Check out news coverage of Emeryville’s Town Hall Meeting last Tuesday, July 28:
Beyond Chron:
Historic Town Hall Asserts
New Vision for Emeryville
More than 100 Emeryville residents, local workers, and advocates gathered on July 28 at an historic community town hall meeting to call on the Emeryville City Council to ensure the second phase of a major retail-project — Bay Street Site B — results in good jobs for residents, affordable family-friendly housing, and investment in the local public school system. It was one of the largest grassroots gatherings Emeryville has seen in years.
San Francisco Business Times:
The future of the second phase of Bay Street Emeryville is in flux as the developer struggles to come up with a plan that will pencil in today’s economy.
Meanwhile, a group of Emeryville residents wants the community to have a greater input about the second phase.
The first phase, a 1 million-square-foot mixed-use development built in 2002, includes about 65 retail stores, a movie theater, restaurants and condos on top of the shops resembling shopping districts like Union Square.
The residents say that the first phase created a project that does not connect with the rest of the city. Another concern is that the city catered too much to businesses and failed to foster its community fabric. Close to 10,000 people live in the 1.2 square-mile city.
Read more… (free subscription required)
KPFA:
kpfa.org/archive/id/52813 (move bar to 53:40)
Rock on RULE! Looking forward to a better day in Emeryville!
The speeches were very moving and the part where we got to interject our voices into the program was empowering. All in all a very positive turnout but I can't see this Council allowing any of this. They don't care at all about what the people care about. They will ignore this entirely or maybe they will co-opt some of the language or pehaps even some of the inconsequential aspects of the RULE agenda all the while making sure there is no new day in Emeryville. These Council members have been in power entirely too long. I hate to be such a downer but this is how I see it. I hope RULE has a plan for how to move forward without the Council.
I missed the meeting and I'm sorry about it. This meeting was an historic event. We've never turned out people for anything like this before in this town and I should know, I've lived here 19 years and in the area (North Oakland) since 1977. This is as revolutionary as when the people in Emeryville threw out LaCoste and his cronies way back when. The spirit of Corazon Aquino lives on!
Yes it's like People Power right here in Emeryville. Remember, Marcos got really nasty before he was taken down. That's what's going to happen here too. We can expect the entrenched staus quo to fight back…they've got a lot invested in business as usual. They're going to try to protect what's been good to them. I'm sure they'll be funded to the max too.
The Vice Mayor, Ken Bukowski said this was worth nothing. He said we're not going to be successful in being able to have any say whatsoever. He said the Council has already made up their minds and the residents can go to hell, it's Madison Marquette that matters not a bunch of lying and complaining residents who've been duped.
I'm just reporting what Ken Bukowski said.
Ken Bukowski can go to hell.