I can have both a Panera Bread and Target. But no one should have Gold Teeth Masters and Oaksterdam. GTM does more to separate poor black people from their money than the lottery could ever hope to do. I don’t care what taxes Oaksterdam may bring to the city, it is not worth the trouble of the sidestreet MJ clubs. Further, its continued presence will undoubtedly inhibit real business from coming to the area. And call me crazy but I would think that real business would bring a greater amount in taxes and generate more jobs.

Before the new restaurants came along most of downtown Oakland catered to the poor. When I am having a drink at 2022 or Somar, the one consistent word we need more businesses in the downtown area that cater to professionals.

I’d argue that diversity is the Downtown area’s greatest asset- just look at all the people who walk around the Lake, for starters. You’ll see nearly every type of Oaklander imaginable. San Francisco doesn’t have that diversity, nor does Berkeley, nor many other parts of Oakland. Why don’t they have it? Or perhaps a better question is: how does Downtown Oakland maintain it? I think that’s where any city planning should begin and end, because natural diversity like that is a rare and fragile thing. You can’t just build mixed income units and call it good. Unfortunately, that’s the deepest thinking you’re going to get out of the average developer/government entity/pol.

Um, and if you want to know why diversity is important, it’s because thriving cities rely on all types of income and economic status to stay viable and flexible. It’s silly to import all your low income workers from suburbs to bus tables, and it’s important to have people who will spend money at the local cafe or newsstand. You need all sorts of cultures to be interesting and creative, and have good things to eat and buy and barter for. You want people riding transit, walking, riding bikes, pushing strollers, and probably driving a few cars, too. You want kids going to schools, and teachers able to afford to live a block from where they work, and grandparents able to walk around the Lake. Surprisingly, a lot of that is already happening here in Downtown/Uptown/Chinatown/Lakeside; if you pay attention to city planning issues, you know there are cities all over the US that are striving for something Oakland already has. It would be good to avoid screwing it up with dreams of upscale makeovers that have a flat profile of the sorts of people they cater to and who can afford to shop there, and phantom future consumers (of housing, goods, food, and amenities) that may not exist.

I’ve never had a problem with Gold Teeth Masters or Oaksterdam, or any of their customers; if they are putting money in city coffers and being good neighbors, that’s good enough for me. I’m not going to pick and choose who deserves to stay and who deserves to go based on my personal needs. If someone else that lives here is served by that business, they deserve to operate. If no one shops there, they will go away.

Gem S. – I can see your point, but most of me is like…Gold Teeth Master?? Of all the examples. I could back the old hat shops and book stores, but how is the area gonna attract and maintain a solid retail and resident base if that’s around….for that matter I also have a problem with, sorry…. the Cannabis College/Oaksterdam (the issue is not pot per se, either). What is it saying about what the city and Oaklanders value? Are we gonna stay in a college and high school mentality or are we gonna grow up and value productive and constructive enterprises? I’m not for a second gonna say Pottery Barn is an answer either. I just think that the examples set forth lately by the great restaurants, bars, theaters, galleries and companies are much more the direction the city should be heading. They are positive, creative, beneficial to people of all ages and races, constructive and not destructive…I just want to be able to bring my friends and family of all ages and from all places and feel safe and proud of this beautiful place.

Never fear, though, there are a couple of grillz shops on International just the other side of the lake.

I don’t live here because I secretly want to live in Walnut Creek but can’t afford it.

We need high density, multi-storied, residential housing, set far back in those large auto lots. The first two floors of the residential towers would be used for high-end retail, restaurants, and coffee houses, while the setbacks would be used as landscaped plazas with fountains extending to wide tree lined sidewalks featuring intricate patterns, wrought iron benches, classical clocks, and outdoor dining areas.

We could also incorporate an arch way of some sort at Pleasant View and Broadway, with another at the formal entrance to Downtown at around 27th & Broadway.

Oakland has an opportunity to do something very special here. This area of Broadway is perfect for high density residential development given the great climate, the tame topography, the proximity to all of the emerging downtown neighborhoods, along with the proximity and walking distance to Oakland’s established neighborhoods like Rockridge, Piedmont Ave, Lake Merritt, Adams Point, Lake Shore/Grand etc.

