23rd Avenue Corridor Action Team

23rd Avenue Corridor Action Team Meeting
Chart Notes
March 8, 2004

MINUTES

Present: Jennie Mollica, Susanne Takehara, Bill Wong, Andy Nelsen, Eric Cone, Diana Willi ams, Noe Noyola, Robert Hickey, Theresa Navarro, Wendy Simon, Pat Constantine, Emma Risley, Jess Wendover

I. Overview of PAC Process

Theresa Navarro and Wendy Simon from the Oakland Redevelopment Authority gave a broad overview of where the redevelopment process is and handed out documents about possible funding criteria. They also gave a rough timeline for the city's process with July being the month of recommendations to the City Council, and this fall for when the council might approve funding for various projects. They answered questions posed by the Committee:

What is the format for presenting proposals to the PAC?

• Theresa is working on a proposal template
• ORA will be particularly looking for projects that fall into the delayed revenue option
• Funds can be requested for pre-development
• It will be important for the City to know exactly where a project is in its development.
• The PAC is initially focusing on short-term projects

How do we determine which committees to present projects to?

• We should submit proposals to all 3 committees that our projects fall within: Public Improvements; Economic Development; and Housing.

What is the relationship between the sub-areas and the committees?

• Funding decisions will not be made by sub-area
• Decisions will be made by the committee based on the type of project
• Committees will make recommendations to the full PAC, which will make the final decision
• It is possible that the PAC will decide to concentrate spending in one sub-area, at least initially

How much money is available in the first round of funding?

• $542,000 for housing projects
• $806,000 for other development projects

What criteria will be used to review projects?

• Each committee has a matrix of criteria

How will Option 2 allocations (Delayed Revenue Incentive Program) be decided?

• ORA has identified sites for potential development
• Decisions will be based on city staff recommendations, willingness of property owners to develop their property, and developer interest

What process should the 23rd Avenue Work Group use to develop project proposals?

• Work Group should review each committee’s criteria
• All projects should be submitted in one proposal, although projects should also be individually submitted to the appropriate committee

II. Preparation of 23rd Avenue Corridor Project Proposals

The group reviewed each of the priority projects and identified the steps that need to be taken to prepare a proposal for the PAC. Starred and bolded bullets indicate an action item that the person named has agreed to follow-up on.

Cultural Center

• ESAA is looking at the Yee Tang building. Unfortunately, this building is not in the Central City East Redevelopment Area. However, they are also consider a couple of other sites that do fall in the CCE area.
• ESAA will make a presentation to the Real Estate Council at their next meeting and ascertain whether there is interest from developers in this project.
• Susanne will follow-up with Jennie Mollica, Jess Wendover, and Kathleen Diop from Art House about sources of pre-development funding for the cultural center that could provide a match for the city’s redevelopment money.

Streetscape Improvements on 23rd Avenue

• We need to take a close look at the PAC committee criteria
• A traffic study by Public Works is needed
• Urban Ecology will provide a list of recommendations on how to move these projects closer to being ready for implementation
• Urban Ecology will set-up a meeting with Public Works to find out what projects in the corridor are on their priority list.

Streetscape Improvements around Garfield Elementary School

• Request that LLP compile data on accidents around Garfield school (contact Jason Patton and Tom Vandermark at the Oakland Pedestrian Safety Project for this data as well as school Principal).
• Ask David Kakishiba to line-upSchool District support for this project
• Urban Ecology will develop language around the Robert Wood Johnson proposal so that these funds can help leverage redevelopment money.

Rehabilitation Efforts Along 23rd Avenue

• There was discussion about making YEP an anchor project for this piece of work. However, YEP is not in the CCE Redevelopment Area.
• Pat C. will get recommendations from the Merchants Association on how the City’s façade program could be improved.
• Pat C. will find out which businesses already have face designs and gather these together.
• Jennie will ask the Real Estate Council whether any of them have an interest in undertaking a mixed-use project in the corridor.

Support Affordable Housing

• Deb will provide an analysis of developer interest in housing projects in the corridor.
• Jennie will work with the Housing Work Group to prepare a proposal.

A special meeting of the 23rd Avenue Work Group was scheduled for March 29th to follow-up on project development. People should complete their assignments and bring reports and products to that meeting.

NEXT MEETING

Monday, March 29th
1:00-2:30pm
EBAYC