CED Committee May 14, 2024
Bnjm, his AGENDA REPORT TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM:William Gilchrist City Administrator Director, Planning and Building Ashleigh Kanat Director, Economic and Workforce Development SUBJECT:Informational Agenda Report on Progress to Date on the Black Arts Movement and Business District (BAMBD) DATE:April 29, 2024 City Administrator Approval Date: RECOMMENDATION Staff Recommends That The City Council Receive An Informational Report On The Following: (1) An Accounting Of Available City Funds To (A) Implement A Series Of Public Streetscape Upgrades Along Oakland's Fourteenth Street Corridor To Uplift The Black Arts Movement And Business District (BAMBD); (B) Support Arts And Cultural Institutions In The BAMBD, Including Cornerstone Legacy African American Institutions; And (C) Create A BAMBD Business Improvement District (BID) For Ongoing Revenue Generation For Tenant Support, Facade Improvement, Place-Making, Space Activation, Accessibility, And Safety Improvements Within The BAMBD; And (2) A Map That Establishes The Exact Boundaries Of The BAMBD And A List Of The Institutions Within The BAMBD Boundaries; And (3) A Proposal For Legislation, And A Proposed Timeline For Adoption, To Create A Special (“S”) Zoning District Or Similar Zoning Control That Contains Measurable Standards For Development Projects To Meet The Intent Of The BAMBD And Ensure The Long-Term Vitality Of The BAMBD. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Black Arts Movement and Business District (BAMBD) is the first officially designated Cultural District in the City of Oakland (City) acknowledging an essential place of history, culture, commerce and pride across Downtown and West Oakland. Since the time of its formal designation in 2016, City staff have worked through pertinent departments and with BAMBD stakeholders to develop support for the BAMBD through policy, information sharing, zoning regulations, festival grants, business technical assistance, marketing opportunities, and municipal-service navigation. Much of this work has been advanced through the Downtown Jestin Johnson (Apr 30, 2024 15:49 PDT)
Apr 30, 2024
Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: Black Arts Movement and Business District (BAMBD) Date: April 15, 2024 Page 2 CED Committee May 14, 2024
Oakland Specific Plan (DOSP), which is also being prepared to come before City Council this year. Per Resolution 90141, the City Council directed the City Administrator with the support of the relevant city departments, to provide the Community and Economic Development (CED) Committee with an informational report including existing and future work to support the BAMBD. This informational report provides history, context and a background on the work that City Staff have conducted toward supporting the BAMBD, then addresses the Resolution’s specific points of inquiry. BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY In January 2016, the City Council passed Resolution No. 85958 C.M.S. establishing the BAMBD. Staff from the Planning and Building Department (PBD) and Department of Economic & Workforce Development (EWD) have worked since that time, with advice from the Department of Race and Equity, to advance the intent of the City Council’s first Cultural District resolution into relevant departmental work, including the development of a specific plan and zoning amendments for the downtown area, which encompasses a significant part of the BAMBD within its boundaries, and development of a citywide Cultural Districts program. On June 24, 2021, the City Council approved a $250,000 allocation in the Fiscal Year 2021-2023 biennial budget for program development for lease support, grants, signage, and program development for small business incubation, pursuant to Resolution No. 88717 C.M.S. The Fiscal Year 2021-2023 biennial budget also included a $500,000 allocation for a feasibility study for renovations and upgrades to the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts (Malonga) located within the district. On March 19, 2024, the City Council directed the City Administrator to provide CED with an informational report addressing eight points regarding boundaries, community engagement, zoning, historic resources and other aspects of the BAMBD. ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES Work Conducted to Date City staff have engaged with numerous BAMBD stakeholders across departments and via multiple projects. Much of this work has occurred through the PBD and EWD, although other departments have engaged as well. As previously noted, much of PBD’s engagement to date with the BAMBD has been through the DOSP process and is further described in this report. EWD engages with BAMBD constituent organizations and stakeholders through cultural affairs and business development activities, including arts and organizational grants, a public art program, and administering the Downtown Community Benefit District. This EWD work is described further below. Although these projects Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: Black Arts Movement and Business District (BAMBD) Date: April 15, 2024 Page 3 CED Committee May 14, 2024
