Rob AriasIn this edition of our Semi-Monthly newsletter, we share five stories relevant to Emeryville that you may have missed, including:
- Pioneering Biotech firm Chiron Co-Founder Passes
- CBS Segment profiles brewing fight over 40th St. Multimodal Project
- AC Transit’s “Realign” service adjustments set to roll out
- Bauters advances on Fox Reality show “The Snake”
- Chronicle Piece Details Emeryville’s surging Renter Population
Chiron Co-Founder Passes at 97
Pioneering Biochemist Dr. William J. Rutter died on July 11 at his home in San Francisco. He was 97.
Rutter and two University of California colleagues founded the Chiron Corporation in 1981 helping establish Emeryville as an epicenter for Life Sciences in the East Bay and beyond.
Chiron specialized in recombinant DNA technology, also known as gene splicing. Their perhaps greatest accomplishment was developing the first commercial blood-screening test for hepatitis C, revolutionizing blood safety worldwide.
After Chiron was acquired by Novartis in 2006, Rutter transitioned into a biotech investor, mentor, and science advocate, continuing to shape the industry he helped launch.
CBS News Segment Covers Mounting Tensions over 40th Street Redesign Project
Business owners along the 40th Street corridor are getting some regional media coverage in their ongoing efforts to influence the design of the “40th Street Multimodal” project that they claim will be detrimental to operating their business.
The current design would replace a lane of vehicle traffic in either direction with a dedicated bus lane and close or partially close 4 cross-streets.
The second generation owner of the 55-year old, family-run Rug Depot Outlet Deborah Cohen shows how access to her loading dock will be impeded by the proposed design. “For Deborah and other business owners, they feel like the change is only a positive for a small few at the expense of legacy businesses that built Emeryville into what it is today,” KPIX reporter Katie Nielsen details in the segment.
Businesses like Pottery & Beyond, Granite Expo and other light-industrial and catering businesses require frequent delivery via semi and box-trucks and many claim this would inevitably push this activity onto the parallel and more pedestrian and bike-friendly Park Avenue.
Local businesses have began organizing to influence the design by launching the website reconsider40th.com.
AC Transit Set to Roll Out “Realign” Service Adjustments
AC Transit’s “Realign” adjustments to service are set to go into effect on Sunday, August 10.
The program was developed in response to declining ridership, budget shortfalls, and operator shortages following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ridership remains about 85% of pre-pandemic levels, prompting the agency to redesign its network to focus on reliability, equity, and high-demand corridors. The revised plan, approved in October 2024, aims to maintain approximately 85% of pre-pandemic service levels using existing resources.
Local changes include hourly service on Line 7 along the Stanford–Powell–Public Market corridor and updates to other local and Transbay routes.
Bauters Narrowly Avoids Elimination on “The Snake” Fox Reality Series
John Bauters’ surprise appearance on the Fox Reality series “The Snake” is off to a bit of a tenuous start.
Bauters has made it through the first two episodes of the series narrowly evading elimination in week 6 in the bottom two contestants. Weekly challenge winner Jordan DeJesse opted to “save” John despite other allied contestants expressing a distrust for him.
While some have been supportive of his appearance, many are questioning the wisdom of Bauters appearing on a reality show that so blatantly exposes his manipulation methods and that fortify stereotypes of politicians. This decision could follow him should he choose to reenter politics and turn his reputation into a punchline.
It’s possible Bauters has chosen to move behind the scenes in local politics as he has recently taken a role with Revitalize East Bay and is also listed as the Executive Director of the Oakland chapter of the Abundance Network. The Abundance Network is an informal coalition of mostly democratic-aligned policymakers and thinkers that advocate for innovation, economic growth, and pro-development policies.
Chronicle Article Details Emeryville’s Massive Spike in Rental Homes
The Chronicle published a recent story with a focus on Emeryville based on data provided by apartment listing website Point2Homes.com.
According to the study, renter households now outnumber homeowners in more than 200 metropolitan suburbs nationwide with Emeryville leading the way in the Bay Area Metro.
According to the data, the share of renters in Emeryville increased by a whopping 28% from 2018 to 2023 adding more than 1,100 new renter households and bringing the percentage of renters close to 70%.
Emeryville is not a prototypical “suburb” as described but more of an “edge city.” Emeryville’s urban density and mixed-use character distinguishes it from more traditional suburban communities.
