TOWNE CRIER #24
HAPPY EARTH DAY!
Oakland is celebrating Earth Day Saturday, and in keeping with the moment, our Jack London District is holding Trash Bash VI Saturday. This is a half-day clean up the neighborhood event, which not only cleans up our neighborhood but serves as a social event for folks in the various lofts and buildings to meet and play together.
Last year Fourth Street Lofts had about the same number of players as did Tower Lofts. My goal is for us to have the highest representation.
The fun begins at 9am one block away at the Egghouse, Third and Harrison. Doughnuts, coffee and juice will be served. Folks sign up, usually in pairs and are assigned a specific task.
If you have your own gloves and/or any tools such as a 'picker-upper' or broom, bring it along. The city didn't provide us with as many this year because of all the citywide activities. We will have tools, heavy duty latex gloves and bottled water.
The morning fun segues into the afternoon fun at 1pm with a BBQ, catered by local merchants including burgers (both meat and veggie) from Prime Smoked Meats on the corner of Third and Alice; and beer from The Warehouse Bar & Grill on Fourth and Webster.
It's not too late to RSVP to JOANNA ADLER at Jack London Mail (Third and Alice Streets) 510/893-4100 or by email at trashbash@jacklondondistrict.org. The RSVP is helpful for the BBQ planning.
AND, if at the last minute you find your schedule free, come on by even if you haven't sent in a RSVP.
FARMER'S MARKET BISTRO BASH
This Sunday, 24 April 2005, the Jack London Farmer's Market is having a Bistro Bash from 11am to 1pm at the Farmer's Market right down in the Square. Come and nosh.
SIGNATURE PROPERTY UPDATE
Signature Properties (the development at Third between Alice and Harrison) is hosting a Community Meeting Monday 25 April 2005 at 6pm at The Egghouse. The City of Oakland will also be present. Signature is not required to hold this meeting but is required to notify folks of the meeting when scheduled, so many of you received mailed notices. Among other things on the agenda will be parking, traffic and noise issues, and whatever else is of concern.
The City of Oakland also invited Howard Wright - developer of the property across Fourth Street from Fourth Street Lofts. It isn't known yet whether Wright will or will not attend.
Of interest, especially to those who attend the meeting, is the Construction Period Impact Management Plan. It can be obtained online by going to http://www.jacklondondistrict.org/development and using the hyperlink to download the plan. One can also call CHRIS WEEKLEY at 925-468-3703 or sending him email: cweekley@sigprop.com.
Several weeks ago, the back hoe dug up railroad ties behind the Greeno and Bay Cities Paper Building. The Signature owners are saving the removed trestle, ties and spikes, and they will be incorporated into the lobby display area. The Signature Offsite Manager told me that the railroad ties date back to the 1880s.
However, I've been told by a longtime Jack London District resident that the 1880 date seems HIGHLY suspect. The reasoning is:
The two tracks on Third Street had many sidings that allowed freight cars to be parked next to warehouses all along the south side of the street (Tower Lofts, Bag building, Egghouse, etc.) and there were no sidewalks (just sidings) until recently. On the north side of Third, the railroad owned half blocks of land from Oak to Harrison which gave them room for several siding tracks--one to serve the back side of buildings that front on Fourth Street (Safeway, Fourth Street Lofts, Greeno, Allied Paper, etc.) and one or two others to serve the freight "depot." Construction of Western Pacific RR's main tracks in Oakland and all the sidings attached to them began in 1908 and was completed in 1910. Check out the descriptive trash can on the NE corner of Third and Harrison.
I don't know how far back the tracks date, but no matter. They were old, and now they're gone. And, I now have two of the spikes, given to me by the Offsite Manager.
I had been told a while back that Signature was set to start pit digging soon. Originally the plan had been to start pile driving with jackhammers after that. But, after the EIR, I'm told now that a concrete pad will be used for the digging instead of pile driving. If true, that is indeed good news for us.
To correct something I wrote earlier, the gravel in the empty lot was a 'ramp' to minimize the amount of dirt tracked out of the site, a place where traffic came in and out. It was not a pad upon which equipment rested.
Come to the Monday Signature meeting and learn all about what's next for us and the development And check out the webcam set up by SIMON WADDINGTON of Tower Lofts. It is now continuously updated. http://www.jacklondondistrict.org/webcam/
BROADWAY IN THE EAST BAY
Man of La Mancha, 42nd Street and Damn Yankees are being put on this summer by Alameda Civic Light Opera Summer Season. La Mancha is in July, 42nd Street in August and Damn Yankees in September. Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday matinees. Call 510/864-2256 or order online at www.aclo.com.
NEIGHBORHOOD UPDATES?
The site for the former TGIFridays restaurant (or a portion of that space) will most likely be torn down and a building will be built on the valet lot (and the small portion of TGIF) and it is in the plans to be an "art house movie theatre," but more likely just more office space. The hotel will be where the trees are close to the Landing Apartments.
Also, the Party Warehouse has moved from Third & Alice to Second & Madison in part of the Moran Paper building.
Have a nice weekend!