Uptown & Downtown Community Benefit Districts See New Businesses

Strengthen Community and Provide J obs

Non-profit Business Migration Trend Continues to Oakland


Oakland, CA April 17, 2014 In the past several months, the Downtown Oakland and
Lake Merritt/Uptown business improvement districts have welcomed several new
businesses, including a number of non-profit firms which have migrated from other
neighboring cities. Total square footage of the leases runs just shy of 100,000 SF.

Commenting on recent activity on behalf of the Lake Merritt/Uptown & Downtown
Oakland CBD Broker Focus Group, John Dolby, Senior Vice President of Cassidy
Turley, said, The movement of non-profits to Oakland is not surprising -- especially
given the space availability, cheap office rents in comparison to San Francisco, BART
access and business. In fact, we expect to welcome more business concentrations into
our Uptown and Downtown neighborhoods and it is very exciting to see this broad brush
of tenants coming to downtown and the creativity they are bringing. We anticipate
seeing more relocations, not only from San Francisco but from Contra Costa also.

Businesses who have expanded their space or relocated to Uptown/Downtown Oakland,
include:

Self Aware Games (Big Fish Games) signed a 20,755 SF lease (they are
expanding and relocating within Uptown to 1999 Harrison St.
GreatSchools signed a 14,286 SF lease at 1999 Harrison. This non-profit
relocated from San Francisco.
Oakland School for the Arts signed a lease at the historic Sweet's Ballroom at
1933 Broadway for 12,000 SF and will use the space as a performance center
featuring young artists in their theater and music productions and other special
programs.
Union of Concerned Scientists signed a lease at 500 12
th
Street for 6,500 SF; this
non-profit migrated from Berkeley.
Spot Labs Inc., providers of the NV cloud platform, signed a lease at 2030
Franklin for 6,000 SF; they migrated from Emeryville.
Yaron & Associates, a law firm, signed a 6,000 SF lease at 1300 Clay Street;
they migrated from San Francisco.
New Leaders, Inc., trainer of school leaders, signed a lease at 505 14
th
Street for
5,000 SF; this non-profit migrated from San Francisco.
State Farm, an insurance agency, signed a lease at 1901 Harrison for 4,300 SF.
Muslim Advocates signed a lease at 1333 Broadway for 4,000 SF; this non-profit
migrated from San Francisco.
Chloe and Isabel, a lifestyle brand, signed a lease at 360 17
th
for 3,000 SF; they
also migrated from San Francisco.
Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment signed a 2,330 SF lease at 1999
Harrison, this non-profit will be relocating from San Francisco on April 30
th.

Contact:
Andrew Neilly/Tim Gallen/Nancy Amaral
Gallen.Neilly
Office (925) 930-9848
Andrew@Gallen.com /Tim@Gallen.com /Nancy@Gallen.com


Bill Baren Coaching signed a lease at 1440 Broadway for 2,000 SF; they
migrated from San Francisco.
The Port Bar (Sean Sullivan) signed a lease at 2021 Broadway for 2,000 SF.
Tierra Mia Coffee signed a lease for ground floor space at the I Magnin Building
for 2,000 SF.
The Octopus Literacy Salon signed a lease at 2100 Webster for 1,600 SF.
Yummee Ice Cream & Pastries signed a lease at 2131 Broadway.
Embrace Networks signed a lease at 1440 Broadway for 1,500 SF; this non-profit
migrated from San Francisco.
Maki Waki Sushi signed a lease at Plaza 360 22
nd
Street for 1,400 SF.
Manifesta, a new organic hair salon, signed a 1,300 SF lease at 8831 Broadway.
AppSmyth, a new tech start-up, signed a 1,000 SF lease at 475 14th Street.
E.M. Wolfman General Interest Small Book Store signed a lease at 410 13
th
for
750 SF.
Accidentally Extraordinary, a new independent headphone brand, signed an
approximate 150 SF lease on Webster Street.

These new businesses will be able to utilize many new neighborhood improvements
that have been sponsored by the Lake Merritt/Uptown & Downtown Oakland District
Associations, said Steve Snider, Lake Merritt/Uptown and Downtown Oakland District
Manager. Recent improvements lead by the districts include the Latham Square
pedestrian plaza, back of BART planter boxes, newly landscaped street medians,
BigBelly trash compactors and other community improvements.

###

The Downtown Oakland and Lake Merritt/Uptown District Associations were formed in
February 2009. Property owners in both Downtown Oakland and the Lake
Merritt/Uptown Districts voted by a margin of almost 8 to 1 to support a voluntary
property tax to fund services that would improve the quality of life in their respective
communities. The associations meet and function jointly. Services funded by these
Districts include maintaining cleanliness and order in the public rights of way, improving
district identity and advocating on behalf of the areas property owners, business owners
and residents. In June 2013, the districts were recognized by the International
Downtown Association (IDA) and named the IDAs June 2013 Downtown of the Month.