Civic Center, Oakland, California facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Civic Center
Neighborhood of Oakland
Civic Center Location in Oakland, California
Country	United States
State	California
County	Alameda
City	Oakland

The Civic Center neighborhood in Oakland is a special area. It's located on the east side of Oakland's main downtown area. This neighborhood is known for having both homes and important public buildings.

Its borders are easy to find! To the west, it's near Downtown and Harrison Street. To the east, you'll find the East Lake Neighborhood and Lakeshore Avenue. The Lakeside Apartments District and 14th Street are to the north. Finally, Chinatown and 11th Street are to the south.

History of Oakland's Civic Center

The idea for a "Civic Center" in Oakland has been around for a long time. Mayors like Francis Mott and John Davie had big plans for this area. Mayor Davie, who loved rowing on Lake Merritt, especially wanted to create a special public space near the lake.

Early Plans for the Civic Center

To make his dream come true, Mayor Davie used dirt from dredging (cleaning) the lake. This dirt helped fill in about 100 acres (400,000 m²) of swampy land. This new land was meant for many public buildings. Plans included a new museum, an athletic center, an exhibition hall, and even places for opera and symphony music.

Post-War Development Ideas

After World War II, city leaders like Charles R. Schwanenberger wanted to restart these plans. New ideas for the area included a main public library, a central fire station, a police building, and a new jail. However, widening the 12th Street dam, which was a big traffic problem, destroyed the gardens of the Oakland Auditorium. This changed some of the original plans for the Civic Center.

The Master Plan for Public Buildings

Later, the city adopted a "Master Plan" for the Civic Center and Lake Merritt. This plan suggested grouping more than a dozen public buildings together. They would be located between Harrison and Fallon streets and between 14th and 10th streets. The plan also included buildings curving around the south end of Lake Merritt. For a while, no new buildings could be built in the area. This was done to make sure the Civic Center plan could happen.

What You See Today

Today, many parts of this plan have come true. On the west side of the lake, you can find government offices, a courthouse, a post office, a library, a community college campus, and museum grounds.

Homes in the Civic Center

The Civic Center neighborhood has some interesting places to live.

• The historic Hotel Oakland is now a home for seniors. It's located at the west end of the district.
• The Peralta Apartments, built in the 1920s, are on Jackson Street.
• You can also find 2-4 story buildings with shops on the first floor and apartments above them. These are mostly in the southwest part of the neighborhood.

Important Public Buildings

This area is full of important government and public buildings.

• The historic Civic Center Post Office is here.
• The federal Social Security Administration Building is on Jackson Street.
• There are two Alameda County government office buildings.
• You'll find the Alameda County Law Library and Oakland's Main Library on 14th Street.
• The Alameda County Courthouse is right by Lake Merritt.
• The historic Fire Alarm Building is on Oak Street.
• The Oakland Museum is on 12th Street.
• The Kaiser Convention Center is at the east end, near the 12th Street Dam.

Future of the Kaiser Convention Center

In 2006, there was a plan to give the Kaiser Convention Center a new purpose. The idea was to make it a cultural and educational hub. It would connect with the nearby Oakland Museum of California and Laney College. There was a proposal to turn it into a new main library, but voters did not approve this plan.

'Infill' Spaces in the Neighborhood

The Civic Center also has many "infill" parcels. These are empty or undeveloped pieces of land.

• Many are used for parking during the day. People who work in the area use them.
• At night, they are used by people visiting bars and nightclubs.
• One space is even used as a playground for a preschool!
• A lot at 12th and Jackson, which used to have a shop, is now an empty dirt lot. Nature is slowly taking it over, turning it into a green space.

New Buildings and Development

In recent years, new buildings have been planned and built around the edges of the Civic Center.

• Some are mid-rise buildings with both homes (condominiums) and shops.
• Developers have also suggested building several tall projects, from 10 to 40 stories high. Some of these big projects are still being planned.

2001 Cathedral Proposal

In 2001, the Roman Catholic Church in Oakland proposed building a new cathedral. Their old one was damaged in an earthquake.

• A Swiss architect designed a very tall cathedral with curving steel beams.
• The church wanted to build it in front of the Kaiser Convention Center.
• They also planned a large plaza (an open public space) around it. This plaza would have been raised, so parking and roads could still be used underneath. It would have reached all the way to the lake.

Lake Merritt Improvement Ideas

A group called the Coalition of Advocates for Lake Merritt (CALM) had a different idea. They wanted to improve the 12th Street Dam.

• They suggested making the dam road smaller, from six lanes to three in each direction.
• They also wanted to remove the underpasses and overpasses. Instead, they proposed traffic lights where the road meets 12th Street and 1st Avenue.
• Their plan included making the beach wider and adding a gently sloping lawn leading to the road.
• They also wanted new walking and bike paths.
• Crosswalks with pedestrian-activated stoplights would replace the tunnels under the freeway.