are led separately by PBD and EWD, this work is done in coordination and with collaboration from other relevant departments as well. Downtown Oakland Specific Plan As part of the DOSP process, Planning staff received significant feedback about arts and culture, Black businesses, and Black culture in the downtown. The 2017 relaunch of the DOSP with racial equity-based analysis and engagement was largely undertaken due to feedback from residents concerned about displacement of Black artists, residents, businesses, and cultural organizations with rising rents. To understand the issues and receive feedback for the DOSP goals, policies and implementation actions, Planning staff engaged with BAMBD stakeholders in a variety of ways. Staff participated in several meetings convened by former Councilmember McElhaney and meetings the Oakland Department of Transportation held with 14th Street stakeholders regarding the 14th Street Safety Project. DOSP staff also convened their own meetings of arts and culture stakeholders in the development of the Specific Plan and meetings specifically for BAMBD stakeholders to review Plan policies and proposed zoning amendments, particularly as they relate to the BAMBD. Multiple members of the BAMBD community, representing business, the arts and the BAMBD CDC, have also participated in meetings of the DOSP Community Advisory Group. PBD and EWD staff also researched best practices for urban cultural district policies and met with San Francisco cultural district staff, including their cultural planning and economic development specialists. San Francisco staff emphasized that only a small amount of the development of a cultural district can be achieved via zoning; the key strategies are business development services, programming, real estate development, community ownership and partnerships led by the community itself. Much of the success of San Francisco’s Calle 24 cultural district is supported by Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) and other non-governmental organizations. Similar approaches have also been followed for decades in numerous cities across the nation where such districts have been designated. Oakland Planning staff have benefitted from these examples in proposing policies and zoning toward achieving the goals for a vibrant, sustainable and culturally expressive district. BAMBD Zoning Code Bulletin Since the DOSP is a multi-year exercise culminating at the end with the adoption of zoning amendments, staff developed a Zoning Code Bulletin to note that the area was the focus of upcoming recommendations for zoning and land-use changes in support of the district designation. Although the Zoning Code Bulletin does not have the force of law, the Zoning Code Bulletin is written to inform potential developers and business owners in the BAMBD area of the DOSP about the existence, history and intent of the BAMBD. For the purpose of the bulletin, PBD developed a map (Attachment A) that more clearly interpreted the boundaries described loosely in Resolution No. 85958 C.M.S. BAMBD-Related Policies in the DOSP Proposal The DOSP includes policies designed to support the BAMBD, as well as arts, culture and communities suffering from racial disparities more broadly, primarily in the Economic Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: Black Arts Movement and Business District (BAMBD) Date: April 15, 2024 Page 4 CED Committee May 14, 2024
Opportunity and Culture Keeping chapters (some policies are cross-referenced across chapters). These include: E-1.4 Land Trust/Master Lease Program (targeted in the BAMBD) E-1.5 Establishing Arts & Cultural Districts E-1.6 Façade & Tenant Improvement Program E-1.7 Supporting Businesses Owned by Women and People of Color E-1.8 Supporting Worker-Owned Cooperatives E-2.3 Requirements/Incentives for Affordable Arts, Culture & Commercial Space E-2.6 Nightlife Strategy E-2.9 Low-Cost Retail Storefronts C-1.1 Citywide Cultural Districts Program C-1.2 Supporting the BAMBD C-1.3 Cultural Relevant Marketing, Branding & Streetscape Design C-1.4 Encouraging Design by Local Artists/Fabricators C-1.7 Malonga Casquelourd Center Improvements C-1.8 Community Ownership & Stewardship C-1.10 Zoning for Arts and Culture Uses C-1.12 Cultural Facilities Fee H-2.18 Protect Live/Work in Cultural Districts LU-2.1 Citywide Cultural Districts Program Integration with the Green Loop/West Oakland Walk, including wayfinding and urban design elements branded to celebrate the BAMBD The details of these proposed policies are contained in the Final Draft DOSP, which is available on the DOSP website: https://oaklandca.gov/DOSP. BAMBD-Related Zoning Regulations in the Proposed Zoning Amendments: the BAMBD Arts and Culture Combining Zone The DOSP Zoning Amendments are the first step toward implementing the policies contained in the DOSP subject to Council Adoption. The Draft Zoning Amendments, initially released in July 2022, included a proposed BAMBD Arts and Culture Combining Zone (BAMBD Combining Zone). A combining zone is an