Rob AriasOur periodic aggregate of business and other newsworthy stories overlapping Emeryville includes pieces from The San Francisco Business Times, The East Bay Times and StreetsBlog.
Pixar is apparently eyeing one of the historic warehouses along Park Avenue directly across from their gates. 1201 Park Avenue was built as the California Cracker Company in 1913. The building’s architectural significance is considered “Tier 1” requiring city approval if any exterior modifications are sought.
The building was recently listed on loopnet and includes an R&D kitchen, office space for 40 employees and 16-parking spaces. It was previously occupied by CCD Innovation a food and beverage product development and commercialization agency.
Some concerning data on Emeryville’s commercial vacancy rate provided in a recent East Bay Times story. According to the report, Emeryville posted a 23% office vacancy rate in the fourth quarter of 2022 jumping from 18.1% in the previous quarter.
According to the cited CBRE report (PDF), the 112k sq. ft. of negative net absorption at 5959 Horton Street (Gristone headquarters) was a significant contributor to the negative 242k sq. ft. for the Emeryville submarket during Q4 2022.
You may have noticed the street rehabilitation projects on Adeline and connecting streets. The work includes paving, the addition of traffic buffers, bike lanes and striping.
The designs are being implemented by Crossroad Lab a civil engineering design firm. Crossroad’s CEO Vignesh Swaminathan goes by “Mr. Barricade” on TikTok spotlighting his company’s efforts (among many other things 😉 ).
These improvements have gotten a mixed reaction from the public and bike activists. The safe streets advocacy publication StreetsBlog has provided differing perspectives on the work which include some unconventional designs that try to balance protecting cyclists and slowing down vehicles.
The work is expected to be completed by the end of February. The improvements are paid for by several county bond measures and the Alameda County Transportation Commission.
Oakland-area office vacancies rise at year’s end — so do rents
Downtown Oakland and Emeryville suffer area’s worst office vacancy levels
By George Avalos
Office vacancy levels are rising in the Oakland area, but rents are also on the uptick as the real estate market confronts uncertainties over a wobbly economy, high prices and rising interest rates.
The Oakland-area office vacancy rate was 18.6% during the October-through-December fourth quarter of 2022, according to a new report from CBRE, a commercial real estate firm.
Read More on eastbaytimes.com (paywall may apply)
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Pixar signals interest in office building adjacent to Emeryville headquarters
By Sarah Klearman
Pixar is spending $3.6 million to renovate an office building directly across the street from its 20-acre Emeryville campus.
The animation giant owned by Disney (NYSE: DIS) filed an application Dec. 22 to make tenant improvements to the 12,800-square-foot building at 1201 Park Ave., according to records from the city of Emeryville.
Read More on SF Business Times (paywall may apply)
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Eyes on the Street: Mr. Barricade Keeps Crushing in Emeryville
By Roger Rudick
If you’re biking, walking, or driving through Emeryville, be sure to check out the installations going in on and around Adeline, 45th, 47th, and Doyle. As seen in the lead image, this is new work from Crossroad Lab’s Vignesh Swaminathan, better known as Mr. Barricade on TikTok.
Just before the holiday break, Swaminathan invited Streetsblog out for a tour of the area, where he is helping Emeryville public works pour concrete and lay asphalt to create protected bike lanes, intersections, and other features to slow-turning cars and force motorists to keep a safe distance from vulnerable road users (including children at nearby Anna Yates elementary).
Read more on streetsblog.org
Eyes on the Street Again: Adeline Project Follow Up
By Roger Rudick
Emeryville is still in the midst of upgrading Adeline and some adjoining streets, adding protected bike lanes in places and protected intersections. When I published a story about the work in January, it seemed like a great project. However, some readers took exception, such as Mary Ann Blackwell, who wrote on social media “Yes…let’s put a concrete bunker in the middle of the bike lane! aka NECK BREAKER!” of the protective curb placements in the intersections.
Read more on streetsblog.org
If Mr barricade was responsible for the Doyle Street “park” he must of been drunk or doesn’t know what the hell he’s doing (where are the speed humps, can’t they decide on what side of the street they want the bike path to run). But with this city, anytime you mention bicycle, it drops all reason and bends over backward to show their “chops” serving a secondary transportation mode.
Why doesn’t Emeryville police enforce no stopping in red curb zones in front of Med Men and Flavors Emeryville on San Pablo?