By Post Staff

Oakland’s Black Arts Movement Business District (BAMBD) has been selected as one of California’s 10 new state-designated Cultural Districts, a distinction awarded by the California Arts Council (CAC), according to a media statement released by Councilmember Carroll Fife.

The BAMBD now joins 23 other districts across the state recognized for their deep cultural legacy, artistic excellence, and contributions to California’s creative economy.

Located in the heart of District 3, the BAMBD is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most important centers of Black cultural production — a space where artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and cultural workers have shaped generations of local and national identity. The state’s recognition affirms the district’s historic importance and its future promise.

“This designation is a testament to what Black Oakland has built — and what we continue to build when we insist on investing in our own cultural and economic power,” said Fife.

“For years, our community has fought for meaningful recognition and resources for the Black Arts Movement Business District,” she said. “This announcement validates that work and ensures that BAMBD receives the support it needs to grow, thrive, and continue shaping the cultural fabric of California.”

Since taking office, Fife has led and supported multiple initiatives that strengthened the groundwork for this achievement, including:

• Restoring and protecting arts and cultural staffing within the City of Oakland.
• Creating the West Oakland Community Fund to reinvest in historically excluded communities
• Advancing a Black New Deal study to expand economic opportunity for Black Oakland
• Ensuring racial equity impact analyses for development proposals, improving access for Black businesses and Black contractors
• Introduced legislation and budget amendments that formalized, protected, and expanded the BAMBD

“These efforts weren’t abstract,” Fife said. “They were intentional, coordinated, and rooted in a belief that Black arts and Black businesses deserve deep, sustained public investment.”

As part of the Cultural District designation, BAMBD will receive:

• $10,000 over two years
• Dedicated technical assistance
• Statewide marketing and branding support
• Official designation from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030

This support will elevate the visibility of BAMBD’s artists, cultural organizations, small businesses, and legacy institutions, while helping attract new investment to the district.

“The BAMBD has always been more than a district,” Fife continued. “This recognition by the State of California gives us another tool in the fight to preserve Black culture, build Black economic power, and protect the families and institutions that make Oakland strong.”

For questions, contact Councilmember Carroll Fife at CFife@oaklandca.gov.

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The Oakland Board of Education is continuing to grapple with a massive $100 million shortfall next year, which represents about 20% of the district’s general fund budget.

The school board approved Superintendent Denise Saddler’s plan for major cuts to schools and the district office, but they are still trying to avoid outside pressure to close flatland schools.

Without cuts, OUSD is under threat of being taken over by the state. The district only emerged from state receivership in July after 22 years.

“We want to make sure the cuts are away from the kids,” said Kampala Taiz-Rancifer, president of the Oakland Education Association, the teachers’ union. “There are too many things that are important and critical to instruction, to protecting our most vulnerable kids, to safety.”

The school district has been considering different scenarios for budget cuts proposed by the superintendent, including athletics, libraries, clubs, teacher programs, and school security.

The plan approved at Wednesday’s board meeting, which is not yet finalized, is estimated to save around $103 million.

Staff is now looking at decreasing central office staff and cutting extra-curricular budgets, such as for sports and library services. It will also review contracts for outside consultants, limiting classroom supplies and examine the possibility of school closures, which is a popular proposal among state and county officials and privatizers though after decades of Oakland school closures, has been shown to save little if any money.

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The City of Oakland announced this week that it is successfully moving forward on the sale of $334 million of General Obligation bonds, a milestone that will provide the city with capital funding for city departments to deliver paved roads, restored public facilities, and investments in affordable housing.

“Oakland is on the move and building momentum with this bond sale,” said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. “We are reviving access to funding for paving our streets, restoring public facilities we all use and depend upon, and investing in affordable housing for our community, all while maintaining transparency and fiscal discipline.”

“These bonds represent our city’s continued commitment to sound financial management and responsible investment in Oakland’s future,” said Lee.

“Together, we are strengthening our foundation for generations to come,” she said. “I’m grateful to our partners in the City Council for their leadership and support, and to City Administrator Jestin Johnson for driving this process and ensuring we brought it home.”

