Welcome Galatea Cafe!

Just open on Wood Street between 15th and 16th in West Oakland, Café Galatea is a new café bringing life to the area surrounding the Central Station community and its new neighbors at the Pacific Cannery Lofts.
Owner/artist David Ghadini is the friendly face behind the counter serving up an array of expresso drinks, teas, cold drinks, muffins, fruit, cookies, bagels and a breakfast croissant egg sandwich. This is a place where you can meet, sit, eat, relax, and surf the web (internet is free with a purchase). There are also board games including chess and scrabble for a friendly nerd tournament. Café hours are 6:30 am to 2pm but the plan is to extend hours to 4pm as the business grows.

The atmosphere here at Café Galatea is very pleasant, quiet and artful. The walls are hung with paintings by artist Sabrina Fadial and David displays his sculptures throughout. When sipping your coffee, make sure to look up and check out the light that was designed by David. Very Cool!

How Far Would You Travel for a Waffle?

Jonathan Gold of Gourmet Magazine, a self proclaimed waffle snob, has admitted to traveling miles to taste many a good waffle but states that once he tasted the waffles at Brown Sugar Kitchen it was like he had never tasted a waffle at all. Jonathan describes the yeasted cornmeal waffles at Brown Sugar Kitchen as so light and so crisp that they are almost a different species. We are lucky to have Tanya Holland, brilliant chef and owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen, right here in the neighborhood, a stones throw away from the Pacific Cannery Lofts. Jonathan on the other hand had to travel 400 miles for his waffle. To read more about Jonathan Gold's experience at BSK click here.

KGO Covers Gracie Madden's Home

The story of Gracie Madden’s home aired Thursday, May 14th on the KGO 5pm news.


Click here for the video; Holliday Development folks are seen in the background working …

Here are some excerpts:

Cannon Constructors stepped up to finish the project with the help of an all volunteer crew, including some who are unemployed.

"It's very heartwarming. Again, we do it because we can. We have the opportunity to take care of somebody else," said Ken Kuhn from Cannon Constructors.

This is one of 40 homes being repaired by the non-profit group Rebuilding Together Oakland Nationally, rebuilding together rehabilitated 4,000 homes and non-profits in April.

"It's wonderful how we're able to leverage the resources that are out here and able to do the work at no cost to our homeowners," said Kym Luqman from Rebuilding Oakland Together.

Good feelings were all around.

"There's is good people still out here and it just overwhelms our hearts," said Edward's mom Leora Clay.

For some history, check out “Contractor abandons family mid-project”

A thank you note from Marie and Gracie

Marie and Gracie live in the Oakland house that we worked on with Cannon Constructors in conjunction with Rebuilding Together. (See previous post)
Below is the text from a thank you note they sent 5-7-09.
Marie and Gracie....it was our pleasure to work on your house!

To the Holliday Sponsors...Angels you are!
My family and I can't thank you enough. We are so pleased with our new home. You are so appreciated for your donation and love and work put out for my family. We haven't smiled in 3 years because of a disaster to our home. (referring to the unscrupulous contractor who ripped them off). But we now know there really are beautiful people willing to come into our lives and change everything. Again thanks just doesn't seem to say enough for your support. God bless you all.
Marie and Gracie
And mon looks forward to looking at her flower bed.

HD & CANNON work on Rebuilding Together house

For the past couple of years Holliday Development and Cannon Constructors have paired up to sponsor and work on a house in need for Rebuilding Together Oakland. RTO is nonprofit and primarily works with elderly and disabled people in Oakland who can’t afford to fix their homes. This year we worked on a “Heavy House” meaning it needed lots of skilled work to bring it up to snuff. With months of preparation, planning and dedication, the house was completed in two days, April 18th and 25th. Here is what we did:

A handicapped ramp was erected in the the back of the house so the thirteen year old paraplegic boy who lives there could come and go without assistance. When the ramp was completed and the young man first descended down the ramp there were tears in everyone’s eyes.

The team completed the lath and then plastered and painted the house inside and out. Some light electrical and carpentry work was also performed, in addition to sloping and tiling a bathroom floor making it wheelchair accessible.

No one knew at the time that the homeowner had worked with an unscrupulous contractor who was picked up by KGO – 7 On Your Side. They went after the contractor, but the homeowner, Gracie Madden, still did not get her issued addressed. KGO followed up with her to see how see was doing, and she told them that “RTO is fixing my house”. KGO plans to cover this event as a “happy ending”. Regardless if the TV crew shows up or not…it IS a happy ending. Check out the picture of Gracie and her daughter. I must say that it was a pleasure working with them. The sweet potato pie these ladies baked for us was “to die for”!

We got it!

Thanks to Cal Inman, project manager at Holliday Development, we now have the final CO for the Pacific Cannery Lofts. CO stands for Certificate of Occupancy and is a document issued by a local government agency or building department certifying a buildings compliance with applicable building codes, indicating that it is ready for occupancy. (a TCO or temporary certificate of occupancy, grants the same rights as the CO but for a limited amount of time) Cal Inman joined Holliday Development in 2005 after studying real estate finance and entrprneurial studies at USF.
He jumped right into project managing the Pacific Cannery Lofts program and has done a fabulous job. Thanks Cal!

KQED SPARK airs

KQED's arts program, SPARK, recently aired featuring Katherine Westerhout photographing the light in the abandoned Oakland Train Station. If you missed it you can still view the segment and read the copy by clicking here, and searching Oakland Train Station.
ENJOY!

THE QUESTION

In Dave Newhouse’s Sunday, March 29th, 2009 Good Neighbors article answers THE QUESTION “Oakland's wonderful despite warts”

Excerpts from that article:

THE QUESTION, of course: How can you live in a place like Oakland?

I quickly grew to like Oakland because of this cultural diversity, which has increased over the years. More than any other Bay Area city, Oakland resembles a pocket-size United Nations in its citizenry. Fascinating, indeed.

A fact that's often lost because of Oakland's crime figures, but its residents do get along as a rule. And you can have a good time in Oakland because it's hospitable, not haughty.

People eat well here, too. Oakland has the best soul food and — sorry, San Jose — the best Mexican food. Oakland has the Bay Area's premier ice cream parlor in Fentons, the best pizza at Pizzaiolo, the best bakery at Bake Sale Betty's, and the funkiest watering hole (now that the Kingfish is closed) in Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon.

Yoshi's of Oakland is the best local jazz club, intimate with great acoustics. However, Oakland is a phantasmagoria of international music in its wide-ranging sound. While the Oakland East Bay Symphony isn't as wealthy as the San Francisco Symphony, it isn't as staid either. OEBS director/conductor Michael Morgan is willing to experiment with new composers, and successfully.

And Oakland has restored — count them — two classic vintage theaters in the Paramount and Fox. Name another town where you've seen this happen.

When it comes to sports, Oakland tops San Francisco in world championships with eight (A's four, Raiders three, Warriors one) to five (all 49ers). No major-league city has anyone like Al Davis, who has been a coach, general manager, owner and commissioner, plus he moved his franchise out of town and then, uniquely, moved it back. Only in Oakland.

Oakland has much to offer, including fantastic hiking trails in its hills. And College Avenue, as I've stated before, is the greatest street in America — even before it hits the Berkeley city line — because of its incredible diversity.

Add the quaint European village-like atmosphere of the Montclair district, and that's yet another reason THE QUESTION doesn't bother me quite like it does some outsiders.

Repost from POPNA site

The Velo Lounge at PCL is Full of Bikes!

Today the Holliday Development staff strapped on their bike helmets and shuttled more than 20 bikes from storage at the HD offices to the Velo Lounge at the Pacific Cannery Lofts. The bikes were purchased from Backroads Active Travel Company based in Berkeley and had to travel from Utah where they were being used and stored for cycling vacations. Any resident at Pacific Cannery Lofts is more than welcome to use a bike for commuting or pleasure. Bike locks are provided and you can get the combination to the locks from the sales staff. For your safety please where a helmut when riding.

For information on routes, rules, safety, commuting and more check out the bicycle section of 511.org. and the East Bay Bicycle Coalition.
A special thanks to BACKROADS for their assistance and generosity.

KQED SPARK program features Westerhout, photographer, at the Oakland Train Station

Spark follows photographer Katherine Westerhout inside a forgotten West Oakland landmark -- the 16th Street Train Station. Once the terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad, this Beaux Arts gem located just down the street from the Pacific Cannery Lofts is part of the Central Station development of West Oakland.

Westerhout's photographs are a selection from an ongoing series of urban landscapes that focus on interior spaces of abandoned buildings in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. For more information and a preview of this episode please check the Spark site.

You can view the spark episode at the following times:

KQED TV9/HD
Wed Apr. 1, 2009 -- 7:30 pm
Thur Apr. 2, 2009 -- 1:30 am
Fri Apr. 3, 2009 -- 11:30 pm
Sat Apr. 4, 2009 -- 5:30 am

KQED Life
Sat Apr. 4, 2009 -- 2:00 pm
Sun Apr. 5, 2009 -- 11:00 am

Produced by KQED Public Television, Spark is about Bay Area artists and arts organizations -- it is a weekly television show, an educational outreach program and a website. More than a showcase for art objects and the artists who make them, Spark takes the audience inside the creative process to witness the challenges, opportunities and rewards of making art.

The Grove at Pacific Cannery Lofts

The linear garden at The PCL Grove connects the cannery building to the new Cooling Shed Townhouses. Musa basjoo, Banana trees, Papyrus, Bamboo, and Chinese Lantern border a 250-foot long permeable crushed stone walk. Groundcover plantings of Rubus, and Anenome can also be seen in this area. All ground floor living units facing the grove have semi-private outdoor terrace areas where residents may embellish their own homes with individual plantings and furnishings. Yet another beautiful outdoor space created by the Miller Company in conjunction with Holliday Development.

History in the Gardens

Throughout the project, Miller Company has sited historic elements saved from the original cannery building into the garden areas. In the western entry area historic cast iron wheels, magnificent survivors of the industrial age from the ice making machinery, have been mounted as a sculptural reminder of what once was at the heart of the building. At the eastern end of the Entry Dining Courtyard the factory's original industrial scale, originally used to weigh cans before being loaded onto trains, is placed at the building entrance. Miller Company also incorporated antique switchgear, valves, and gauges now repurposed throughout the project marking underground pipes. Finally, electrical panels from the original cannery are placed at the end of each courtyard. Take a stroll through the grounds and enjoy!

What's with all the MUD!

It's hard not to notice all the mud on the sales office side of the Pacific Cannery Lofts, especially now that it is being worked and evened out. Curious about what is happening there? We again look to the fine work of Jeff Miller and his Landscape company who are preparing that entire area for a burst of color in the spring. The now primed soil will be peppered with California wildflower and native plant seeds. In this mixture are blossoms that will spring forth at different times throughout the year. So what are they waiting for?....a dry spell... to spread the seed mixture. If the soil is too wet the seeds will rot instead of grow. So keep you eye on the mud. Once the seeds are sown it won't take long for the color to bloom.

Brown Sugar Kitchen News!

Did you see the food section in today's (March 1) Chronicle. If not, take a look and you will see an article about the fresh spin on soul food featuring Tanya Holland and the bustling Brown Sugar Kitchen. Tanya's delicious dishes are based on specialties from African American kitchens but use local free range poultry and California grass fed beef along with yams and other produce from local organic farms. This application of French culinary style and a more polished presentation is taking the West Oakland community and beyond by storm.
Brown Sugar Kitchen has also just been voted Best Soul Food in Oakland, in the upcoming May issue of Oakland Magazine's "Best of" issue. BSK has truly become an anchor in the budding community of West Oakland. If you haven't already indulged..........need I say more!

