The City of Oakland has quietly issued a new notice offering to sell or lease a city-owned parcel on East 12th Street near Lake Merritt that has been in limbo since the council pulled the final decision on the contract.

The “Notice of Intent and Offer to Convey Property,” dated July 14, tells agencies “If you submit a response, the city will enter into good faith negotiations with your agency or organization to discuss your proposed development.”

The city has been under intense pressure for the last six months from protesting residents and has been challenged on the legality of the sale of the East 12th street property to UrbanCore Development to construct a luxury apartment tower.

“We are very exited about the city’s decision to comply with the law and address community concerns by reopening the process,” said Monica Garcia, a member of the neighborhood group Eastlake United for Justice.

“The council has stepped up to do the right thing and we’ll be watching to make sure that they comply fully with the law this time around,” said David Zisser, attorney with Public Advocates.

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