overlay zone that provides additional land use regulations layered over the regulations contained in base zoning. The BAMBD Combining Zone is proposed to: Foster arts and cultural activities in the BAMBD because culture benefits Oaklanders both economically and socially, Create a critical mass of BAMBD-related land uses to drive attention and foot traffic to downtown businesses, streets and public spaces, and Protect businesses and institutions in the BAMBD from displacement by encouraging BAMBD-related land uses and discouraging property owners from “holding out” for other uses (in order to support more affordable rents and filling vacant spaces). The Draft BAMBD Combining Zone included accompanying geographic boundaries. Staff received feedback on both the Draft regulations and boundaries during the Draft Zoning Amendments comment period from 2022 through 2023 and have since modified the proposal for both the BAMBD Combining Zone boundaries and regulations. These modifications include:
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Initiating the BAMBD Combining Zone Boundary on 14th and 15th Streets between Broadway and Harrison The initial proposal is to focus on supporting 14th and 15th Streets between Broadway and Harrison, where there is already a high concentration of Black-owned businesses, particularly arts and entertainment businesses. Because the zoning creates restrictions on uses in order to encourage uses that enhance the BAMBD, the zoning must be specifically applied in order to achieve the desired effect of incentivizing occupancies to induce foot traffic and safety that supports BAMBD businesses and activity. A driving strategy behind the Zoning Amendments is to loosen restrictions on land uses broadly throughout the downtown to encourage occupancy of commercial spaces, while maintaining or refining restrictions on the ground floor in a few narrowly targeted areas, namely the BAMBD Combining Zone and the Downtown Pedestrian District, where the benefit to public goals by enhancing community interaction and conserving BAMBD-focused uses is paramount. Focusing the initial BAMBD Combining Zone to this inaugural area is also consistent with best national practices in district development, such as starting with a limited, well-defined area to build activity and recognition by providing public investment, particularly in properties owned by the City and by other public entities. The node that is currently proposed for a pilot zoning approach is not only a thriving Black, Brown and queer-owned entertainment business district, but it is adjacent to Broadway, the 12th Street Bart Station, City Hall, and 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza; all of which are public properties. Subsequent phases proposed for the BAMBD are at the western and eastern ends of the plan/corridor area and shall be pursued in at a later time and in tandem with other targeted investments in public institutions that respectively enhance cultural anchors, such as the planned Jazz Museum on the Fire Alarm Building site, the Main City Library to the east, and the African American Museum and Library (AAMLO) to the west. Attachment B shows both the proposed initial BAMBD Combining Zone extent and the recommended later phases. Changing Requirements for Cultural Land Uses in the BAMBD Combining Zone The original proposal required that new development dedicate 50 percent of ground floor space to BAMBD Arts & Culture Activities, defined broadly to include not only arts and entertainment uses, but any culture-enhancing business, such as a restaurant, barbershop or ethnic market, that contributes to the intent of the BAMBD. The revised proposal includes two significant changes: 1. Instead of the land use requirements applying only to new development, they instead apply to all ground floor land uses, in both new and existing buildings. 2. Instead of requiring 50 percent of space be dedicated to BAMBD Arts & Culture activities, the zoning requires that to be permitted by right, all ground floor land uses must be BAMBD Arts & Culture Activities. Other activities would still be allowed, but they require a minor Conditional Use Permit (CUP) meeting additional findings that the use: 1) will not detract from the character of the Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: Black Arts Movement and Business District (BAMBD) Date: April 15, 2024 Page 6 CED Committee May 14, 2024
