The fate of a proposed 40-story residential tower in the heart of downtown Oakland hangs in the balance following yesterday’s City Council meeting, where an appeal against the project was considered. The project is adjacent to Geoffrey’s Inner Circle, a music and entertainment venue that’s operated in a historic building on the corner of 14th Street and Franklin for decades. The owner, Geoffrey Pete, has fought to stop the highrise, which he claims will ruin his business.
Earlier this year, Oakland’s Planning Commission moved the project forward, overriding objections from Pete and his supporters, many of whom are Black entrepreneurs and artists. In the city’s fifth and final hearing on this project before the City Council, which has the final word on the appeal that Pete filed, the council heard from Pete and the city planning department.
Planning staff recommended that the council deny Pete’s appeal. But in a surprising twist, the council cast a split vote, temporarily stalling the project.
Councilmembers Dan Kalb, Nikki Fortunato Bas, Carroll Fife, and Rebecca Kaplan voted to reject the appeal. Noel Gallo voted no, and Kevin Jenkins abstained. Councilmembers Treva Reid and Janani Ramachandran were not present for the vote. But in this case, abstentions and absences count as “no” votes, according to the city’s rules.
Under the City Charter, Mayor Sheng Thao must cast the tie-breaking vote. Thao wasn’t present to vote on Tuesday night, so the city will reconvene on January 16 for the sole purpose of deciding the appeal with the mayor’s vote.
Concerns about construction impacts, gentrification
The unusual split vote followed several hours of heated discussion among councilmembers, staff, and members of the public about the fate of Geoffrey’s Inner Circle.
Fife, whose district houses Pete’s establishment, voted to uphold a separate appeal Pete filed to stop an alternative version of the project from the same developer, a 27-story office building at the same location. Regarding the residential housing version of the project, Fife said state law has specific safety and public health conditions for cities to reject residential projects, which Pete’s appeal didn’t meet. Upholding Pete’s appeal could potentially cost the city money from state housing grants.
“What we have in front of us today is a very narrow decision we have to make based on what we’ve been presented, which puts us in a very challenging position,” Fife said.
The failed vote occurred after Fife, Kalb, and Kaplan added last-minute amendments to impose more rigorous conditions on the construction process for Tidewater’s residential project, including noise mitigation measures and a required community meeting on the development’s draft construction management plan. And they emphasized that the city can halt the project if Tidewater fails to comply with any of the requirements.
A representative for Pete said that the developer and the Planning Commission failed to recognize until recently that Geoffrey’s Inner Circle is part of the Black Arts Movement and Business District, a cultural designation for businesses and organizations in the 14th Street downtown corridor. She argued that Geoffrey’s Inner Circle should have been treated as a protected historic building by the Planning Commission and Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board. The rep, who didn’t share their name, also indicated that Pete is pursuing legal action against Tidewater over an easement issue between the properties.
Dozens of people showed up to support Pete and urge the council to uphold his appeal. Nina Moore, the third-generation co-owner of Everett & Jones BBQ, warned that people in the new development will complain about Pete’s business and try to shut it down.
“We don’t need people coming and taking from us,” Moore said, referring to Tidewater. “You need to go somewhere else.”
Craig Jones, whose family-owned Uncle Willie’s BBQ restaurant in the BAMBD, said that construction process for a Marriott Hotel that was built next to them forced the restaurant to shut down. Jones said he is not anti-development, but said powerful developers need to be more considerate of the community they’re joining.
“We must hold big developers accountable and insist on responsible development to safeguard our communities,” Jones said.
Kyle Winkler, Tidewater’s construction director, said the developer has taken efforts to get Pete’s input and address his concerns. Tidewater has also received letters of support from Oakland businesses and business associations, including some in the Black Arts Movement and Business District, such as the African American Museum and Library at Oakland.
“We very much intend for our development to help support the district rather than harm it,” Winkler said.
