The Foothill Seminary commercial corridor is going to get a facelift.

In 2004, District 6 Councilmember Desley Brooks, in partnership with David Glover of OCCUR and the City of Oakland, applied for a Metropolitan Transportation Committee planning grant to address traffic and pedestrian safety issues, as well as neighborhood aesthetics in the Foothill Seminary area.

The grant application was successful on the first submission and shortly thereafter the partners began the planning process for the Foothill Seminary Streetscape project.

The planning process took approximately a year, which included numerous neighborhood meetings, focus groups and charrettes. Traffic engineers studied ideas for traffic mitigations. Architects designed a streetscape with new street furniture, community gathering spaces, trees, widened sidewalks, and improved parking,

After the planning process was complete, Brooks successfully advocated for funding to implement the project, eventually securing $4.3 million to implement the project.

Despite being fully funded, the project was put on hold for last two years as the state dissolved Redevelopment Agencies across the state. Two weeks ago, the state gave the City of Oakland final approval on the project’s Long Range Property Management plan and compensation agreement.

This approval has paved the way for the Foothill Seminary Streetscape to finally be implemented.

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