Green Thumb Artist

If you have walked through the Pacific Cannery Lofts you have undoubtedly experienced the beautiful landscaping, courtyards, historic items and seating areas that make the Pacific Cannery Lofts the place you want to live and hang out. Holliday Development has always put serious thought into what makes the difference between a "project" and a "community" and part of that answer is accessibility to inviting outside space where residents, their friends and pets can get to know each other. No one is better at designing and landscaping these spaces than Jeff Miller and his staff at The Miller Company. Jeff is one of the few landscape architects who has explored and mastered landscape design as a way of improving living conditions in urban areas. He has worked his magic on many previous HD projects including the Lofts at 18th and Arkansas in SF, Emeryville Warehouse in Emeryville, and Iron Horse Lofts in Walnut Creek. In the next few blogs I will be covering different aspects of Jeff's work on our gardens and relaying the thought process behind the landscape art. We are so lucky to have Jeff working his green thumb art at PCL.

Jones on "Spin Cycle"

Jones' first bath at the Pacific Cannery Lofts Laundramutt! The dog washing station is open 24/7 to all residents and their pets. Given the rain we are getting I expect it to be a busy place.
Wear a raincoat if you dog goes on spin cycle like Jones!

Brown Sugar Kitchen Celebrates It's First Birthday

Just a year ago today (January 15th) Tanya Holland, chef and owner of Brown Sugar Kitchen, opened her New Style Soul Restaurant on Mandela Parkway in West Oakland. Soul is the key word here as it applies not only to the fabulous food served, but the way the food is prepared and served, and the community that dines there. BSK has become this magical melting pot of food and spirit that marks the heart of the West Oakland community. Walk in anyday (or more likely...take a place in line while enjoying a cup of Blue Bottle Coffee) and you will find a buzz from the variety of people who are indulging in BSK culinary delights. The restaurant name, Brown Sugar Kitchen, was explained in last November's Oakbook Magazine article entitled, "Oakland's Got Soul Food" and is worth repeating here. Tanya liked the word "Kitchen" for starters and "Brown Sugar" is a euphemism for an African American woman in addition to being one of Tanya's favorite ingredients. Her hope was to bring something positive to her own neighborhood and a city that she loves. Well Tanya.....you have done it! Happy Birthday from all of us at Holliday Development! We will all be in for some cake soon!

Bookmark it! Prescott-Oakland Point Blog

I recently went back to check the Oakland Prescott Blog created by Marcus Johnson. I hadn't been there for a while and was amazed at the amount of updated information that is gathered there. From art to culinary interests, from getting around by bus, train, bike or walking, to up to date events in the area....it is all there on this one blog. Easy to navigate and ever growing I would strongly suggest bookmarking this site and visiting it often.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please send a email to blogger, Marcus Johnson and put "POPNA" in subject line.

West Oakland Looks to SoMa's revival model

The Novemeber 21-27 SF Business Times featured an article paralleling the current changes in West Oakland to the revival of the South of Market area of San Francisco in the late 80's. This neighborhood transformed from an under utilized industrial zone to a booming office and residential district. Rick Holliday had a large hand in the SoMa revival as he developed three of the first San Francisco loft buildings in this area, 601 4th Street, followed by 355 Bryant Street and the Clocktower Lofts on Second Street. Rick and many other developers including Pulte Homes and Bridge Housing believe that West Oakland is on the cusp. Read more

Oakland is Yummy

With Oakland being the home to brands such as Del Monte Foods, Granny Goose, and Mothers Cakes and Cookies, it has been able to distinguish itself as a city with some serious culinary roots. The epicurean character of Oakland has not only sustained itself, but has expanded to include dozens of other local businesses such as Numi Teas, Revolution Foods and Blue Bottle Cofee. And now, you can experience the "yummy" character of Oakland by taking the Oakland Waterfront Foodtrail, a tour that guides you through Oakland's culinary businesses by bike or foot. Learn more here, and get a real taste of Oakland!

Rick Holliday Interview in the SF Business Times

An executive profile of Developer Rick Holliday of Holliday Development was published in the October 17 - 23, 2008 edition of the San Francisco Business Times. The tag line on the front page was..."How Bay Area developer Rick Holliday stays aloft". Many people don't realize that Rick's career roots were in affordable housing and that he was the founder of Eden Housing in Hayward and co-founder of BRIDGE housing in San Francisco where he currently serves as Chairman of the Board. After leaving BRIDGE he became one of the first developers to turn in-fill sites into live/work lofts and residential projects in the South of Market area. Having build 16 residential developments throughout the Bay Area Rick is now focused on projects in Truckee, Sacramento, West Oakland and San Francisco. Read Ricks interview in the SF Business Times by clicking here.

Art @ Pacific Cannery Lofts

Last Friday night the Pacific Cannery Lofts came alive with activity as 30 local artists displayed their work. The art included sculptures, paintings, metal works, collage, fashion and music. The food was provided by Brown Sugar Kitchen, the new "PLACE TO EAT" in Oakland. Pulled pork and vegetable sandwiches followed by individual pecan pies where examples of the delicious fare. The music touched on both Jazz and fabulous violin music accompanied by drums and guitar. Hardly a foot was able to keep from moving!

We will keep you posted of future events in the courtyards of the Pacific Cannery Loft!

Art @ Pacific Cannery Lofts

WEST OAKLAND AT THE MOMENT celebrates thirty artists that live or work within a three block radius of the Pacific Cannery Lofts. Exploring the mediums of paint, sculpture, and fashion, these artists express the spirit and diversity of West Oakland through their art.

"West Oakland at the Moment" continues
Art @ the Cannery, a 6 month rotating exhibition of local and regional art. Join us October 3rd for a night of food, drink, art and music to celebrate and discover the artists and entrepreneurs that make-up this diverse community.

6pm Friday, October 3rd at Pacific Cannery Lofts 1199 Pine Street, Oakland

Courtyard to Courtyard

Last week we celebrated the completion of the main courtyard at the Pacific Cannery Lofts as well as the 20 year anniversary of Holliday Development.

To celebrate the potential of what we believe to be our best work to date, we shined a light on the history one of our past projects, the Clocktower Lofts.

The Clocktower has a similar design, the same development team, and also sold in the face of a tough real estate market almost 20 years ago. The Clocktower and Pacific Cannery also hug opposite ends of the Bay Bridge, located just 5 miles apart from each other. While people originally bought lofts at the Clocktower for $200,000 - $250,000 that are now worth 3-4 times that amount, we are now bringing the Pacific Cannery Lofts to the market from $250,000 as well.

To celebrate the communities and the value, Don Bleu of Star 101.3 who has a personal tie to the Clocktower, joined us to host the event. Shuttles took people between the two projects where parties were going on at each location, allowing people to see firsthand how the buildings are just 10 minutes apart, have similar feels, and how an almost identical loft at the Pacific Cannery is as much as $500,000 less than its Clocktower counterpart.

View a slideshow of the event here, and stop by soon to see the finished courtyards at the Cannery.

The Velo Lounge Revs Up

The Cannery has been buzzing with excitement as it approaches its final stages: finished landscaping, lights in the courtyard....it just seems like yesterday when the scaffolding was up and humming with construction workers.

And now thanks to our fellow bike enthusiasts at Backroads, Pacific Cannery Lofts has snagged some Cannondale bikes to be housed in the Velo Lounge, and welcomed its first batch this week! Whether going to BART, Whole Foods, Brown Sugar Kitchen or Raimondi Park, these bikes will be available for cruising the scenic roads of Oakland. Already have a bike? Not a problem, the Velo Lounge will also serve as bike storage/maintenance where you can meet other fellow bikers at Pacific Cannery Lofts.

Grand Re-Opening at Ernie Raimondi Park

On Sunday Oct. 5th from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. there will be a grand re-opening ceremony at Ernie Raimondi Park located at 1700 Wood St. in West Oakland. The event will feature many local sports teams and include a free soccer clinic for youth, a football scrimmage, a cheerleading demonstration and local baseball leagues. In addition, there will be ongoing activities for all including music, food, face painting and informational tables. A special program will be held at 1 p.m. to recognize all those involved in bringing Phase 1 to fruition. We invite you to attend this celebration and share in the festivities. This will be a fun filled event for the entire family and a great way to learn more about your local parks and Oakland community. If you have any questions about the celebration feel free to call or email either Kathy Raymond, Executive Director of Friends of Oakland Parks and Recreation, at 510-465-1850 or oaklandparks@sbcglobal.net or Marguerite Hinrichs, Special Events/Marketing Coordinator for the City of Oakland Office of Parks and Recreation at 510-238-2082 or mhinrichs@oaklandnet.com. We look forward to seeing you at the Park!

Photo Update

View from the Signature Model just after sunset. The loft looks over the port, the bay, and towards downtown San Francisco and Angel Island.

Emory Douglas at the Pacific Cannery Lofts

Village Bottoms Cultural District and the Black New World Presents:

BLACK PANTHER
the culture of ministry of
EMORY DOUGLAS

in collaborations with and curated by
Marcel Diallo

August 22, 2008 - Sept 26, 2008

Pacific Cannery Lofts,1200 Pine Street, Oakland ART @ THE CANNERY

Opening Night Reception
Friday Aug. 22 @ 7pm
A conversation with Emory Douglas
A performance by Marcel Diallo & co.
Plus a special cultural presentation

Prints and Books available on site
510.451.4661 BlackNewWorld.com

Sculpture by Bruce Beasley in Beijing

Bruce Beasley, Local West Oakland resident and world renown sculptor calls his piece at the Beijing Olympics "Gathering of the Moons". Although it brings Olympic Rings to mind he started playing with these shapes long before he got the commission in Beijing. The discs made of steel slicing into each other have a certain dynamism and movement as described by Mr. Beasley but beyond that he will let the sculpture speak for itself. The actual piece was first designed digitally with 3-D software and then formed out of plastic. This piece along with other Beasley designs was manufactured and assembled in China but unlike others this one stayed in China.

Mr. Beasley has commissions all over the world and those of you who fly to the Olympics from San Francisco will see his amazing art at the beginning and end of your journey, both in the SF airport and at one of the Olympic Parks......ENJOY!

Photo Highlight - Sunset at the Lofts

Tuesday night was not only a nice summer evening, but it created quite a glow around the Cannery. This shot by Nancy Holliday is looking down the main courtyard. Once the courtyard is complete, it too will have its own glow with lights softly illuminating the sides of the walkway.

Prescott/Oakland Point/Central Station Community Neighborhood Block Party

COME MEET YOUR NEIGHBORS!

National Night Out is the nation's night out against crime. Sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch, residents are encouraged to join with their neighbors to have a neighborhood block party, ice cream social or other outdoor event to build neighborhood spirit and unity - which is the first defense against crime. Research shows that when neighbors know each other and look out for each other crime goes down.

Oakland's National Night Out is on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 between 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm at the intersection of 12th and Pine St. adjacent to the Pacific Cannery Lofts. Please bring you favorite food or snack to add to the shared refreshments.

For additional information please contact Marcus Johnson, Prescott NCPC (Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council)
at 510 290 8300

For information on this national event go to http://www.oaklandnet.com/nno2008.html

Time Trials 5 - Can't Fail Cafe to Pacific Cannery Lofts

A Time Trials Exclusive: Watch JT cruise back to the Pacific Cannery Lofts on his bike after enjoying some "Combat Mac 'n Cheese" at Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe in Emeryville, across the street from town hall and Pixar. How long does it take him to get home?

Shake it with Metro Station

Metro Station rocked out at the Pacific Cannery Lofts with a private concert for 50 lucky guests this afternoon.

Before playing a full concert in Berkeley tonight, the band stopped by for an E-Room event put together by Energy 92.7. Radio listeners over the past week were able to win VIP tickets to attend the show and meet the band.

While we couldn't accommodate their request for a free loft, we did let them know they can own for less than $2,000 a month. They said they'd be back after selling a few more albums, of which we wish them the best of luck as they continue to cruise up the top hits list, currently number 7 on the Billboard Top 40 and also on the iTunes top 10 most downloaded songs.

The event was a great start for the Third Space at the Pacific Cannery Lofts, a cornerstone space that will be home to many more artists of all kinds down the line.

Time to come back for a visit

A lot has been happening onsite, and now is the time to comeback for a visit at the Pacific Cannery. The update below from Rick Holliday gives a sense for everything that's been happening, and it is already out of date!