BAMBD Combining Zone, 2) will not weaken the concentration and continuity of BAMBD activities at ground level, and 3) where located in a pedestrian zone, will bring customers to the area. The proposed BAMBD Combining Zone is scheduled to be presented to Planning Commission along with the other components of the Final Draft DOSP Zoning Amendments on May 15, 2024. The full text of this proposal is shown in Attachment C. Other DOSP Zoning Amendments In addition to the BAMBD Combining Zone, the Zoning Amendments include other amendments that Planning staff intend to support the BAMBD: A Zoning Incentive Program that provides additional development capacity in return for community benefits. These benefits are clearly defined, but a developer can chose among them. o One benefit option that can be provided on site is streetscape improvements, including improvements that benefit the BAMBD, such as outdoor performance space, wayfinding, and historical markers. o Another benefit option to be provided on site is ground floor space provided at 50 percent of market rental rate for qualified retail, commercial, arts, and non-profit tenants that meet the City’s tenanting priorities for tenants that achieve the City’s goals to reduce racial inequities. In the BAMBD Combining Zone such tenants should also meet the intent of the district. o A developer could also opt to pay fees; 25 percent of fees collected through the Zoning Incentive Program would be allocated to similar streetscape improvements led by the City in consultation with the community. An Artisan Production Commercial land use, which was piloted in the DOSP Zoning and has since been adopted citywide and allows for small-scale artisan production throughout the DOSP area so long as these uses contain a small retail component when located on the ground floor. Removal of requirements for an alcohol CUP for bars and nightclubs in all but the two residential zones of the DOSP, to be replaced with a less expensive and time-consuming special permit. Allowing new and converted joint living and working quarters downtown. Allowing larger group assembly land uses (e.g., entertainment and performance spaces, large gyms and dance studios) without a CUP. Economic and Workforce Development Efforts EWD engages with the BAMBD in several ways. The Business Development division administers a special assessment district serving portions of the BAMBD providing for cleanliness, beautification, community ambassadors and other amenities beyond city services. The Cultural Affairs division administers arts and organizational grants, and a public art program that benefit BAMBD organizations. EWD is currently developing a structure and a set of tools Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: Black Arts Movement and Business District (BAMBD) Date: April 15, 2024 Page 7 CED Committee May 14, 2024
and resources to define and develop cultural districts in the City. BAMBD provides an opportunity to advance this work in partnership with community stakeholders. Business Development The Business Development division helps administer the Downtown Community Benefit District (CBD), which is an existing special district that collects a self-governed assessment on property to provide safe and clean enhancements through hospitality, maintenance and beautification services, and marketing and economic enhancements to improve the downtown Oakland’s livability and business climate. The Downtown CBD boundaries include the downtown portion of the BAMBD area (see map of CBD boundaries in Attachment D). The Downtown CBD is a property-based assessment district, which would allow for the creation of a business-based assessment as an option to support long-term BAMBD activities through a special assessment district. Examples of these types of districts featuring both property- and business-based special assessment districts exist in Sacramento and other cities. These assessment districts are managed by the business and property owners in the districts, who develop priorities and a service plan (management district plan) with a budget for the types of activities desired. Those often include marketing and promotional events, campaigns, festivals, banners, streetscape enhancements, ambassadors, and amenities that aim to create a distinctive sense of place. Other business development efforts include administration of a grant agreement with OakBrite in the amount of $50,000. EWD is working with Geoffrey's Inner Circle to support with expenses for lease/mortgage and to facilitate arts, cultural, and business incubation events and activities. Cultural Affairs The Cultural Affairs division administers cultural funding grants citywide. As Table I below illustrates, roughly 10 percent of those funds were awarded to artists and organizations within the BAMBD from FY22-FY24. Table I. Cultural Affairs Artist and Organizational Grants FY22-FY24 Fiscal Year Total Budget Amount Awarded in BAMBD FY23-24 $1,327,000 $138,000FY22-23 $2,235,850 $263,000Public Art Program The Public Art Program staff in the Cultural division and the Public Art Advisory Committee (PAAC) review and approve all projects within the City limits that will result in the placement of a work of art on City property, as well as all public art projects funded in whole or in part with City funds. The artist and/or project sponsor submit a proposal with a work plan for review by the PAAC prior to creation and/or installation of the artwork. The PAAC is a professionally qualified citizen committee appointed by the Mayor and approved by the City Council to oversee the City’s Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: Black Arts Movement and Business District (BAMBD) Date: April 15, 2024 Page 8 CED Committee May 14, 2024
