PARTNERS IN PRESERVATION

Each year at this time, the Oakland Heritage Alliance delights in rewarding projects and people that have furthered the cause of preservation in Oakland. This is our Sixth Annual Partners In Preservation Award. Projects and people are chosen on the basis that highlight our cultural, physical and/or built history. This year's honorees represent a fascinating cross-section of our city who by their efforts or presence have made a significant contribution to the preservation and celebration of Oakland's heritage.

BUILDINGS

High Street Presbyterian Church
1945 High Street

Anore Shaw, Clerk of Session
Jeanette Tomlinson, chief fundraiser
Janet Kirk, head of building committee
Ron Hitch, Architect/builder
Victoria Randlett, architect/designer

Built and dedicated in 1921, the architect was Julia Morgan. When the congregation re-established the building as their church after a 50 year hiatus, they moved back in on Christmas eve 1999 and began fundraising for rehabilitation. The project involved re painting the interior, refinishing red oak floors -outside they opened boarded up windows and replaced wood windows. Using the original plans, the effort was to stay as close to the original as possible. The whole congregation was involved in this labor of love.

Melrose Public Library,
at 4805 Foothill Blvd

Julia Odofin, Administrative Librarian in charge of branches
Hansen-Murikami-Eshima - John Nelson architect
City project manager, Jadia Wu -
Friends of the Melrose Public Library, Luther Frazier

One of the city's Carnegie libraries, this Beaux art derivative building was designed in an arched shape to fit the bend in Foothill Boulevard and dedicated in 1916. William Weeks, architect, also did the Lake Merritt and Leamington Hotels. Under the watch of Roberta Frye, head librarian at the time, and with advocacy and support of the Friends of the Melrose Library, the renovation was Funded by Bond Measure I. It is a sensitive rehabilitation of both the interior - gorgeous marble and skylights, and exterior, to create a source of pride for the neighborhood.

Old PGE Building,
1625 Clay Street

Todd Berryhill, Terry McGraph, John Tudal - Aegis Realty Partners

A gorgeous renovation of this handsome, 1920s brick and terracotta, Renaissance Revival building with high arched entry which was built as the new “downtown” PG&E headquarters. This National Register building was designed by Charles Dickey, Architect who also did the Claremont Hotel and Rotunda Building. The restoration shows good attention to detail with its sensitive use of new materials, lovingly restored copper window sills, repair and hand repainting of the glazed terra cotta of the first level.

Urban Blend Cafe

Ricardo and Sonja Perez, owners

A great example of find a need and fill it. While living in the loft district, the Perez’s lamented the lack of places in the Lower Broadway neighborhood that stayed open late. The little mid ‘50s gas station had been vacant for a long time when they bought and converted it. With the help of lots of family and contractor/father, the entrepreneurial young couple did their own design and construction work for this unique conversion - gas station to a hip meeting place for the neighborhood.


ORGANIZATIONS

Downtown Facade Improvement Program
 

William Claggett, head of Community and Economic Development Agency
Brian Kendall, administrator of the program

This is a city sponsored program under the Redevelopment agency. It offers matching grants and some design assistance to property owners and businesses in specific targeted areas - Chinatown, Old Oakland, Historic Downtown and City Center. The program is rehabilitating many of our beautiful commercial buildings downtown and creating an attractive business environment There are currently over 50 successful projects involved, we cited:  1440 Broadway, I Magnin 2001 Broadway, and Pekin Low 700 Franklin.


The Black Cowboys Parade

Richard Smith, pres of Black Cowboys Assoc.
George Rothman

This event just celebrated its 27th year. It is a unique event - the only such parade and celebration of its kind in the United States. Founded and organized by Booker Emery and the Black Cowboys Association, the parade is a way to showcase and acknowledge such pioneers as James Beckwourth, pathfinder, Bill Pickett, rodeo artist, and Nat Love, Cowboy, and many others - to highlight African Americans often forgotten contributions to the settling of the west.


East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation’s Scattered Site housing, West
Oakland

Dave Ryan, project manager
EBALDC

Ruth Knapp, architect
Muller & Caulfield


This EBALDC program is rehabilitating Victorians for affordable housing in West Oakland. Work is being done in three phases in partnership with Jubilee West and shows successful resolution of the challenges of working with historic housing; finding sympathetic and affordable solutions to construction costs, replacement materials, and making them affordable in order to keep a good mix of people in the neighborhood.


Fairyland

Nancy Stark, Executive director
Karl Osterloh, project manager, Chairman of the Board
Lucia Howard, Architect of Ace Architects
Lake Merritt Breakfast club, Robert Kidd, president

Opened in 1950 and considered America's first amusement park for children, it is the model on which Disneyland was based. Fairyland became its own non profit in the mid’90s to raise funds and began its rehab with funds from Bond Measure I, its original benefactor the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club, and private donors. The first phase of renovations are now finished with a new entry way and topiary dragon, restoration of the pumpkin building which was the original office, the clock tower slide and Post office/art center. The renovation will continue in stages for 5-10 more years.


PEOPLE

Miron Murcury, artist

Like a love letter to a neighborhood, Miron’s CD of 555 color photos offers a completer tour of the restored Grand Lake theatre and the surrounding business district, from 580 to the Piedmont border including the Rose garden. 300 photos alone of the theatre, some taking the viewer to behind- the- scenes areas audiences might never otherwise see. The artist has lived in the neighborhood for over a decade and the work was completed with donations from neighbors and local businesses.

Madeline Wells

Madeline is a long time neighborhood activist and preservation advocate. She grew up in the Brockhurst neighborhood and moved back to the family home in 1979. Since then she has not only worked on city-wide preservation efforts but continually tried to improve her neighborhood with the care of her own beautiful historic home, and leading local historic walking tours. Her efforts for the Calou House, a neighborhood cornerstone - include working with neighbors, code compliance, the
Oakland Cultural Heritage Survey to hold the owner accountable for a sensitive rehabilitation of the building, and the surrounding area.

Congratulations and thank you all for your work.

In conclusion,

We are always open to suggestions from everywhere - eyes and ears in the neighborhoods help make this group broad and representative of our city. If you know of anything worthy of recognition - call us with your nomination. If you would like to serve on the Partners in Preservation committee we welcome all volunteers. Give the office a call anytime.