Fire Arts Festival

I was there on Friday night, at the Fire Arts Festival put on by the Crucible in West Oakland. This was a celebration of creativity through fire and light.

This scorching showcase of fire performance is the largest collection of fire and light installations on the West Coast. The Fire Vortex by Nate Smith, pictured here, was a stream of fire spun around by well placed fans reaching up towards the height of the BART tracks. I kept wondering what the people riding BART were thinking as they looked down on this fire vortex and all the other blazing pieces of art. The proceeds from the festival provide critical funding for the Crucible's arts and education programs for all ages from 8 up. Classes include anything from blacksmithing and ceramics to glass, foundry, jewelry making and working with neon and light. You can find out more about this incredible art opportunity at www.thecrucible.org. Check it out!

More Young Talent

You may have seen a young Brazilian woman carrying a tripod and camera bag around the Pacific Cannery Lofts lately. She is Carmen Campos, a masters student at Academy of Art College in San Francisco. She is "shooting" the lofts inside and out and we will be displaying her work on our website gallery once she is finished.

Carmen comes from Sao Paulo, Brazil where she completed her undergraduate degree in advertising at McKenzie University and a graduate degree in Film and Television Business at Fundação Getulio Vargas-SP. Keep tuned for her images popping up her and there.

Discover

Discover the stories and pictures that follow the Cannery from its days as the Pacific Coast Canning Company to its rebirth as the Pacific Cannery Lofts. This online gallery brings together some of the best imagery from the different stages of the Cannery's life.

The building flourished 100 years ago with over a thousand workers, provided shelter for refugees of the 1906 earthquake, and was a source of food for troops during World War I. While it closed up during the Great Depression, the legacy of the Pacific Coast Cannery lives on.

It's history has never been forgotten as nearly 40 family members of the original founder, Lew Hing, were at the Cannery for a tour just a week ago. The family has not only provided great support to the rebirth of the building, but they have also played an integral role in helping us be able to hone and tell the story of Lew Hing and the Pacific Coast Cannery.

Again, I encourage to take a minute and enjoy the online gallery.

Budding Photographer visits Pacific Cannery Lofts

Budding Photographer Rosanna Anson Vazquez, who has generously agreed to display her most recent works in our signature loft, visited to view her works in the recently installed model and was thrilled with the results. She was amazed at the amount of light in the unit and to see her works in such a "cool" setting. Keep tuned as we will be having an evening wine and cheese event to meet the artist including many of her fellow photography friends and professors. For a preview of her works check out www.rusansonphotography.com.
I have found so many young talented artists to work with in a number of projects over the past few years. Thanks to all the new young talent out there.

Live Green, Make Money

We'll spend more time elaborating on some of the green elements at the Pacific Cannery Lofts, but Yahoo! News reported yesterday on a growing trend about saving money by living in smart locations. With gas and energy prices skyrocketing, the financial impact of heavy transit is obviously adding up quickly. Being centrally located, both for having short trips to get where you need to go and for having multiple public transit options, can result in saving hundreds of dollars a month. That money adds up quick, and the location at the Pacific Cannery Lofts is about as central as it gets. The article highlights one buyer that was able to take his savings on car and gas expenses and use it to cross the threshold into homeownership. Also highlighted is research that is showing that well located homes near public transit are "selling faster and at better prices."

As one interviewee states: "When we decided that we were going to make a move we basically put a dot in the middle of the map where my office is and said, `We are not going to live farther than essentially a 20-minute circle around that,'" Bulkeley said.

Bulkeley's logic makes sense, and so does being in a location is less than 20 minutes to downtown San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley by almost any mode of transportation.

We've mentioned often that the Cannery is next to the 16th Street Train Station, the terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad...this point used to be the center of all major raillines and was chosen because of its central location, and that type of connectedness to infrastructure (now in the form of all major freeways, bike paths, and BART) is as true today as it was 100 years ago.

PCL Haiku Corner

For all our clients, loft owners and friends who have ever dabbled in poetry, or wanted to...this is your chance. I like writing Haiku poetry while commuting by ferry and Bart to the sales office here on site at Pacific Cannery. Yesterday, as I arrived and saw the building without all its scaffolding, I wrote the following:

Purple walls rising
from dust and dreams and labor-
Lofts born of rubble.

Then I thought there might be someone else who would like to join me in a Loft Haiku corner. So, a haiku poem is three lines, consisting of 5 syllables in the first line, 7 syllables in the second line and five syllables in the third line.
Anyone else want to join me? Trust me, it is fun!

Saving Gas?

Yahoo! news reports that some workers are taking an opportunity to switch to 4 day work weeks to save money on commutes. The article focuses first on custodians that are actually choosing to not work a 5th day at all given their commuting costs, but certainly people able to work from home are more likely to start exercising that option more and more.

Based out of a location like the Pacific Cannery Lofts, I know my commuting would literally drop in half. The central location and access to public transit helps that cause, but the more exciting option is the zero commute: with entrepreneurs and live-workers looking to be a part of the Pacific Cannery community, a commute can be as simple as walking down the stairs. Investing those savings can amount to several thousands of dollars a year.

Raimondi Park Looking Good

After many months of construction (which is still continuing), Raimondi Park is looking great.

The park is over 10 acres and is named after Ernie Raimondi, a local hero and baseball player that grew up just blocks away.

The redevelopment will include 2 soccer/football fields, a baseball diamond, tot lot, picnic area, putting green, and more. The park is located just across the street from Central Station and is an exciting redevelopment for the area. The Oakland Oaks used to practice on the fields, and before construction began the fields were regularly bustling with kids sports games, drawing players from all over the area.

Bike Lounge Moving Forward

The Velo Lounge at the Pacific Cannery Lofts is built-out with furniture, workstands, worktops, and more.

Some final pieces are yet to come, including the bike racks, but the workspace is looking great. I'm already looking forward to spending afternoons tuning up my bike and relaxing on the couch...instead of my current challenge of trying to tune my bike while not covering my living room in grease.

More surprises are yet to come to the bike lounge, so stay tuned for its grand opening. We'll be posting some of our favorite rides on the bulletin board in the lounge, so if you've got any favorites you want included, let us know.

Right Before Your Eyes

We have been using our Pacific Cannery Lofts renderings for months to help those interested to picture the look and feel of this unique loft community. As you can see, those rendering will very soon be obsolete as we are heading for the finish line at PCL. The sidewalks, hallways and gardens are now going in as we begin to wrap up these future homes.

Here at Holliday Development we are thoroughly enjoying watching these finishing touches become a reality instead of a two dimensional image. Check out the insert on the attached rendering. That is a recent picture of the real thing!

Progress on the Courtyards

Progress on the courtyards is moving along. We posted a few weeks ago about the palm trees being craned in, as were the concrete benches and tables in the center of the courtyard.

More paving and landscaping is underway, but the courtyard is already really taking shape. Yesterday we enjoyed the warm weather for a few minutes by relaxing on the benches.

The third courtyard, which we'll post about soon, is just as serene but with a very different feel. Slatted-wood pathways warm that third courtyard, creating a contrast to the stone pathways in this Living Room courtyard.

In the spirit of Bike to Work Day

In the spirit of Bike to Work Day, which is coming up on Thursday, I want to give a quick kudos to Topeak Cycling products. I've long been using their JoeBlow Pro floor-pump, which up until last week has been great. Last Monday morning when my car was in the shop and I decided to ride my bike into work, my pump broke. The head of the pump was leaking air, and I was left with two flat tires.

I had no idea what the warranty information was, but I was able to open a support ticket online saying that air was leaking from the head of the pump. I had a respone within 3 minutes saying that a new head was in the mail, and by Wednesday my pump was as good as new. No questions, no proof of purchase, no shipping and handling charge, just an immediate fix....pretty impressive in my book (and now on bike to work day I won't have flat tires).

I'm now thinking we might need to have one of these installed in the bike lounge at the Pacific Cannery.

511 Bike Mapper

This is directly from the BIKE MAPPER website that is part of bicycling.511.org.

What a great tool for getting around on a bike and figuring out your route for Bike to Work Day on May 15th. Check it out and go for a ride.

Welcome to the Bay Area’s resource for bicycling information. Here you’ll find the new 511 BikeMapper, route maps, locations of lockers and racks, information on how to take your bike on public transit and across Bay Area toll bridges, how to ride safely in traffic, tips on commuting, bicycle resources and more.

New to biking? Register with the 511 Ridematch Tool to find a Bike Buddy and start today!

Rosanna Anson Vazquez, Photographer

You will be treated to a number of Rosanna's surrealistic photographic works in the new Pacific Cannery Lofts model, a Signature Loft, opening next week. Rosanna comes to us on a full scholarship to the MFA program at the Art Academy from Barcelona Spain. Growing up in an artistic family Rosanna began her college studies in advertising but followed her artistic passion and switched to graphic design where she explored the world of shapes , colors, and drawing both by hand and on the computer. Moving on to study at the Llotja School of Arts in Barcelona she found work with a fashion photographer and was fascinated more by the photo shoot itself than the art. Shooting with a "point and shoot" camera she entered her own work into the El Pais Photography competition and won first prize which was a Canon 30D camera. Since then she has not stopped shooting. Winning the scholarship to San Francisco has allowed Rosanna to live her dream. She wishes to entertain people with her surrealistic photos and to get their minds off hard times. The actual photograph is only the first step in her art form. The image is later manipulated in order to create different dreamscapes. Changing color, and applying additional images all come together to create the incredible surrealism of her work. You can view her work at her flickr site and of course at our new Signature Loft Model at Pacific Cannery Lofts.

One Huge Crane

What kind of crane does it take to lift palm trees over tall buildings? Well they have what you need at Hatton Cranes.
The crane pictured here, which is the one used to move trees at Pacific Cannery Lofts, is the largest mobile crane made and a permit is needed every time it is moved. This is a 500 Ton Hydraulic All Terrain Crane with a
197' Main Boom
276' Luffing Boom
With "All Wheel steer"

The tires on this rig were as tall as I am(just over 5') and there were at least 10 of them. The people from Hatton were amazing with their precision and placement of the trees. Although it was a very windy day the trees were lifted over the building and placed bulls eye into 4' x 4' holes that the crane operator could not even see. (He had a 40ft tall building in between himself and the holes.) Standing in the courtyard was another Hatton team member with a walkie talkie directing the crane operator's every move. Hats off to the Hatton/Miller team. "LIKE BUTTA!"

Flying Palm Trees!

So how did they get those 3500 lb palm trees up over the 40ft high Pacific Cannery Lofts building and into the three courtyards. Under the watchful eye of Jeff Miller of Miller Company Landscape Architects these trees and the concrete garden furniture were craned up and over the building and lowered into a previously prepared 4' x 4' x 4' hole. As the tree was precisely placed in the hole, the Miller Company's team held it in place while dirt was tossed around the root ball to hold the tree upright in its new home. These Mexican Fan Palms, that were in the ground in Arizona just two days prior, were trucked to the site at PCL. Their leaves are tied in a upright position to aid nutrition to the roots for a healthy transition to their new home at the Pacific Cannery Lofts. For more pictures please visit the PCL photoblog in the next few weeks as we have many amazing photos to share from this event. WOW!

New Eats Come to Town

Another pair of SF restaurateurs has ventured across the bay to bring some new dining to Oakland. They add to a growing number of entrepreneurs that see the growing opportunities in Oakland without having to pay the San Francisco price tag of running their business. Located in Jack London Square just about a mile and a half from the Pacific Cannery Lofts, Mono in getting a lot of buzz from foodies around the Bay Area. As written by Eater SF, "Now several weeks into dinner service, Mono is the brainchild of the husband-and-wife team of Todd Wilson and Eloisa Castillo and the latest in Oakland's steady rise to dining prominence. The space, inspired by the couple's industrial loft down the street, seats no more than a few dozen, but there's an outdoor patio for those sunny days and the seasonal menu is available at the horseshoe bar as well." The food, as described by the owners, is "globally inspired small plates and wine."

You can read more about Mono from the Oakland Tribune, NovoMetro, or see customer reviews at Yelp.