public art program and to advise the Mayor, City Council, and City Administrator on public art-related matters. Several recent and forthcoming public art projects within the BAMBD include: 1. Recently installed IKE digital kiosks which include artwork from arts organizations in the BAMBD, including Joyce Gordon Gallery and the Huey P. Newton Foundation. 2. 17th & Broadway private residence development includes permanent public art above the building entrance, by Oakland artist David Huffman. 3. Marriott Residence Inn, 1431 Jefferson, off 14th, includes permanent public art in the public lobby, by Los Angeles artist Kenturah Davis. 4. 1900 Broadway, soon to be completed, will include permanent public art in a pocket park by Oakland artist Woody D'Othello.Capital Improvement Program 14thStreet ProjectIn addition, the 14th Street OakDOT Streetscape project percent for art requirement of approximately $300K will be managed by the Public Art Program. Staff will follow the standard public art selection process typically used for all Capital Improvement Program (CIP) funded public art projects, as informed by the public art Ordinance No. 13562 C.M.S. Artist recruitment will be done by issuing a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a pre-qualified artist pool for upcoming CIP projects this spring. Staff will also engage with City and community stakeholders, including representatives from the BAMBD, to articulate the art opportunity for approval by the PAAC before project-specific artist selection. Staff will convene a selection panel to interview and recommend artist(s) to the PAAC for the commission award, prior to entering contracts and design development, to ensure the final work can be coordinated and installed in alignment with the contractor’s schedule. Public Art Requirements for Private Development: Section 15.78.010 of the Oakland Municipal Code requires that developers install public art in new, private development projects. The Municipal Codes also allows developers to comply through several alternative methods, such as providing in-lieu funds to the City Public Art Fund, and, under certain conditions and with City approval, locating public art in State-owned public right of way, providing funding for capital improvements at city-owned arts facilities, or providing physical space for arts and culture, such as a gallery, in the development project. Funds have been set aside from the following private developments towards City owned cultural facilities’ capital improvements in the BAMBD: 1314 Franklin, Atlas Residential Tower, Carmel Partners, public art for private development: The developer committed a percentage of their obligation, $100,000 each, $200,000 total, to the Malonga and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center for capital improvements, as permitted through the Public Art for Private Development municipal code requirements. The funds were contributed to a dedicated account for use by Public Works.
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250- 14th St. (at Alice), Martin Group residential project, public art for private development: The developer contributed $82,951.83 to the City for capital improvements at the Malonga. Citywide Cultural District Program EWD held a series of staff discussions to research and develop a resource guide as public interest in cultural districts grows. EWD reviewed the statewide Cultural Districts Pilot program, which established criteria and guidelines for state-designated cultural districts, and several other cultural district programs across the state to determine how best to implement a Citywide cultural district program in Oakland. EWD is considering providing: technical assistance, promotional support, facilitation and collaboration with public and private entities to maximize the impact and benefits of a cultural district. This approach is reflected in the DOSP and prioritized as short-term to mid-term activities. March 2024 Council Topics Boundaries The Final Draft DOSP Zoning Amendments, published April 19, 2024, include a proposed geographic boundary for the BAMBD. This boundary would cover the BAMBD Combing Zone initial phase. See the “BAMBD-Related Zoning Regulations in the Proposed Zoning Amendments: the BAMBD Arts and Culture Combining Zone” section for details about the strategy behind this geographic proposal, shown in Attachment B. Engagement Engagement of the full spectrum of BAMBD stakeholders will be critical to developing a comprehensive approach to the BAMBD Cultural District. The first step will be to identify the full array of stakeholders including those who have not been reached in previous efforts. Thus far there has not been a single organization that represents the full range of BAMBD interests or a consortium that has represented that they speak to the array of cultural, residential, or economic interests within the designated areas. Although some stakeholders are represented by the BAMBD Community Development Corporation (BAMBD CDC), others have felt more represented by the BAMBD Merchant’s Association or the Uptown/Downtown Business Improvement District, and others have not felt represented