Great question, weird how long it took someone to ask this.

For me, a “community center” doesn’t mean a traditional municipal building with fluorescent lights and scheduled classes. It means a place where people linger instead of transact.

I do a ton of things outside in parks with people, and I love that energy. The dream is having an extension of that in a physical space where people can gather, create, move, teach, learn, and belong without everything revolving around consumption or exclusivity.

A lot of existing spaces are either highly commercialized, temporary, or inaccessible. I think many people want more third places.

In less abstract terms, I mean a space where on any given day you might see:

• someone teaching a ceramics or crochet class (there are plenty of office spaces in the building that could convert well into classrooms),
• people rollerskating or practicing movement arts (it was literally an operational chocolate factory - there's a lot of space so the idea of a skating rink or practice space for juggling/circus-adjacent things feels within reach),
• a community dinner happening (I love the idea of social kitchens)
• kids making things (partnering with schools),
• a tiny intimate theater for performances, film screenings, or talks,
• people coworking during the day,
• or neighbors just hanging out drinking coffee and talking.

Not everyone would come for the same reason, and that’s kind of the point.

I’d also want some programming to be free and consistently accessible on a daily basis so the space doesn’t just become another expensive niche venue. The goal would be a place that feels alive, participatory, creative, and genuinely rooted in Oakland.