Bikes on Bart

I have noticed more and more people riding bikes to work and around urban settings. Expect this number to increase even more as home owners begin to move into the Pacific Cannery Lofts in a couple of months. With a short bike ride to West Oakland BART many future home owner will be "biking and barting" to work and play.

Bikes are allowed in any BART car but the first car of a train. There are restrictions during commute hours for standard bikes but folding bikes are allowed on BART at all times. For more information on Bart Bike Rules check out
http://www.bart.gov/guide/bikes/bikerules.asp.
Please come by the Pacific Cannery Lofts sales office to check out two different types of folding bikes made by Dahon. One has 20"wheels and the other is full size. Both fold easily and are light enough to roll or carry. Happy riding and "keep the rubber side down!"

Mexican Fan Palms in the PCL Courtyards!

Eight, 25ft Mexican Fan Palms, (Washingtonia robusta), were placed into the courtyards at the Pacific Cannery Lofts last week. These trees weigh approximately 3500 pounds each and will grow high enough to clear the 40ft building. The gray trunk is ringed with closely set leaf scars although usually at least part of the trunk remains covered with dead leaves that hang in a thatch. The solitary trunk, about 10-12 in in diameter, bulges at the ground and becomes slender as it approaches a crown of large palmate leaves with gracefully drooping leaflet tips. These are rich glossy green and grow to about 5 ft long and 4 ft wide. They are borne on 3 ft (0.9 m) orange leaf stems that are edged with sharp sawtooth spines.

In addition the concrete benches and tables were also set in the courtyards so you can now start to see what a wonderful space this will be.

Now I know what you are thinking....how do they get the trees, and concrete furniture over the building and into the courtyards if they weigh so much. You can find out in our next blog where we will share this incredible process.

West Oakland Branch Library History

The West Oakland Branch Library is the oldest branch in the system, established in 1878. After occupying 4 other sites, the library branch relocated to the current facility in 1979. West Oakland Branch Library is situated on the corner of 18th & Adeline St. - across from DeFremery Park and Recreation Center and the West Oakland Senior Center."

According to UC Berkeley Librarian Suzanne Calpestri, the existence of a library provides clear evidence that West Oakland's rich history was about a community that believed it would be well served by having an educated and literate population.

West Oakland has approximately 35,000 books, compact disks, videos, DVDs, audio books, audiocassettes and magazines and newspapers for all ages. Circulating materials are largely of popular interest with a strong emphasis on practical how-to topics and local history. Special-Interest collections include the African American Collection, a Small Business Collection, Careers and College section, a Lesbian /Gay/ Bisexual/transgender Collection, and Spanish Language Materials for children and adults. West Oakland has an extensive children's section focused on providing early literacy materials to children and their parents as well as a growing teen collection.

For more information visit their website at:
http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/Branches/West/index.htm

A little bike maintenance

NovoMetro wrote a great piece, Messing with Bikes, on some of the free workshops in Oakland for bike maintenance. Oakland is a great place for commuting by bike, especially given how many places you can easily get to on flat roads or by hopping on BART for a commute into the city.

I'm a perfect candidate for one of these workshops as I love to bike, often ride to work, but really don't know too much more than the basics when it comes to good bike maintenance and repair (I have been spoiled for years by having a good friend that is also a bike fanatic, so I always have eager hands to turn to for a tune-up). As the article points out, however, bikes are pretty simply machines, so it is worth taking a few minutes to learn the basics.

With the bike lounge that we're building at the Pacific Cannery Lofts, we'll be sure to include a good work-stand for keeping your bike in shape. Perhaps more importantly, we'll be looking to offer some free workshops hosted at the bike lounge so even people like me can get the benefit of it.

Let the Landscaping Begin!

Work on fhe first of our three courtyards began this week. With the scaffolding down, the green light was given for the landscaping crews to get their work underway with plants, shrubs, greenery, palms trees, and hardscape. For the past few weeks our landscape architect has rented out a shop that is half a block away from the Pacific Cannery Lofts, and they have been forming and pouring concrete benches and furniture for the courtyard. Sometime either next week or the week after the palm trees will be craned in and planted - we'll keep you posted as the work progresses. Soon people will have a much better understanding of why one of our models, the Courtyard Loft, has its name - thus far visitors have had to look out windows onto scaffolding and plastic coverings instead of trees and greenery, which can be a challenge for even the most imaginitive minds.




The view outside the courtyard model now can be seen below:

And when it is done, it will look a little more like this:

SF Chronicle - The Live-Work Concept Evolves

Last week the feature story of the San Francisco Chronicle's 'At Home' section highlighted the latest live-work concepts and projects, focusing in part on the Pacific Cannery Lofts.

"The live/work concept evolves to fit the needs of a new brand of consumer. Whether it's living where you work or working where you live, proximity to public transit is an integral component of new loft and mixed-use construction."

On the Cannery, the article focuses on how the location (270 BART trains a day to San Francisco in less than 10 minutes), the custom upgrades for defining the space, the bike lounge, and the opportunity to have a public and a private entry to a space all create a more functional and more interesting live-work space that is centrally located in a transit hub.

You can see the whole article here: Live_Work_Chronicle.pdf

Live-work buildings create the foundation for a great community, whether you are just there to live or just there to work. We can speak firsthand about the community at the Clocktower Lofts, where several entrepreneurs made their start (including Holliday Development), and many others make their home. And at the Cannery with the opportunity to own for less than $2,000 a month, the rent/buy comparison makes sense for apartment space and office space alike.

Is Oakland the Next Brooklyn? (Part 2...)

We made a first post a few weeks ago comparing Oakland to Brooklyn, raising the question of whether Oakland is beginning to have the same relationship to San Francisco that Brooklyn has to Manhattan. With so much going on in Oakland, and a location like that of the Pacific Cannery Lofts that is only 10 minutes away from downtown SF, it almost seems inevitable.

This past weekend, the New York Times published some similar thoughts in their article, "Sisters in Idiosyncrasy." They go on to say:

"that the populations drawn to both areas by alternative art and music scenes, and by a tolerance for diversity, were looking for a “messy urbanism, a clash of different styles that Brooklyn still retains, that the East Bay still retains.”

Other communities across the country also fit this bill, but what Brooklyn and the East Bay share is proximity to more cosmopolitan centers — Manhattan and San Francisco — where the “creative class,” many of whom are freelancers, can earn a living.

“You can make money in both cities,” Ms. Levine said. “Can you make money in Portland, Ore.? It’s a cool city, it’s got lots of hipsters, but can you make money?”

Roger Guenveur Smith, an actor who has been “flowing in and out” of the Bay Area and Brooklyn since the late 1980s, said the two areas are similar in the relationship that Brooklyn has to Manhattan, and Oakland and Berkeley have to San Francisco: one of interest and curiosity, but also independence."

You can view the entire article here

Paint'n Time

Gallons and gallons of EnviroKote, an environmentally friendly primer, are stacked up as painting gets well underway.

As we'd mentioned before, some scaffolding is starting to come down throughout the Cannery. One of the 3 courtyards has the scaffolding down and is within a week of having the landscape installation begin....that means hundreds of shrubs, groundcover plants, and even palm trees.

Also shown below is the Grove, what will be a richly landscaped pathway that meanders between the original Cannery building and the new townhomes. This Grove is perfectly suited to become the home to a commercial row of live-work owners, with the ability to have a client entrance on one side and a private entry from inside of the building.

GREEN HOUSE GOSSIP

You may have noticed that there is now a green house on the property in front of the sales office.
This structure was donated to People's Grocery, a non profit organization focusing on solving the community food and health needs of West Oakland by growing fresh fruit and vegetables, organically and locally.
I was able to walk into the green house the other day and it was like a steam bath in there. Rows of small plants, including 30+ varieties of tomatoes, are being incubated here and will then be transferred to People's Grocery's two acre farm in Sunol. They will then be packed into a SOUL box (Sustainable, Organic, Unprocessed and Local) and redistributed to residents in West Oakland. Peoples Grocery also has programs on healthy cooking, urban agriculture, nutrition and more. Please check them out at http://peoplesgrocery.org/

How do you value 10 minutes?

In 1991, Holliday Development developed 601 4th Street, also designed by David Baker + Partners. These lofts sold amid a tough market and an even tougher neighborhood, as SOMA was yet to see much of its revitalization.

Originally the average sales price on these lofts was $285,000. Today, we just saw a listing for one of the penthouse homes for $1.959 million. As noted on SocketSite, this is a "truly unique San Francisco Space and Penthouse."

Now that the Holliday-Baker team has turned to the Pacific Cannery Lofts, the opportunity is here for another truly unique space by the same team, this time located just on the other side of the bridge, about 10 minutes away (and for about $1.5 million less than this penthouse).

Wave GOODBYE to the Scaffolding (or at least some of it)

This is when it gets exciting. The scaffolding at PCL is starting to come down, revealing the building one elevation at a time. We first saw the beautiful eggplant color of the stucco at the entrance to the sales office and design center. This color will continue into the largest courtyard where it will be complimented with a soft blue/grey on the opposite courtyard wall. Next you will see the soft green/yellow color of the middle courtyard that will soon be complimented by lush greenery. The last courtyard will be more of a soft yellow. The real pop will come along the main corridor wall with a bright lime green that you will walk by but not stare at everyday! It should be gorgeous!

Learning Life Skills

A few weeks ago we posted on Stephon Taylor and Reggie Collier, two apprentices from the local area that are actively involved on the construction side of the Pacific Cannery Lofts. The two apprentices impressed us, and now they're both noted on the cover of the Oakland Tribune.

Cecily Burt of the Tribune writes:
"Taylor, 20, an apprentice electrician working for Rex Moore Electrical Contractors and Engineers, is one of a handful of local residents who are helping build a variety of residential developments within the large Central Station project in West Oakland — practically in his own backyard.

What makes Taylor's story unique? He learned the basic fundamentals of the construction trades — carpentry, electrical work and plumbing — during a bare-bones, six-week training program run by Bruce Cox in a West Oakland warehouse.

Cox, a contractor and owner of MBC Construction who also helped create a similar construction job training program for the Men of Valor group at Acts Full Gospel Church, said he is determined to give his time, knowledge and energy to help every aimless young person land a good job...

Taylor has been working for Rex Moore electrical contracting for about eight months. Every three months he attends state-licensed electrician apprentice classes in Hayward, a four-year program conducted by the Western Electrical Contractors Association, and he continues to attend twice-weekly training classes conducted by Cox, both to learn new skills and refresh and reinforce the ones he knows.

"I like the people I work with, and I like the fact that I'm going to school (to continue to learn)," Taylor said while pulling wire through framed walls in the Pacific Cannery Lofts project, one of several new residential developments that will cover 29 acres along Wood Street between 12th Street and West Grand Avenue.

Taylor said his co-workers have been helpful.

"Most of the guys I work with are from Sacramento, and they all have country accents," Taylor joked. "I'm teaching them the urban style."

His foreman, Darvin Crawford, said Taylor is a very good worker who has caught on quickly and worked hard to overcome his lack of experience and the lure of the neighborhood.

"I couldn't say a bad thing about him ... He's highly intelligent and picked up the wiring very fast," Crawford said. "He's very young, and he's going to make a lot of mistakes ... but he's a good kid. I told him if he stays with it he'll make $100,000 a year, no problem."

"This is good for Stephon," Cox said after visiting the job site. "He grew up here in West Oakland and he's positioning himself to make big money. I'm happy he keeps coming to class."

Taylor's wide smile showed he's happy things worked out, too. He said he really likes his job at Rex Moore and thinks he's found his niche in electrical work.

A few other of Cox's students also are working on the Central Station developments — with good results so far."

For the full article, click here:

Taylor%20-%20Tribune%20-%2003-24-08.pdf

Calling all Nurses

The Center for Housing policy released a study that for many markets of jobs, homeownership is out of reach as unaffordable for those workers. The Inman News Blog wrote a piece on this study, and as an example cited nurses and their lack of ability to own a home in the Bay Area.

