Small businesses and developers hate us, our schools are teetering on the brink of insolvency, the Emery Go-Round is threatened, residents keep getting priced-out and our beloved City Manager just bolted for Oakland. Overall, there seems to be a swirl of negativity within our city.
On a more positive note, one of our residents has returned home an NBA champion after beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in 6 games in the NBA Finals. Draymond Green, whom we spotlighted in fact lives within our city, has helped bring the East Bay its first Championship since the ’89 Oakland A’s and the Bay Area its first NBA Championship in 40 years.
Photo: Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports
There seems to be some optimism about keeping Green after his contract expires this year, but Green … is going to be making green. A lot of it! It seems unlikely he’ll stay put in his rented apartment for long once he starts cashing those million dollar paychecks. Let’s capture this moment for future generations of E’villains … while we still can!
I’ve had some private conversations with folks over the course of the playoffs about how we could honor Green. The Key to the City is a traditional, symbolic gift from the city honoring esteemed visitors or residents and symbolizes the freedom of the recipient to enter and leave the city at will. It’s a ceremonial gesture of appreciation to someone and it seems like a good thing to rally residents around and provide a needed morale boost.
Those I reached out to within the city were unaware this had ever been implemented before (although there hasn’t been a huge number of Championships in Oakland over the past few decades). Former Oakland A’s Pitcher Dave Stewart I was told lived at Pacific Park Plaza during their Bay Bridge Championship in 1989. No record of him being honored by the city.
The City seems receptive to the idea thus far and Councilmember Nora Davis has inquired about issuing a proclamation for the July 21st Council meeting. I’ve personally inquired with the Warriors Media & Public Relations about his availability. Let’s hope little Emeryville can fit in Draymond’s busy schedule and the City will follow through!
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Feature Image: Cary Edmondson/USA TODAY Sports
Love the idea, except that Draymond will almost certainly leave when he gets that big contract renewal. He is a wonderful person as well as player, but unfortunately, E’ville only builds rental condos these days….
So we’re losing people that can’t afford to live here anymore … and those that CAN afford to live here because there’s no for-sale housing inventory!
Specifically, nothing for sale. 100% of the new units being built in Emeryville today, and 100% of those approved to be built are rentals only.
That’s fine when you are right out of college, but if you get a long-term contract, you’ll want to buy.
Wait, you want to give him a key so he can enter and leave the city at will? That’s definitely not a good idea.
What can we give him that makes it impossible for him to leave? I’m for that.
Ah, a city ankle bracelet? I like it!
I say we demand just a few more units of truly unaffordable housing. Get all the Warriors here. It will be so much closer to the new SF arena!
Maybe we can use a couple of the Artist Co-Op spaces that aren’t actually being used by artists for more “constructive” purposes ;).
I’d support that! Eville can try to be a small part of the Warriors claim to fame right now.
I voted yes to honor him, however it could result in a similar outcome as honoring E’ville’s poet laureate
I also wanted to add that the house that I was forced to move from on 5532 Doyle street is sitting vacant right now. I was told to move because it would be torn down immediately following our vacation of the premises.
WTF, I should have held my ground and fought for compensation to vacate.
Oh well, maybe I should move back in and squat.
E’ville has no for sale housing, and those that sold are sitting vacant to be developed for what, I do not know. Probably developed into an expensive property that is rented out buy some real estate robber baron.
GO WARRIORS!
[…] helping bring us our first NBA Championship in 40 years, we wondered out loud how the city could honor his contribution to the Dubs epic run. After some conversations with some […]