by any of these groups or have not been involved in such discussions at all. EWD Business Development and PBD Strategic Planning staff have worked together to create an initial list of Black-owned establishments in the area. This could be used as a starting point to develop a list of community members to consult, but considerable additional work is necessary just to understand the range of interested parties, including interviews, focus groups and door-to-door canvassing. However, parties to consult are not only those who consider themselves part of the BAMBD, but others in the area who may not consider themselves to be associated with the BAMBD, including residents, business owners and others in adjacent Chinatown. Identifying all these community members to consult is the first step in a process to help understand the needs, barriers and dreams of BAMBD stakeholders. This will also help surface the level of community support and resources needed to be able to partner with the City and lead the ongoing evolution of the BAMBD. Timeline for Adoption Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: Black Arts Movement and Business District (BAMBD) Date: April 15, 2024 Page 10 CED Committee May 14, 2024
The initial DOSP Zoning Amendments will be brought to Planning Commission and Council in the first half of 2024. Staff recommend approving these amendments to provide initial support for zoning in the first phase of the BAMBD district. Follow up steps to make any further refinements to zoning and to identify a strategy in addition to zoning changes can be completed after an in-depth community engagement process that looks more comprehensively at a City-community partnership strategy for the BAMBD, to be completed in late 2025. Developing a strategy for the BAMBD would be undertaken in coordination with developing the citywide program for the process of designating, defining, and delegating the location, character, extent, constituency and purpose of cultural districts in Oakland given the ongoing interest and adoption of these areas across the city. Zoning Code Bulletin The Zoning Code Bulletin was informed by the same community input and analysis as the DOSP. It plays a different role than the BAMBD Combining Zone. The bulletin is designed to provide information to both developers and decisionmakers, whereas the zoning is regulatory in nature. Aspects of the bulletin have been solidified in the proposed DOSP Zoning Amendments, including the creation of the BAMBD combining zone and targeting aspects of the Zoning Incentive Program community benefits (such as below-market rate commercial space and streetscape improvements) to BAMBD goals. Future refinements of the zoning could include additional requirements developed through an in-depth community process informed by economic and legislative analysis. DOSP & BAMBD Zoning The policies of the DOSP related to the BAMBD, described under “BAMBD-Related Policies in the Proposed Specific Plan,” have already been incorporated into the Final Draft Zoning Amendments. These will be presented to Planning Commission on May 15 and June 5, 2024 and will subsequently be brought to CED and Council for consideration. Other Recommendations for BAMBD Zoning Staff has included in the DOSP BAMBD Combining Zone the regulations that seem most effective at this time based on the input and feedback received during the DOSP community engagement process, as well as current market conditions and vacancy rates. Additional or refined zoning regulations could be developed through a more in-depth BAMBD engagement process in the context of a more comprehensive BAMBD and cultural districts strategy. Historic Resource Survey A historic resource survey should be undertaken as part of the comprehensive planning process for the BAMBD and would require the services not only of a surveyor with knowledge of architectural preservation, but a specialist in archival and oral history. Such a survey should address not only the architectural significance of buildings, but the social and cultural history of people who used these buildings and the significant events that occurred in them, with particular attention to the Black tenants and owners. A thorough historic resource survey would help confirm the character, location and extent of the BAMBD. Standard Conditions of Approval The City’s Standard Conditions of Approval (SCOAs) relevant to mitigation of construction impacts address aesthetics, air quality, cultural resources, geology and soils, hazards and hazardous materials, hydrology and water quality, noise, transportation/traffic and utility and Jestin D. Johnson, City AdministratorSubject: Black Arts Movement and Business District (BAMBD) Date: April 15, 2024 Page 11 CED Committee May 14, 2024