But at the Pacific Cannery Lofts with 4.99% financing, we are now calling on all nurses (and other professionals in the same situation) who have felt the effects outlined in the housing study and feel like homeownership is out of grasp. With homes starting at $350,000 and one of the lowest fixed rate loans in the country, the opportunity to buy is opening for for a wide range of hard working professionals. We've even reached out to the California Association of Nurses to try and spread the news.

Pocket Parks and Elevated Tracks

The newest addition to one of the many pocket parks in the Central Station Community can be seen in this blogs image. The beautiful metal trellises are actual pieces of the 16th Street Station’s elevated tracks that needed to be removed to make way for the next set of building that will go between the Ironhorse Apartments and the 16th Street Station itself. Beautiful paths and pocket parks will be the connective tissue between the varied living units of the Central Station making for an integrated, walkable community. It should be beautiful! I keep imagining the plazas, paths and parks full of residents on a sunny day.

Ironhorse Groundbreaking Ceremony

Last Thursday, March 13th, was yet another beginning for the Central Station Community! Ground was broken for BRIDGE's Ironhorse Apartments, which will offer 99 newly constructed family apartments at 14th St. between Wood Street and Frontage Road. The apartments contain a mix of one, two and three bedroom units affordable to families with annual incomes ranging from $18,000 – $50,000. Twenty of the apartments are being made affordable to those with the lowest incomes, through rent subsidies administered by the Oakland Housing Authority. Ironhorse will be BRIDGE’s first GreenPoint Rated development, as well as it first to participate in the Bay-Friendly landscaping program. As a result, the design includes numerous sustainable or “green” building and landscaping measures. Ironhorse at Central Station represents BRIDGE’s continued commitment to the development of high quality innovative design. (Above is West Oakland Neighbor Marilyn Reynolds speaking at the ceremony)

Who Lives Here?

We often get comments about our models saying that it really feels like someone lives there. Well…that’s kind of true, because we envision who would reside in each home, real or imaginary, before we begin to pull it together. Take the Live/Work Grove loft for instance. Our “poster child” there is Kristin Long, president and owner of MIGHTYminnow, a boutique web development, training and coaching firm based in Oakland. (you can see evidence of her logo development and the final logo on the door and by the desk) I met Kristin when I took a web coding class in the city. So taken by her knowledge and teaching style, I hired her to code the Pacific Cannery Lofts website.

Kristin grew up in Nebraska. Moving to SF after college, she accepted a receptionist job in a web company where she quickly absorbed the business and now runs her own. MIGHTYminnow is blossoming and she has recently been asked to join ADOBE where she teaches Dreamweaver and gives input on future ADOBE software releases. For fun she took up swing dance, began to teach that also and eventually helped start SwingOUT!, the first gay and lesbian swing dance organization in the bay area. In 1998 she joined the organizing team of CAMP SWING whose program brings swing dancers from all over together in beautiful Mendocino for a weekend of fun, flare and rhythm.

Ironically, Kristin has now reserved a unit at the Pacific Cannery Lofts and is one of the many young enterprising entrepreneurs that will be the constitution of this new vibrant community. Like most up and coming business people Kristin is looking forward to working at home but having the gallery/café as her third space where she can meet clients, work without the cat on her lap for a little while and strike up interesting conversations with other live/workers.

Oh…and the cupcake cookbooks?……Kristin’s favorite dessert!

Time Trials 4 - Pacific Cannery Lofts to Gilman Street

We talk about the Pacific Cannery Lofts being in the center of an exciting corridor running from Jack London Square in Oakland to Gilman Street in Berkeley. KB & Steph see how long it takes to get from the Pacific Cannery Lofts to the end of that corridor - Jimmy Beans cafe on Gilman St. for some lunch.

The Road To Myself

As I am battling traffic on Embarcadero in San Francisco, I remember the days when I had the whole road to myself. Of course those days are long over in the South Beach/ South of Market area.

Back in the late 80’s, I worked in a loft building with an artist in South Beach not far from the Clock Tower. I remember how quiet and at times creepy the neighborhood felt. The general consensus was that the neighborhood was “in transition”. After the 89’ earthquake things really changed. The highway that divided the Waterfront and Ferry Building from downtown and the Cypress Structure was removed.

As I cruise down Mandela Parkway on my way to Pacific Cannery Lofts, I am reminded of the days of having the road to myself in a neighborhood “in transition”. Hmm…sounds like a tune I have heard before.

Historical Perspective...

In 1989, Rick Holliday completed the first conversion loft building in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood, which at the time was a residential outpost in the middle of an industrial neighborhood on the brink of transformation. Like the Pacific Cannery Lofts, the Heublien Building was a concrete structure offering loft dwellers an opportunity to purchase large, creative space in a truly industrial neighborhood, at a fraction of the cost of other residential options. Against conventional wisdom of the time, the Heublien Building, located at 601 4th Street, was converted into 88 lofts, igniting a transformation of the industrial areas of San Francisco’s SOMA district.

Follow this link to a current listing at 601 4th Street – this loft, by the same developer and architect, originally sold for around $300,000 and is now listed at over $1,300,000.

http://sfarmls.rapmls.com/scripts/mgrqispi.dll?APPNAME=Sanfrancisco&PRGNAME=MLSPropertyDetail&ARGUMENTS=-N784656675,-N217192,-N,-A,-N12558271

Ignore the Headlines?

That's what Time Magazine writer Dan Kadlec says in his recent article dated February 25th. There are really two markets to time, the housing market and the interest rate market, and there is looking to be a rare union of two great opportunities when you put them together. With rates at near historical lows (see the chart of how rates have trended over the past 30 years), we may be in a short-lived window to capture some of the best values available in decades.

As our mortgage lender so aptly put it earlier this week, a buyer isn't really paying the purchase price (say $400,000), they are paying a downpayment (say $12,000) and a monthly payment (say $1,900/month). So whether the purchase price is $395,000 or $405,000, that difference is far over-shadowed in a monthly payment by just a .5% change in interest rates. The chart below illustrates how a change in interest rates can have a significant impact on your monthly payment:
With rates near historical lows, a temporary federal government stimulus package being passed, and an election looming, Dan Kadlec of Time Magazine makes the following conclusion on someone waiting to time the market and facing a potential increase in rates: "If you waited a year to buy, you have saved nothing and spent a year living someplace you'd rather not be."

The Commute

Brian, the commuter, faces a day of work in contrast to that of Ava, the live-work entrepreneur at the Pacific Cannery Lofts. How's your commute?

The Third Space

Earlier this week the San Francisco Chronicle reported on the growing trend of communal working spaces, or the idea of co-working. Playing on a more advanced version of shared artist studios, the communal spaces allow freelancers and entrepreneurs to have a common space, other than their local coffee shop, to start doing business.

The Chronicle writes: "In co-working, a group of freelancers or other solo entrepreneurs share one big office space with perks that they might not get at home, such as conference rooms, espresso machines and opportunities for socializing."

"Brad Neuberg, a 31-year-old San Francisco inventor and open-source software developer who coined the term "co-working." said "I started asking myself, 'Why can't I combine the structure and community of a job with the freedom and independence of working for myself?' "

Though not focusing on the exact concept of "co-working," the Pacific Cannery Lofts have been designed to take the same elements one step further. The focus on designing for entrepreneurs created individual lofts that allow people to create a true live-work environment. The spaces are designed with the flexibility to be a home, home and an office, or all office. With that piece in place, the Pacific Cannery community rounds out the socializing part with a Third Space. This Third Space, located in a large corner gallery space, will likely take the form of work spaces, cafe, event space, happy hour space, yoga studio, and whatever else the Pacific Cannery community finds best suited for their varying social and business needs. If it is a nice day, the Third Space activities can shift to one of the 3 courtyards.

At the end of the day, all of these features and trends come down to community...designing for and being a part of a vibrant community in which members engages with each other, collaborate, and inspire... all speaking to the kind of live-work community that entrepreneurs and "co-workers" are seeking.

Climbing gym opens in renovated Oakland landmark

from the East Bay Business Times

Touchstone Climbing Inc. has opened 13,000-square-foot climbing gym in a historic Oakland building making that the latest of downtown Oakland landmarks to be renovated. The gym, called the Great Western Power Co., opened in a former power plant built in 1924 by the electric utility Great Western Power Co., which was bought out by the Pacific Gas & Electric Co. in 1930.

The facility was decommissioned and put to other uses. Touchstone named the new gym after the former power company. Other renovated landmarks in downtown Oakland include the Cathedral Building on Broadway, the Fox Oakland Theater on Telegraph Avenue and the old Southern Pacific railroad station* on 16th Street.

The new gym, at 520 20th St., features 11,000 square feet of climbing terrain, 1,500 feet square feet of bouldering, and more than 50 top and lead ropes. It also has a fitness room with TVs and rooms for yoga, cardio and other classes.

Less than a half-dozen blocks from Lake Merritt, BART and bus lines, the gym hopes to serve downtown residents and workers, providing a convenient place to work out within walking distance. The gym Touchstone's seventh.

* note the Southern Pacific Train station mentioned in the article is part of the Central Station Community Development which offers a choice of housing opportunities: condominium, townhome, loft, and apartment. Pocket parks, greenscaping, and a public gathering space in the revitalized train station

Loving the Height

There's no question that we love our height at the Pacific Cannery Lofts. With 16-19' ceilings in the original warehouse, there are soaring columns, mezzanines, walls for oversized art, double height bookshelves, and an overall cubic footage that opens up flexible and naturally lit living spaces. Heck, even our sales team averages close to 6' tall each!

Rose from our sales team, however, has taken her love of height to a new level. Just a block away from the Pacific Cannery is a renowned trapeze & circus school that brings in students from all over the Bay Area. In the video below, watch her daring maneuvers from high in the air!

A Better Allocation...

I've posted about putting money into your home rather than your apartment, but today I was reminded that that's only the first step in making a smart financial decision. I met today with a business partner living in South of Market and gave them their first introduction to the Pacific Cannery Lofts. As we walked through the monthly payments, HOA dues, amenities, etc., he quickly stopped with a look of surprise in his eye. At his SOMA condo, not only does he pay over $700 a month in HOA dues, but he has an additional $100 a month for a parking fee....bringing him to over $800/month above and beyond his mortgage payment.

Seeing as parking is included at the Pacific Cannery (and our HOAs are half of what this guy is paying), I started to think what that hundred dollars a month meant in terms of potential value. With our design center, Urban Designs, a buyer can add value to their home with upgraded flooring, lighting, appliances, window coverings, fans, and custom closets for roughly $100 a month. So while one payment gives you a place to park, the other puts tens of thousands of dollars of value in your home. Decisions, decisions....

Experience Counts

After 20 years of colloborating with David Baker + Partners on some of the most interesting live-work, mixed-use, and residential developments in the Bay Area, it isn't to be taken lightly when they say they think they've created their best work yet with the Pacific Cannery Lofts. With 3 new models being finished up, everyday we're able to see more and more of what this finished community will look like and the faces that will fill it.

Most comparable in design and location to the Clocktower Lofts at 2nd & Bryant (461 2nd Street) in San Francisco, the Pacific Cannery boasts more lofts, more courtyards, more floorplans, and more savings. It is a fitting touch that the two projects are just 10 minutes apart, located adjacent to the Bay Bridge, one on the west end, one on the east. If that wasn't enough, even their history is connected: the Schmidt Lithograph company that originally owned and operated the Clocktower Building was the creator of the fruit labels for the Pacific Coast Canning Company (former operators of the Pacific Cannery) nearly 100 years ago. As Rick Holliday wrote, de ja vu all over again.

Is Oakland the Next Brooklyn? The Tale of Two Bridges

I see billboards stating "Oakland Is. San Francisco Was." I hear "San Francisco talks about diversity. Oakland is Diversity." I hear the more and more frequent shock of "Now my friends actually want to visit me instead of me having to go to them in SF." Even San Francisco Magazine features an entire issue to the fact that It's Oakland's Turn - with new restaurants, art, movies, location, and housing for half the cost of San Francisco, they say Oakland is set to take off faster than SOMA did 10 years ago. Last week a couple I know in their fifties was overjoyed at their recent decision to trade out of Pacific Heights to experience everything that the East Bay has to offer.

