windows facing the freeway will be unopenable.

In addition there is an agreement to 25 percent local hire of apprentice construction workers. “Some groups worked on this as part of community benefits, but it is not clear whether many people will be able to take advantage of the apprenticeship training,” said Vann.

After the project was approved in 2006, Ghielmetti did not have the funding to build the project, and it languished until public officials found Zarsion Holdings in China.

Seeking to speak with supporters familiar with the community benefits agreement, the Post called Mayor Jean Quan, the City Administrator’s Office and Signature Properties. None of them returned calls.

In addition to housing, mostly condominiums, Brooklyn Basin is slated to include 200,000 square feet of commercial space and more than 30 acres of parks and open space, as well as segments of the Bay trail.

Andy Nelson, who in 2006 served on the staff of Urban Strategies Council, was part of a coalition of several nonprofits that worked on community benefits.

The agreement “includes two separate deals that create community benefit for Oakland residents and folks in nearby neighborhoods, for affordable housing and job training and placement,” he said.

Under the agreement, the developer will pay $1.65 million to training 300 local residents for entry-level construction jobs, Nelson said. The development will have to pay damages if he does not honor the agreement.

In 2006, “even the strongest affordable housing advocates on the City Council were not pushing the developer to make any contributions to affordable housing,” said Nelson. In that context, his coalition was able to win a commitment for the city to create affordable housing, which would go to residents of Chinatown and the San Antonio District, he said

He said the housing agreement would be defended in court if necessary, and if the city’s 3.5 acre parcels are sold for between $20-30 million, at least some affordable housing can be built at sites around the city.

“Unfortunately, at present all that is certain is that 3,100 high cost condominiums will be built on the last large parcel of Oakland land; the construction of 468 units of critically needed affordable housing is only a pipe dream,” said Vann.

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Oakland Mayor Pushes Charter Overhaul to Clarify Roles in City Government, Increase Accountability and Improve Service Delivery

Under the proposal, the mayor would serve as Oakland’s chief executive, overseeing city departments, implementing policy, proposing the annual budget, and managing day-to-day operations. The measure would also give the mayor veto power over legislation and the budget, though the City Council could override a veto with a two-thirds vote.

Published

3 days ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. File photo.

By Oakland Post Staff

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee is backing a sweeping proposal to restructure Oakland’s government, arguing the changes would make City Hall more accountable and improve the delivery of basic services like public safety, homelessness response, and infrastructure repairs.

The charter reform measure, introduced April 7 and co-sponsored by Oakland City Council President Kevin Jenkins, would ask voters in November to approve a “strong mayor, strong council” system designed to create clearer lines of authority inside city government.

The City Council, meanwhile, would maintain legislative authority by adopting ordinances, approving budgets, conducting oversight hearings, and confirming key mayoral appointments. The proposal would also create an Independent Budget and Legislative Analyst Office to provide nonpartisan fiscal and policy analysis for councilmembers.

“I’ve spent months listening to Oaklanders across every neighborhood about what they expect from their city government,” Lee said. “The Charter Reform Working Group’s engagement made clear that residents want a system where there are no questions about who is responsible for delivering results on public safety, homelessness, infrastructure, and basic services.”

Jenkins said the proposal would strengthen both executive leadership and council oversight.

“I’ve long believed Oakland works best when residents have clear lines of accountability and a government structure that aligns responsibility with results,” Jenkins said.

The proposal follows recommendations from the Mayor’s Charter Reform Working Group, co-facilitated by the League of Women Voters of Oakland and SPUR.

Over five months, the group conducted more than 60 interviews, held 14 public meetings across Oakland, and engaged more than 750 residents while reviewing governance models used in other cities.

“The process of engaging residents across Oakland surfaced the governance clarity Oakland needs,” said Sujata Srivastava of SPUR. “The Charter Reform Working Group has produced a thoughtful set of recommendations that if adopted could strengthen accountability and improve service delivery across city government.”

Polling cited by the mayor’s office suggests voters may be open to the changes. A February 2026 poll by the East Bay Polling Institute found 64% of voters support adopting a strong-mayor system. Separate polling conducted by the Oakland Chamber of Commerce and David Binder Research found support ranging from 61% to 63% among likely voters.

The measure is scheduled to be heard by the City Council Rules Committee on May 21. If approved by the council, it would appear on the November 2026 ballot, where Oakland voters would have the final say.