service systems. Many of these conditions derive from refinements to mitigation measures included in City Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs). A list of construction related SCOAs is shown in Attachment E. The full details of each condition can be found in the Current (February 2024) Standard Conditions of Approval. Phase 2 of the General Plan Update process will be developed over the next two years, including significant revisions to the Land Use and Transportation Element (LUTE). This will be accompanied by its own EIR, which will likely include additional mitigation measures and updated Standard Conditions of Approval, which, depending on the environmental analysis, could include mitigation measures and conditions of approval related to construction impacts. FISCAL IMPACT This item is for informational purposes only and does not have a direct fiscal impact or cost. PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST Public outreach has not been conducted for this informational report. However, City staff have conducted multiple meetings since 2016 with BAMBD stakeholders through the DOSP development process, the 14th Street Safety Improvements project and the DOSP Zoning Amendments development process. BAMBD stakeholders have been included in the DOSP Community Advisory Group meetings. COORDINATION Staff from PBD and EWD have coordinated to develop this informational report, as well as to develop the DOSP, the DOSP Zoning Amendments and the initial Cultural Districts program development to which it refers. The Departments of Race and Equity and Transportation have also coordinated with PBD and EWD on these and other related projects, and these and other departments will need to be involved in these efforts moving forward. SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES Economic: This informational report advances an approach to realizing the BAMBD along with the significant economic opportunities associated with providing economic, business, and cultural support to the many businesses and cultural organizations that could flourish in this District. In addition to driving economic equity by investing in a demographic group that has not received its fair opportunity for investment, the economic effect of bringing activity and attention to the BAMBD includes spillover economic and public safety benefits for the downtown that benefit all Oakland residents. Environmental: There are no environmental opportunities associated with this informational report or with the development of a strategy to support the BAMBD.
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Race & Equity: The report speaks to racial equity opportunities inherent in the advancement and implementation of the BAMBD. Specifically, the BAMBD provides the City with an opportunity to invest in a cultural district that highlights and sustains Black business and culture at a time when Black Oaklanders on average face displacement and experience stark racial disparities in quality of life and economic health compared with other racial groups, particularly white Oaklanders. Investments in the BAMBD can help keep the people and establishments that create Oakland’s unique Black culture in Oakland and build Black business ownership, property ownership, employment opportunities and community wealth, and a sense of history and pride that raises quality of life for all Oaklanders. CALIFORNIA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ACT (CEQA) Consideration of an informational report on the BAMBD does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL Staff Recommends That The City Council Receive An Informational Report On The Following: (1) An Accounting Of Available City Funds To (A) Implement A Series Of Public Streetscape Upgrades Along Oakland's Fourteenth Street Corridor To Uplift The Black Arts Movement And Business District (BAMBD); (B) Support Arts And Cultural Institutions In The BAMBD, Including Cornerstone Legacy African American Institutions; And (C) Create A BAMBD Business Improvement District (BID) For Ongoing Revenue Generation For Tenant Support, Facade Improvement, Place-Making, Space Activation, Accessibility, And Safety Improvements Within The BAMBD; And (2) A Map That Establishes The Exact Boundaries Of The BAMBD And A List Of The Institutions Within The BAMBD Boundaries; And (3) A Proposal For Legislation, And A Proposed Timeline For Adoption, To Create A Special (“S”) Zoning District Or Similar Zoning Control That Contains Measurable Standards For Development Projects To Meet The Intent Of The BAMBD And Ensure The Long-Term Vitality Of The BAMBD .
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For questions regarding this report, please contact William Gilchrist, Director of Planning and Building, at 510-238-2229 or Ashleigh Kanat, Director ofEconomic and Workforce Development at 510-238-4973. Respectfully submitted,William GilchristDirector, Planning and BuildingAshleigh KanatDirector, Economic and Workforce DevelopmentReviewed by:Michael Branson, Deputy City Attorney City Attorney OfficePrepared by:Cristy Johnston, Deputy DirectorEconomic and Workforce DevelopmentPrepared by: Joanna Winter, Planner IVStrategic PlanningAttachments (5):A: Boundaries for BAMBD Zoning Code BulletinB: Draft BAMBD Combining Zone BoundariesC: Final Draft BAMBD Combining Zone Planning Code TextD: Downtown Central Business District BoundariesE: List of Construction-Related Standard Conditions of Approval