So what's the scoop? I certainly won't take any shots at San Francisco...I lived there for years and loved every minute of it. To be honest, I was a little sad and a little worried about leaving too. I have East Bay roots that would cause me to drag my friends across the bridge every now and then, but otherwise most people I knew had no reason and no interest in seeing what the other side of the bridge offered.

3 weeks ago I moved to Oakland, and I've gone through a very quick transition...at first, I was okay leaving San Francisco only because I knew I was still so close to being back there. As long as I could be back in SF in 15 minutes, then I really wasn't leaving (or losing) all the things that I loved so much in the city. What I've quickly found, however, is that Oakland has everything I needed from SF right here. The restaurants, bars, galleries, hiking trails, running trails, cycling routes....no shortage of them in Oakland. That certainly isn't to say that I don't still head back to SF, but I learned that I wasn't 15 minutes away from everything I needed - instead, I have everthing I need at home but am only 15 minutes away from any SF urges, friends, or shows that I need....simply said, I have more options, not less. And when it comes to value, I turn to my old friend Homer Simpson:

So with 5 miles creating hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings, I'm certainly not complaining about my decision. There came a turning point when New Yorkers wanted to head into Brooklyn, not out of it, and I think Oakland may have come to the same crossroads with San Francisco.

Apprentices from the Neighborhood

While working on this project, I’ve come across a lot of interesting people, literally hundreds of whom are involved in the construction process alone. While finishing the final touches in the Grove model, I met Reggie Collier the Second (not to be confused with his father), a 24 year old apprentice with Cannon Construction through the Alliance for West Oakland. The Alliance for West Oakland was created by Bruce Cox, an Oakland resident who connects local individuals ranging in age from 18 to 30 years with various trades and sets up internships and apprenticeships. With a project like the Pacific Cannery Lofts and the rest of the Central Station developments, there have been some great opportunities for local residents to get involved through his program.

Stephon Taylor, a 20 year old local is also a member of Mr. Cox’s program and is presently working and studying under Rex Moore Electricians. He is very excited and appreciative of the opportunity to advance in the electrical field.

Both young men grew up and currently live in Oakland, discovering the Alliance for West Oakland program through different avenues. Reggie was encouraged by Mr. Cox, a family friend, to pursue his interest in construction. He found his way onto the adjacent Pulte site, which then led to the opportunity with Cannon Constructors at Pacific Cannery Lofts. Stephon on the other hand, found Cox’s program through his personal job search and has been balancing on-the-job electrical training with his night classes through Rex Moore. Both Reggie and Stephon see these hands on experiences as a crucial career step. When asked about their goals, Stephon sees himself staying in the electrical field with more job responsibility and project management, and eventually owning his own business, while Reggie sees himself moving into the elevator technician trade. Good luck to you both!

Brewery set to rekindle Oakland's heyday

Headquarters for the Linden Street Brewery is in a historic warehouse along the city's industrial waterfront, a few blocks north of Jack London Square, that manufactured underground street-lighting cables in the late 1800s.

The Linden Street brew space dates back to 1890, the year four breweries were turning out 35,000 barrels of beer annually ...

"We're just a couple of guys out in West Oakland," he added. "As long as the future of Oakland embraces us we'll be OK."

The gatherings, a brewery tradition, help create community — something Lamoreaux said West Oakland could use more of.

Indeed. Sitting there, it was easy to imagine West Oakland when it was a neighborhood of Portuguese, Italians, Greeks, East European Jews and African Americans, including the illustrious Capt. William Shorey, known for its public-mindedness. That was before the Nimitz highway sliced through West Oakland's main arteries and BART went for the jugular.

Lamoreaux said he plans to focus on the brewing and getting Linden Street beers into the city's outlets. The Fireside Lounge in Alameda's West End and The Trappist Belgian beer pub already carry Linden Street's flagship Common Lager, which is made in the old-fashioned steam method that was typical of Bay Area breweries, according to Lamoreaux.

That's all for now, ladies and gentlemen. But if you have a cool shindig e-mail me at awoodall@bayareanewsgroup.com or visit the Night Owl blog http://www.ibabuzz.com/nightowl for more events and oddities.

Full Oakland Tribune Article, click here

Free food and free beer Friday nights at Linden Street Brewing in Oakland

More on Brown Sugar Kitchen

In an unexpected yet highly trafficked location, The Brown Sugar Kitchen, recently mentioned on our blog and featured by NovoMetro, is gaining steam and recognition. Breakfast and lunch seem to be getting bigger and bigger crowds, and the food is filling and tasty.

The location is perfect for people heading to or from San Francisco as it sits less than a mile from the closest on and off ramp to the Bay Bridge, especially if you're in the mood for a good cup of coffee and some food for your daily commute. If you live local, even better to have this hot spot right nearby. With Brown Sugar Kitchen adding another unique option to the mix along with the established Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe, good eats are all around.

John Doe? Not for Long...

With interest rates at near record lows (and actually at record lows with our opportunities for 4.99% Forty Year Fixed, Assumable Financing), and rents rising 9.4% in the Bay Area, over 14% in San Francisco, and 16.3% from 4 years ago, maybe the time has come where it makes some serious sense to start investing in your home instead of your apartment.

Part of this jump in rents is attributed to the strong Bay Area economy, and part is is attributed to tough times for buyers getting financing...but with 4.99% Forty Year Fixed Financing secured, and hopefully a soon to come boost to the conforming loan limit of $417,000, that piece has the potential to become a whole lot easier and more attractive.

Say goodbye to John Doe - As the Pacific Cannery Founders are taking shape, real faces, real homeowners, real entrepreneurs, and real community are coming. They're investing in themselves and making the decision to start having their monthly payments work for them, not against them. Now is a good time to take a look at a rent vs. buy analysis.......here are some of ours.....and here is a chance for you to do your own.

My new favorite........onramp

It's not often that I would get too excited about a freeway onramp. I would, however, always tout how close the last onramp onto the Bay Bridge is to the Pacific Cannery Lofts (less than a mile, and it shoots you straight into a FasTrak lane). Since I make a decent number of trips over to San Francisco (and lived there for the past 4 years), this access point is about as good as it gets.

And I also knew that it was just as quick to get to Gilman Street (6 minutes) on 80 or 880 South for a Warrior's game.

But what I was completely missing in the process was the 580 onramp immediately adjacent to that Bay Bridge onramp. For someone like myself who requires the occaisonal visit for work and for family to Walnut Creek and/or the Rockridge & West Berkeley area, I was able to get to Walnut Creek in 15 minutes and onto Claremont Ave. in less than 6. Perhaps this was my favorite onramp because of the surprise, or perhaps because it completed the compass...I was literally 1 minute away from every major access point going North, South, West, and East. Not bad when the view outside your living room is palm trees and chirping birds.

We're a geographical George Clinton, the "King of Funk."

Funky Brazilian shack offers up a taste of Rio ...

THE MORE TIME you spend in the Oakland area, you come to realize this is one funky scene. We're a geographical George Clinton, the "King of Funk."

Enjoy a libation at the Kingfish or Last Chance Saloon in Oakland or Croll's in Alameda, or grab a burger at The Smokehouse in Berkeley — it doesn't get any more funky.

But if you want funk, samba-style, there's only place: The Brazil Fresh Squeeze Cafe. Even the name sounds funky.

The cafe — it hardly resembles one — is one block from the University of California, Berkeley, campus at the corner of University and Walnut. Seeing it for the first time, your immediate thought will be: How did it ever get a building permit? For its architecture is impossible to describe — sort of a shack or a hut or a fort.

But Berkeley is strange, so the cafe fits the city perfectly.

However, if you want genuine Brazilian food, you don't have to go to Rio de Janeiro. Just drive over to Pedro Robin's funky food palace, with the American and Brazilian flags flying above the roof and place your order.

Figuring what to eat will be challenging. The cuisine is quite good and quite varied. Thus making a decision will be harder than doing the samba.

[more] Dave Newhouse's Good Neighbors, Oakland Tribune 01.28.08

In Style

The Black Dot Artists, located almost immediately next door to the Pacific Cannery Lofts and lead by Marcel Diallo (pictured 3rd from the left), hosted a fundraiser event, "A Conversation with Don Cheadle." Cheadle is a longtime friend of Marcel and was excited to come up to support the Black Dot Artists.

Cheadle was remarkably humble and insightful as he spoke on everything from genocide in Darfur to his family & children to the writer's strike in Hollywood. Speaking of his work in the Darfur region, he said that after seeing some of the atrocities firsthand during the filming of Hotel Rwanda, he had no choice but to become involved.

Pictured in the Style section of the San Francisco Chronicle from the event, Rick & Nancy Holliday are above to the right of Don Cheadle.

More shots from the event as pictured in the Chronicle:

Brown Sugar Kitchen

Chef/Owner Tanya Holland is bringing her interpretation of soul food to West Oakland with the opening of Brown Sugar Kitchen at 2534 Mandela Parkway. Combining her African-American heritage with her formal training at La Vareene in France, Tanya cooks with soul. Delicious, healthy, fresh soul food, Blue Bottle Coffee, wines from California African-American Vintners and South of France, favorite microbrews and some mouth watering baked goods are some of the tempting items at BSK. Because "soul food" emerged at the same time as soul music, music will be an important part of the experience at Brown Sugar Kitchen. The outer cafe design is still in the works so the building is easy to miss but once inside the experience is warm, classy and rich with aromas that give your salivary glands a start. You can check out the BSK menu and take out menu at www.brownsugarkitchen.com. Go treat yourself!

Playing with Fire

Welding, Blacksmithing, woodworking, ceramics, fire performance, stone work, jewelry making........

A mile from the Pacific Cannery Lofts, students and artists will find The Crucible, a nonprofit that in their words is an "educational facility that fosters a collaboration of Arts, Industry and Community. Through training in the fine and industrial arts, The Crucible promotes creative expression, reuse of materials, and innovative design while serving as an accessible arts venue for the general public."


From Fire Arts Festivals to Open Houses, the Crucible is hard not to be drawn to. For the next two nights they are celebrating their 9th anniversary with a wide range of awing entertainment.

NovoMetro also posted a great article on some of their lesser known youth programs.

Time Trials 3 - Bay Street to Pacific Cannery Lofts

KB & Steph test the time to the Pacific Cannery Lofts after watching a movie at the AMC Theaters at Bay Street Emeryville. Can they make it back to the Cannery in the amount of time that it takes to leave the parking garage of the AMC Theaters at 1000 Van Ness in San Francisco?

The Pictures Are In...

...From our Founder's Holiday Party. As the holiday season so quickly came and went, the Pacific Cannery Lofts hosted a holiday celebration with the Founding Members that are looking to become the foundation of the Pacific Cannery Lofts community. Food, drink, raffles, and new insights on the Cannery abounded as we celebrated the holidays with our energetic and enthusiastic group of Founding Members.

Joy Rider Clothing

What a trip! I was at the Temescal Farmers Market this past Sunday and the first booth I saw had a young woman seated at an old fashioned foot powered sewing machine creating colorful clothing. Interested in photography, I bent down with my camera and took a picture of the brown boot working the pedal, (this image will appear on our photoblog 1/19-20) but eventually I grabbed a business card from the artist and saw the words COMMUTER BICYCLIST CLOTHING. How cool is that? Nan Eastep, a local Bay Area mother, clothing designer, textile artist and urban farmer created Joy Rider clothing as an attempt to support bicycle and pedestrian culture. You can get more information on Joy Rider at http://www.joyriderclothing.com/ or visit Nan at the Temescal Farmers Market at the Claremont DMV on Sundays 9am - 1pm. Or you can email Nan at info@joyriderclothing.com.

Bottled Up

Continuing our thread on found historical treasures on the PCL site, we came across another interesting bottle that survived with the history of the Pacific Coast Canning Company. Although plain to the naked eye, the label found on the bottom of the bottle reveals some further insight into the daily life of those who inhabited the Cannery before us.