The Upper Broadway area is ideally situated as a possible walkers paradise. All the City of Oakland needs is a vision to turn Broadway into a magnificent, tree lined boulevard, full of outdoor dining, plazas, green spaces, etc.

BTW, that “Biff’s” restaurant would have made a great Oakland A’s Hall of Fame directly behind “Kaiser Yards” at 27th &; Broadway. Oh well!

Urban vs. Suburban desires: Oakland is a second tier city that’s ideal for City dwellers looking for a bit more peace and quiet as well as Suburbanites looking to sample the urban hustle and bustle. It seems that these two factions have different visions for Upper Broadway Retail (big box vs. boutiques). At the heart of this debate is how we view Oakland in general – is it more of a city or a suburb of SF? If we come to consensus on this question we should be able to clarify our vision for Upper Broadway. As stated, I personally feel that Oakland is more of a city with a distinct and separate character from SF and neighboring suburbs, yet carries some suburban qualities. As a result, I’m of the mind that *a* big box/department store could work, however the bulk of shopping should not be big box or even chains. Besides creating a city feel, this strategy also recognizes that most big box / chain stores can be found less than a mile away in Emeryville and limit cannibalization. Also, creating residences in the neighborhood is a must to generate the foot traffic needed for these stores to succeed.

Significant retail infrastructure already exists on Broadway – from Grand to 17th: While it seems that the city has already bet on the Grand to 580 stretch, there is incredible potential for bringing new tenants the opposite direction, without building new buildings or moving auto dealerships. Regardless of whether Sears is the right store or not, that building is in incredible shape and could be made into something uniquely Oakland (I like KenO’s idea). Same with I Magnin and a number of other buildings on the Grand-17th stretch. There are thousands of people who go to work via 19th and 12th street stations and a number of new housing developments (including the Uptown) nearby. Why not bring stores to them and include this redevelopment into the Upper Broadway plan?

If we ignore this Broadway stretch on the other side of Grand, we risk having Gold Teeth Master (on 22nd and Broadway) a block from PotteryBarn (or some other upscale retail store). While this may help bring the disparity that exists within Oakland to light and potentially help address social issues (and hey, something has to at some point), it’s not going to help this new development succeed.

As for what to do with Auto Row—I certainly do not want a Walnut Creek or Emeryville scenario—if that is what you want—go to the Creek or Emeryville. Oakland is more hip, creative and funky than that. An eccectitc mix of smaller or specialty grocery stores or markets, restaurants, lounges/bars, live music venues, spaces for creative businesses such as graphic arts, architecture firms, etc. Downtown Oakland could be open til 3/4am —Chinatown’s got the food and there are several places near Uptown and Broadway/Grand that could stay open if the traffic was there—but the traffic isn’t there because places decide to close at night —catch 22.

Anyhoo, I do agree that there should be some type of anchor on Auto Row. Whole Foods is down the street so a Target, Trader Joe’s or something cooler might not be a bad idea—-the area needs more amenities. With Target, the only problem is that it would need to be a fairly large one since it would be the only one between here and Albany—basically the only one to serve Oakland exclusively.

I’ve always envisioned Auto Row to be a fusion of the Filmore and the Mission in SF, Harlem and Soho NY, Austin TX and New Orleans, but with the cool, quirky, diverse, conscious and creative vibe that makes Oakland so unique.

I also agree about someone’s earlier comments on an Asian-style center (like in in San Gabriel, CA). It would be fantastic to have access to cosmetics counters and if they divided the spaces small enough then entrepreneurs could rent space as well. There are so many talented locals who can’t afford to open up a whole shop. it could be a great draw and add some local flair.

If Target would agree to build on Broadway, I wouldn’t oppose it. Hell, they could build a store next door to me and I wouldn’t oppose it. We’d all like to see more “upscale” shopping on Broadway but let’s face it: in Oakland, Target IS upscale.