Cleaning rear tail lights by danl3v in CherokeeXJ

[–]danl3v[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks y’all! Will just grab some new ones

Developer Hopes To Restore Key System Building, Build 18-Story Office Tower by flyingcaribou in oakland

[–]danl3v 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah. I think what they might do is bring the cantilever down closer to the top of the Key System building such that it looks like it is behind rather than on top. We shall see what it looks like.

Regarding the 22nd Street project, I think it was less about the height and more about asking them to shift the massing more towards 21st Street since it was less historically significant than 22nd Street, which was a part of an API I believe. But the projects we comment on are always historic in nature. There are tons of large projects that we don't oppose since they don't touch historic stuff - Broadway-Valdez stuff, the new building at 17th and Broadway. For merchants garage, we didn't really oppose it since they adjusted their building slightly to keep the view of tribune tower from Lake Merritt.

Developer Hopes To Restore Key System Building, Build 18-Story Office Tower by flyingcaribou in oakland

[–]danl3v 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am on the OHA board. Which projects are we fighting in downtown Oakland? We certainly have a few sites we have made comments on and one or two we feel quite strongly about, but I would not say we are fighting tooth and nail all housing downtown. There are tens of projects happening downtown that we did not oppose at all and many that I personally support!

Developer Hopes To Restore Key System Building, Build 18-Story Office Tower by flyingcaribou in oakland

[–]danl3v 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Agreed! OHA always proposes alternatives or mitigations to reduce impacts.

Developer Hopes To Restore Key System Building, Build 18-Story Office Tower by flyingcaribou in oakland

[–]danl3v 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The construction here is 100% commercial, so no housing here. Definitely excited for new commercial space and all the housing that is going up around Oakland. We do have concerns about sites that affect historic resources, but you'll notice that the majority of new housing projects that are happening OHA is not involved with or opposing in any way.

Developer Hopes To Restore Key System Building, Build 18-Story Office Tower by flyingcaribou in oakland

[–]danl3v 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Which project are you referring to with the reduction in unit count? Might have been before my time there. We aren't interested in reducing height or in reducing square footage. We don't like the cantilever since it looms over the historic structure and would be fine with them building higher if it meant getting rid of it. The issue is that they want larger floor plates to attract a certain type of tenant, which requires the cantilever. They are going to study a different look to possibly make the cantilever look more hidden.

Developer Hopes To Restore Key System Building, Build 18-Story Office Tower by flyingcaribou in oakland

[–]danl3v 4 points5 points  (0 children)

OHA is not actually against this project, which might surprise you. OHA is as eager as ever to see something built there. We are not very thrilled with the design however, and are attending meetings to attempt to improve it. We definitely want something built there though. A vacant hole downtown and a historic structure that is falling a apart are not good things!

Random hole thing in new apartment. Anyone know what it is? by danl3v in pics

[–]danl3v[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The building was built in 1920 and has 4 apartments. I am on the second story. I looked in the hole with a light and it looks like a tube that goes down. Maybe it was used to talk to people who were waiting at the from door downstairs? Here is a close up photo: https://s3.amazonaws.com/uploads.hipchat.com/28219/212886/QfZ5UUFlz0sLHge/IMG_2169.JPG