Founded in 1884, Puritas water was one of the first to introduce and deliver bottled distilled spring water to a consumer market. As the predecessor to today’s Arrowhead water company, Puritas’ history began in Los Angeles and was predominantly sold in that area. Puritas’ first cold-water spring was found in the San Bernardino Mountains where a giant arrowhead adorned the face of the mountain in which the original Hot Springs were found.

It was believed that the innate qualities of the water found in the Arrowhead Hot Springs were substantial enough to cure ailments. Hotels proliferated the surrounding area and travelers from all over the United States came to witness the natural wonder of the spring as well as the water. Coincidently, these hotels would serve as the first venue for the bottling of Arrowhead Spring Water.

Walking the Site

From windows to sheetrock to cabinetry, here are a few shots of what's happening onsite at the Cannery.

It's a bit quieter today with the weather, but every week great new additions are taking form.

The dog washing station (LaundroMutt) and Bike Maintanance room/lounge (Velo Lounge) are what I'm most anxiously awaiting.

Prescott-Oakland Point News

Oakland Museum to get first face-lift- The renovation begins January 2, 2008. Phase I will reconfigure the Art and History Galleries and enhance the Oak Street entry with an ADA ramp and a steel canopy by 2009, in time to mark the museum’s 40th anniversary. Phase II, set for 2011 completion, includes the Natural Sciences Gallery, educational facilities, and the museum store. A portion ($7.5 million) of the Measure G funds has already helped create the museum’s new California Collections and Research Center (CCRC), an off-site collections storage facility.

Two of three main galleries to close Dec. 30 for $53 million remodeling, read more

Middle Harbor Shoreline opens - Middle Harbor Shoreline Park in Oakland unlocked their gates after workers finished removing oil that washed up after the container (Cosco Busan) ship struck the base of a Bay Bridge tower in the Nov. 7 accident, spilling 58,000 gallons of fuel oil into San Francisco Bay.

For a Middle Harbor Park flyer, click here or map here

Building a land of GIANTS-Danville artist creating a sculpture monument of human rights leaders

Chiodo Art Development - It was a combination of Maya Angelou and a fight that propelled Mario Chiodo on the journey that has landed him in a West Oakland warehouse, where he's sculpting what will be the largest bronze sculpture west of the Mississippi.

"Remember Them: Champions for Humanity" features the sculpted figures of 25 of the world's most inspirational people of the last 200 years. The new Henry J. Kaiser Sculpture Garden in Oakland's Fox Square will be home to the monument, with installation planned for fall 2009.

The area behind the old Fox Theatre is being called Oakland's new art district; the monument will be the focal point, totaling more than 1,000 square feet, with the highest point 21 feet high.

Just in: Photo of the Day

We're excited to have just launched the Pacific Cannery Lofts "Photo of the Moment." One of Nancy Holliday's many talents is photography, and now she's taken to the Pacific Cannery Lofts and surrounding neighborhood to create an online photo-journal.

The photography is updated daily and viewable at the Pacific Cannery Gallery. Discover the neighborhood and see the Pacific Cannery Lofts unfold by following her latest shots.

Siam Bay

I had lunch this week at Siam Bay in Old Oakland. Siam Bay has authentic Thai cuisine, a fun atmosphere and very friendly staff. Located at 1009 Clay Street it's less than 10 minutes from the Cannery. For those of you that are not familiar with Old Oakland definitely check it out for great restaurants, lounges, and even the Farmers Market on Fridays.

A Clear Day at EastShore Park

B

On Friday night I checked out the restaurant "B" in Old Oakland, and highly recommend it. Located at 499 9th St., it is about 5-7 minutes from the Cannery. My fiance and I sat at the communal table, looking out at a Christmas lit, tree-lined street. It actually felt a lot like being on the east coast. The mushroom pizza is a winner....

For those who have had more time than myself exploring Oakland's good eats, I'm sure you've been there already. If not, give it a shot.

Learn from Fern

We recently received a card from the local organization, Fern Tiger Associates. Aside from being beautifully crafted, it had a lot of great facts about our neighborhood of Oakland. So we thought that we would share some of the things that we learned today:

• Oakland is the 8th largest city in the state and 44th in the U.S.
  
• Rand McNally crowned Oakland as having the best weather in the nation
• Oakland is the most ethnically diverse city in the nation, with more than 150 languages spoken
• Oakland is comprised of more than 50 distinct neighborhoods
• Oakland was the location for films such as the “Pursuit of Happyness”
• Oakland has “sister cities” all over the world (see map)

We all know that Oakland is a great place, and these factoids just highlight why we love it so much!

Salvaging Historic Equipment

Last week Jeff Miller – Pacific Cannery Lofts’ landscape architect and landscape sub contractor – salvaged the historic ice making equipment that will become a feature piece at the west entry to the building. Jeff describes the process:

“Thought you would all be interested in our underground work to capture the ice making equipment from the dungeon of the Icehouse building. Quite the task indeed, but very exciting to handle such tonnage... The wheel is cast iron and I estimate its weight to be 4000 lbs. The motor seems to be just about 2500 lbs itself. My thought at this time is to assemble a single large wheel and its motor in north side of the west entry ramp. The wheel will be mounted on its stainless steel axle set on a concrete base at the bottom of the ramp and the engine will sit on a concrete plinth at the top of the ramp. We will use all of the original mounting structures and bolts in the reassembly. This arrangement resembles the original positioning - the wheel sat in a channel pit in the floor of the basement. My thought is that we will gain ground space on the low end of the ramp, much like the channel pit. The diameter of the wheel is 8'-0" and it will be quite an imposing sculptural element - the motor is impressive as well and will project 5'0" into the ramp area.

Since the room that they have been living in is quite small, my assumption is that they were possibly installed first and then the building was constructed around them... I can't imagine how they got in there otherwise... It has been quite the struggle to move them out of their habitat...”

Time Trials 2 - Clocktower to Pacific Cannery

Watch the action as Cal and JT (David Baker + Partners) head from the Clocktower Lofts (2nd & Bryant, San Francisco) to the Pacific Cannery Lofts. Maybe the bridge isn't the transportation barrier people build it up to be when you're in such a well connected location....

New Eats

The Oakland Tribune reports that the Central Station community will soon have access to a new grocery option provided by U.K. based grocer Tesco. The store, Fresh and Easy, focuses on creating well priced neighborhood markets. The Tribune reports:

"Fresh and Easy, the U.S. branch of U.K. grocer Tesco, signed a lease in early November with developers JLG Associates to occupy the 27,000-square-foot space previously occupied by the Eugene Market...

Tesco launched in America two years ago, testing the market for American tastes. Last month, Fresh and Easy opened 122 stores in Southern California, Phoenix and Las Vegas. The outlet in the Jack London Gateway will be its first in Northern California....

"Smaller than the usual supermarket, our neighborhood-sized stores are easily accessible and offer everything from everyday staples to gourmet items," states the chain's Web site."

The Jack London Gateway shopping center is located about 1.5 miles from the Pacific Cannery Lofts. This adds another option in addition to the Lake Merritt Whole Foods, Emeryville Trader Joe's, and Berkeley Bowl's upcoming store on Ashby.

Out of the Box

Urban Designs, the design center for the Pacific Cannery Lofts, is looking to add a techie touch to their custom upgrade options. Check out Thomas & Nancy describing this box, the new home for their flat screen tv...

Courtyards, Courtyards, Courtyards

We talk a lot about courtyards, and for good reason. It's no coincidence that's where many of our most popular lofts in past projects are located.....community space, views, shading, privacy, and an overall calming and enjoyable greenspace within a greater urban environment. At the Pacific Cannery Lofts we've got more of this space than ever with 3 unique courtyards. Here are some pictures of our Clocktower Lofts, Emeryville Warehouse, and Blue Star Corner courtyards.

Left Behind

Who consumed the pepsi from this late 1950's/early 1960's tin pepsi can found during the initial grading at the Pacific Cannery Lofts. The Cannery, after 25 years of operation, closed during the depression so this can did not quench the thirst of one of the many ethnically diverse cannery workers employed by Cannery Founder Lew Hing. Mystery unsolved....see if the phrases below bring back any memories.

Pepsi Phrases

The Pepsi marketing phrase has also changed many times. The marketing folks at the company felt free to invent new phrases whenever they thought the public would be receptive to the change.

1909-1939:	Delicious and Healthful
1939-1950:	Twice As Much For A Nickel Too
1950-1963:	The Light Refreshment
1953-1961:	Be Sociable
1961-1963:	Now It's Pepsi For Those Who Think Young
1963-1967:	Come Alive! You're In The Pepsi Generation
1967-1969:	Taste That Beats The Others Cold
1969-1973:	You've Got A Lot To Live, Pepsi's Got A Lot To Give
1973-1975:	Join The Pepsi People Feelin' Free
1975-1978:	Have A Pepsi Day
1978-1981:	Catch That Pepsi Spirit
1981-1982:	Pepsi's Got Your Taste For Life!
1983-1983:	Pepsi Now!
1984-now:	Pepsi, The Choice Of A New Generation

A Summer in Italy and Istria: Studio Exhibition

Local artist Anthony Holdsworth is holding a studio exhibiton on Sat. & Sun (Dec. 8th & 9th) from 11-5 at his studio, 351 Lewis Street in Oakland, just a couple minutes from the Pacific Cannery Lofts.

The exhibiton "is an attempt to capture the spirit and culture of Italy, and is also a reflection on his experiences there during the last 40 years."

Learn more about Anthony and his exhibiton in NovoMetro's recent feature article.

Anthony's studio is located just down the street from the studio of acclaimed sculptor Bruce Beasley.

Prescott-Oakland Point Neighborhood Upcoming Events

Check out the Prescott-Oakland Point Neighborhood site for the latest neighborhood information and events.

Some recent additions include: new neighborhood market, music, cooking demo, art exhibit and many upcoming social events.

Check it out!

For the Love of Pet

Clearly we take our pets very seriously at the Pacific Cannery Lofts, and we're most excited about our dog washing station, where residents can easily wash and dry their dog without covering their bathroom in dirt and fur or spending $15 to do it at the pet store (which is what you see to the left with my dog Tucker). It also gives a great space to meet other neighbors and dogs.

So naturally we were very excited to come across more pet lovers at Happy Hound Doggy Daycare - a dog paradise located just a few blocks away from the Pacific Cannery. We grabbed some clips of this doggy paradise/chaos, which you can see below:

Putting the Live in Live-Work

At our Pacific Cannery Lofts design meeting, Nancy Holliday talks about public and private space in a live/work environment. Watch her talk about turning the upstairs mezzanine into a functional, comfortable living space...perfect for entrepreneurs and small business owners looking for a dual-use in their home.

Crashing the Design Meeting - the New Urban Flat Model

I crashed the Pacific Cannery Lofts design meeting to get the latest project updates. Our Design Director Thomas Jameson and Creative Director Nancy Holliday are working on the model for our New Urban Flat. The floor plan they are working on is a well designed 1 bedroom + den, 1 bath flat that sits on the main courtyard. Here is a sneak preview of some of their design ideas, which I can't wait to see as a finished home...

More Unburied Treasures at PCL

Among the treasures found at the Old Pacific Coast Canning Co., soon to be the Pacific Cannery Lofts, is a large scale Murphy Cardinal Scale used, I am guessing, to weigh the cans of fruit being loaded onto the trucks for distribution. The Cardinal Scale Manufacturing Company(see wmbedded image of its headquarters in the 1950's) is located in Webb City, Missouri at the base of the Ozarks. Founder William H. Perry started the new company as a result of customer need for a line of special-capacity scales rising out of Americas' construction era boom. The new scale line proved to be so successful that Perry had to resign from Webb in 1956 and devote his full attention to his new and rapidly growing company. And so, Cardinal Scale was born. As a new scale manufacturing entity, Cardinal was in need of its own heavy-duty scale line. With this in mind, Perry began discussions with Sacramento, California's L.R. Murphy Company, a well-known west coast player in the large-capacity scale business. It was L.R. Murphy who pioneered all-steel, large scale design... a major revolution in the weighing industry.