According to the city, $285 million of the bonds will support new projects and $49 million of the bonds will refund existing bonds for debt service savings.

Oakland issued the Measure U bonds on Dec. 4 after two years of delays over concerns about the city’s financial outlook. They all sold in less than a week.

The new money bonds will pay for affordable housing, roadway safety and infrastructure improvements, and renovations to parks, libraries, senior centers, and other public facilities under the city’s Measure U Authorization.

Citywide paving and streetscape projects will create safer streets for Oaklanders. Additionally, critical facilities like the East Oakland Senior Center and San Antonio Park will receive much-needed renovations, according to the city.

Some of the projects:

• $50.5 million – Citywide Street Resurfacing
• $13 million – Complete Streets Capital Program
• $9.5 million – Curb Ramps Program
• $30 million – Acquisition & Preservation of Existing Affordable Housing
• $33 million – District 3: Mandela Transit-Oriented Development
• $28 million – District 6: Liberation Park Development
• $3 million – District 5: Brookdale Recreation Center Capital Project
• $1.5 million – District 1: Oakland Tool Lending Library (Temescal Branch Library)
• $10 million – District 3: Oakland Ice Center

“I recognize that many naysayers said we couldn’t do it,” said Johnson. “Well, you know what? We’re here now. And we’re going to be here next year and the year after. The fact is we’re getting our fiscal house in order. We said we were going to do it — and we’re doing it.”

Investors placed $638 million in orders for the $334 million of bonds offered by the City. There was broad investor demand with 26 separate investment firms placing orders.  The oversubscription ultimately allowed the city to lower the final interest rates offered to investors and reduce the city’s borrowing cost.

“The oversubscription ultimately allowed the City to lower the final interest rates offered to investors and reduce the City’s borrowing cost,” said Sean Maher, the city’s communications director.

“The Oakland City Council worked closely with the administration to both advance the bond issuance process and ensure that the community had a clear understanding of the City’s timeline and approach,” said Councilmember at-Large Rowena Brown.

“In September, the City Council took unanimous action to authorize the Administration to move forward with the bond sale because these funds are essential to delivering the very improvements our communities have long asked for – safer streets, restored public facilities, and expanded affordable housing,” she said.

Continuing, Brown said, “I want to extend my sincere thanks to City Administrator Jestin Johnson, Finance Director Bradley Johnson, and Mayor Barbara Lee for their leadership, diligence, and steady guidance throughout the City’s bond sale efforts.

“Navigating complex market conditions while keeping Oakland’s long-term infrastructure needs front and center is no small task, and this moment reflects tremendous professionalism and persistence,” she said.

Moody’s gave the city an AA2 rating on the bonds, its third-highest rating, which it gives to high-quality investment-grade securities.

There was both a tax-exempt portion and a taxable portion for the bond offering, reflecting the various uses of the bond proceeds, according to a statement released by the city.

The $143.5 million of tax-exempt bonds have a 30-year final maturity and received an all-in borrowing cost of 3.99%.  The $191 million of taxable bonds have a 24-year final maturity and received an all-in borrowing cost of 5.55%.

The $49 million in tax-exempt bonds that refinance existing obligations of the City resulted in $5.6 million of debt service savings for taxpayers through 2039, or $4.7 million on a present value basis.

Mayor Lee said that, based on her experience serving on the House Financial Services Committee of the U.S. Congress for more than 10 years, city staff has done an exemplary job.

“I have witnessed many cities go to the bond market throughout the years,” she said. “I can tell you with certainty that Oakland’s team is remarkable, and our residents should be proud of their reputation, their competence, and their deep knowledge of this very sophisticated market.”

Looking ahead to the final sale of the bonds, according to the city press statement, pricing marks the point at which the City and investors locked in the final dollar amounts, interest rates, and other key terms of the bond sale. This stage is commonly referred to as the sale date. At pricing, no funds are exchanged. The actual delivery of bonds and receipt of monies occurs at closing, which is scheduled within the next two weeks.

Capital projects receiving this funding will proceed on individual timelines based on their individual conditions and needs. At the time of closing, funding will be immediately available to those projects.

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