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Activism

More and More, Black Californians Are Worried About Rising Costs of Housing, Energy, Food and Gas

According to an April 2024 report by the Greenlining Institute, low-income Black Californians are struggling with affordability due to a combination of historical systemic barriers and modern economic pressures. The Greenlining Institute is a California-based policy, research, and advocacy nonprofit founded in 1993 to fight systemic racism and economic injustice.

Published

3 days ago

May 17, 2026

Oakland Post

iStock.

By Antonio‌ ‌Ray‌ ‌Harvey‌, California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

Housing, energy, food and gas are four essential household expenses, and their rising costs are forcing residents—especially lower-income households—to make difficult trade-offs, Assemblymember Rhodesia Ransom (D-Stockton) said at a conference on affordability last week in Sacramento.

Ransom, a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), noted a shift in consumer behavior, stating, “Before people used to choose between things that they wanted and things that they needed.”

“Now, what we’re hearing from constituents is they are prioritizing their needs differently,” she said. “Because of the affordability crisis, it’s no longer about choosing between other needs. Our constituents are now saying ‘what needs to be prioritized?’ Gas and food are at the top of the list.”

Ransom made the comments about affordability at Capitol Weekly’s informational conference titled “Affordability: The Cost of Living in California,” which was held on April 30 at the University of California’s Student and Policy Center.

Co-hosted with the University of California Student and Policy Center, the political conversations focused on identifying policy solutions to the state’s extremely high prices for energy, food, and essentials.

The keynote speakers at the conference were former Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, president of the California Federation of Labor Unions, and Mike Madrid, a political strategist, author, and senior fellow at UC Irvine.

Conversations about affordability are taking on greater urgency as the election season kicks in, speakers said.

According to an April 2024 report by the Greenlining Institute, low-income Black Californians are struggling with affordability due to a combination of historical systemic barriers and modern economic pressures. The Greenlining Institute is a California-based policy, research, and advocacy nonprofit founded in 1993 to fight systemic racism and economic injustice.

Black households in California experience the highest levels of rent burden; approximately 65% of Black renters, according to the Greenlining report. Historical “redlining” and ongoing discrimination have restricted homeownership. Black families also pay 43% more for energy than White households, partly because they are more likely to live in older, less energy-efficient rentals.

In addition, roughly 1 in 3 Black adults (36.5%) reported household food insecurity in late 2025, more than double the rate for White adults. This is often exacerbated by “food deserts” in predominantly Black neighborhoods.

In March, Assembly Minority Leader Heath Flora (R-Ripon) expressed concerns about affordability in California, describing it as a crisis where families are being “pushed to the edge.”

“Californians should not have to choose between putting food on the table or filling up their car,” Flora stated. “We need to cut costs now. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month. Now.”

Cuts to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding are being driven by the Trump Administration’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1), which is reducing federal spending by approximately $187 billion through 2034.

Those reductions are putting more pressure on the state to help, Ransom said. According to the AAA Gas Prices website, as of May 8, California’s gasoline prices averaged over $6 per gallon in some areas, with various locations experiencing spikes of $7 to $8 per gallon. In California, fuel prices are driven by refinery maintenance and market volatility, while high food prices are linked to rising transportation costs, experts say.

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Alameda County

The Marin City Flea Market Is Back

The Marin City Flea Market returns on May 23, offering arts, crafts, vintage items, and collectibles. The market aims to uplift local vendors and celebrate cultural diversity.

Published

5 days ago

May 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Customers shopping in Marin City Flea Market. Photo courtesy of marincityflea.org.

By Godfrey Lee

After a long absence, Marin City will once again hold its flea market. The market will have its grand opening on Saturday, May 23, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church parking lot on 101 Donahue St. It will be held every fourth Saturday of the month

The market will be free to the public

There will be arts, crafts, vintage, collectibles, and other items on sale at the market. Interested vendors can contact info@marincityflea.org or text (415) 484-2984 for more information.

“The Marin City Flea Market’s mission is to uplift local vendors, celebrate cultural diversity, and provide an accessible community space where creativity, entrepreneurship, and connection can thrive,” says their website, marincityflea.org.

The flea market is sponsored and run by the Rotary Club of Marin City.

For more information, contact info@marincityflea.org. Or text to (415) 484-2984