Up until that time, all large-size scales had been laboriously constructed of cast iron in designs that could not easily have been changed. Nor could these scales be easily transported from their sites of manufacture on the east coast.

Steel was readily available to Murphy on the west coast as a result of the construction explosion that began there in the 1930's. He gained a competitive edge with its use, and it was this advantage that made sense as Perry and Murphy began talking about a partnership that could be mutually beneficial.. particularly in terms of product distribution.

In 1958 an agreement was reached, and the two companies began working together, marketing all-steel, welded motor truck and axle-load scales to all parts of the country. The companies were closely associated for 15 years, and then in 1973, Cardinal acquired Murphy Scale and completely integrated the operation, with full-service plants in Webb City, Sacramento and Denver.

Six Degrees of Separation...Loft Style

In researching the history of the Pacific Coast Canning Co. we were able to get our hands on a number of historic items through some local family members of the founder Lew Hing. (Stayed tuned for that amazing story in the days to come!) The piece of note paper seen here is from the Cannery but look closely at the image in the bottom left hand corner. This note paper was printed in San Francisco at the Schmidt Lithograph Co. previously located in the what is now the Clocktower Lofts, developed by Holliday Development in the early 1990s. Do Do Do Do(humming the Twilight Zone song!) For more information on the Clocktower check out the blog entitled Deja Vu All Over Again and the Holliday Development Website Clocktower page.

Biker Bar to be added to PCL

Well sort of.

The green team over at Holliday Development have added another cool feature to the already long list of forward thinking ideas for Pacific Cannery Lofts.

Its called the Velo Lounge and there been nothing like this built for biking commuters,enthusiasts and athletes.

PCL is not only adding bicycle storage for every unit in the project,we are also adding bike repair work benches, repair stands, air fill-up station and private lockers to store your gear and tools.

This is going to be a great place to hang out with other riders work on your ride and meet new people that will hip you to the newest routes in Oakland.

Check out the sketch and come on back for updates.

Ride on!

Dogs (and cats)get their day at PCL

In keeping with the tradition of pet friendly developments the team at Holliday has added pet washing "lounge" to Pacific Cannery Lofts.

This will be a great place to give Scout a wash and dry after a romp in the bay at the nearby Berkeley marina dog park.

Bathtub washings and wet carpet will be replaced with PCL's custom designed Dog washing (or cat if your feline will stand still for a bath) Lounge.

Check out the preliminary sketch and come back for updates as this little project progress'.

Dont froget to B.Y.O.S. (soap)

Time Trials - Downtown Oakland to Pacific Cannery Lofts

Central Station / Pacific Cannery Lofts is at the epicenter of the Bay Area...

But really how connected is Pacific Cannery Lofts to the surrounding metropolitan areas? "Time Trials" is a series that will test the transit time between Pacific Cannery Lofts and surrounding Bay Area destinations.

From: Oakland City Hall / Downtown Oakland
To: Pacific Cannery Lofts
Mode of Transportation: 1994 Acura Integra
Transit Time: ...

Pacific Cannery Lofts - Progress in the Field

Working through the details with the team in the construction office. From left to right: John Thompson of David Baker Architects, Bill Brandenburg of Cannon Constructors and Thomas Jameson of Holliday Development


Walking the main courtyard with Ken Kuhn of Cannon Constructors

East Bay MUD installing the water service to the building

Laying rebar for the 15 Grove Town Homes

Filming Activity in Prescott Oakland Point

Tonight (Wednesday, November 14th) at 7:30 pm at the James Moore Theatre-Oakland Museum of California, you will have the opportunity to watch the premiere screening of two films produced and directed by Harold Lawrence featuring Internationally-acclaimed Oakland artist Bruce Beasley and Award-winning Journalist/Publisher Paul Cobb.

If you miss this opportunity, you will get a second chance to watch the broadcast on KTOP/Cable Channel 10, the City of Oakland’s government channel during December 2007.

For more information, click here.

Also

According to Ami Zins, Film Coordinator with the Oakland Film Office, Saturday, Nov. 3rd filming activity I witnessed on Central Station Parkway (Frontage Rd.) was a car commercial being produced by Bing Productions, a UK premier production company.

They could not divulge what car company but did state they will continue to film and finish probably Friday, Nov. 16th.

Looking for acting opportunity, check this out!

The Oakland Film Office is proud to announce LOCAL FOCUS!

Local Focus is a filmmakers’ salon and screening series featuring short films and music videos by local filmmakers. Local Focus will be held bi-monthly at the Oakland Metro Operahouse at 201 Broadway near Jack London Square.

The evening is an opportunity for local filmmakers to share their works with others in and outside of the industry, and to benefit by lively discussion and networking opportunities!

For more information go to Prescott Oakland Point Neigborhood

Pacific Cannery Lofts - Building Transformation

Time to play catch-up - here is a quick summary of the construction progress over the last year and a half:

How we started

Demolition of the non-historic buildings


Opening up the walls for some natural light


Cutting out three massive courtyards to let the sun in


Framing the perimeter


Constructing the garage


Framing the units


Turning the units white


More updates to follow...

De Ja Vu All Over Again

Fifteen years ago the Bay Area housing market was mired in a serious funk after 8 record setting years of rising prices in the late 80's....sound familiar?

In the midst of all the negative headlines and bargain hunters, however, there was one neighborhood (San Francisco’s South of Market) and one building (The Clocktower) that completely bucked this negative trend. In fact in 1992/3, the Clocktower's 128 units accounted for 50% of ALL of the condominium sales in SF! (See Channel 2 news story 9/17/93).



The building's success was a by-product of it's unique live/work format...it attracted people with an entrepreneurial spirit....people that enjoyed being around other creative and interesting folks...people that weren't willing to wait for the "downturn" to be over... people who wanted to get on with their plans and invest in something exciting and rewarding….their selves, their future, & their businesses.

And the result for those people? Not only did they become a part of an exciting community, but the lofts that they bought then for $265,000 now sell for around $1 million. One original buyer recently blogged on another site: “I lived in the Clocktower from 1993 until 1996 in one of the lofts in the actual Clocktower building and I wish that I had never left….It was a great place to live, and there was a real feeling of community. I was very happy there.”

Every major change in the economy opens the door to new ideas and new thinking. I think we are again at the crossroads of a new economy in the Bay Area....it is time for a new dynamic live/work building. I hope you continue to watch our progress at Pacific Cannery Lofts as the next such community begins to take shape.

Discovering Prescott-Oakland Point Cont'd

The second piece NovoMetro wrote about the Prescott neighborhood is on the Trapeze & Circus school located just 2 blocks from the Pacific Cannery Lofts. The school draws students from all throughout the Bay Area and is a popular spot for birthday parties.

http://novometro.com/news_details.php?news_id=2414

The New Face of Raimondi Park

Ernie Raimondi Park, located immediately across the street from Central Station, just broke ground on a full redevelopment plan. The newly renovated park will include 2 multi-purpose playing fields striped for soccer and football, a baseball diamond, a tot lot and older play structure, picnic area, quiet garden, and an artificially surfaced putting green. A walking/running pathway will encircle the baseball diamond.

The Raimondi’s were a local family, of which the mother, Josephine, worked at the Pacific Cannery. Ernie and his brother Bill were both baseball players, and at one time were playing together for the hometown Oakland Oaks. Ernie served in the military during World War II, and in 1945 he died from wounds received on the battlefields in Europe. To honor Ernie Raimondi and the inspiration he still brings to the city, Ernie Raimondi Park was opened and dedicated on June 27th, 1947. It seemed only natural to honor Ernie Raimondi by creating a new baseball diamond, which Charlie Tye said would “perpetuate his name and give the kids a chance to know of Raimondi's love of the game of baseball."

Found Treasures on PCL Site

While clearing the way to start construction on the PCL site, we found some bottles left by those who occupied the space before us, many of which date back as far as the late 1800s. Still in excellent condition, these historic bottles offer us a glimpse into the lifestyles and culture of the Pacific Coast Cannery, and intrigued us to do some further research on the significance of these found treasures.

The first of the bunch is a bottle labeled as Dr S Pitcher's Castoria, later known as Fletcher's Castoria. This may sound familiar since Castoria is still being sold today under the pharmaceutical company Mentholatum. The contents of Pitcher's Casotria, a combination of senna, sodium bicarbonate, essence of wintergreen, taraxicum, sugar and water, creates an oral remedy made to soothe the stomach of children.

Aside from its cathartic qualities, Castoria was the subject of one of the most significant campaigns in early mass advertising, many of which are still visible today on the streets of New York. In fact, during the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge, it was said that Castoria ads were visible on virtually every blank wall in sight. It seems that this effective advertising made it all the way to our neighborhood in Oakland!

Discovering Prescott-Oakland Point

NovoMetro is doing a series on some of the hidden gems and hip happenings in the Prescott-Oakland Point neighborhood, which is home to Central Station. Here is the first piece they wrote on internationally acclaimed sculptor Bruce Beasley, who has made his home and studio in the neighborhood for 40 years. He's recently been commissioned to do a piece for the Beijing Olympics.

http://novometro.com/news_details.php?news_id=2391

Dog Washing Station at Pacific Cannery Lofts

I've had golden retrievers since the 1970's. Yes, I was one of those people who took their dog to class or on campus whenever I could. Jones, my current golden is often in need of a bath so I take her to the local laundramutt (aka Petco) for a bath. I recently went to buy my tokens and found that the price of a dog bath has gone up to $15 a pop. Wow!!
Pacific Cannery Lofts will have a dog washing station for use by all homeowners and their pets with hot and cold running water and dog shampoo. We need to thank Jones for the inspiration for this one.

The Clocktower Connection

I went on a tour last week with Rick Holliday that started at the Emeryville Warehouse lofts, then went to the Pacific Cannery Lofts and finished at the Clocktower in San Francisco. All are Holliday Development & David Baker + Partners communities, and they all share some key characteristics, from the interior courtyards to a wide mix of well designed lofts.

As we walked through the Clocktower, a for-sale flyer was outside one of the lofts, listed for $899,000. I had literally been standing at the Pacific Cannery Lofts 10 minutes earlier, walking through a comparable loft that when finished will likely be $450,000. Both have the exact same architect (whose office was only a few doors down), exact same developer (who was standing right next to me), and in many people’s opinions the Cannery stands to be an even better project because of the great bones of the existing building combined with 20 years of experience. Doing the quick math, being 10 minutes away saves me $450,000...about $45,000/mile.

It's Oakland's Turn...Jerry Brown wasn't crazy.

San Francisco magazine has made these assertions in their current issue regarding development in and around downtown Oakland. I couldn't agree more with SF magazine's assessment. Seven years ago I bought the main Oakland Train Station and 25 acres of vacant land that surrounded it. When I bought the site I decided to delve directly into the neighborhood and learn more about the hopes and aspirations of the residents. I spent time in the local barbershop where I heard many stories of the rich history of the area. I also became aware of a very deep frustration with the lack of progress in getting new buildings and new residents to the area....the neighbors were saying that "It's Oakland's Turn"....isn't it??

One of the most interesting people I met in the early days is my counterpart in the photo above. his name is Marcel Diallo and he shared his vision for bringing back the neighborhood by organizing creative young folks like himself....he's was in his middle 20's at the time......and getting them to focus on a few blocks in West Oakland known to locals as the "Lower Bottom". His vision is to create an opportunity for entrepreneur's like himself to re-create the lost culture of the Black community.

As a 54 year old "white guy" I was intrigued at how we might work together to start the process of re-building this amazing neighborhood. This blog is designed to tell our story in real time as the buildings come to life. Our first building ...the Pacific Coast Cannery is scheduled for completion this spring 2008. I hope you find this story interesting and compelling and that you participate in Marcel's and my effort to redevelop this special neighborhood the right way....by reaching out and including ALL interested parties and blending ALL of their hopes and aspirations. This is the Bay Area's oldest neighborhood...the Station was the end of the trans-continental railroad in 1870...it has been called "Ellis Island West" by local historians as it was the landing point for all new residents to Northern California. I will post at least once a week to update you on our progress.