CRITICAL NOTICE TO LAUREL PROPERTY OWNERS

 Support the Renewal of the Laurel District Association
A Community Benefit District (LDCBD)

Introduction & Ask to Vote “YES” on Renewal

The Laurel District Association (LDA) is a 501(c)(3) property-based Business Improvement/Community Benefit District (BID/CBD), established by vote of commercial property owners in 2005, and renewed by property owners in 2015. It is now time to once again renew the District with an expanded service area to include 35th Avenue to I-580, the gateway to The Laurel.

The primary purpose of the LDA is to ensure The Laurel is clean, safe, and economically vibrant. We will touch on some important highlights, but details are here: LaurelDistrictAssociation.org/renewal. The LDA demonstrated for 20 years the ability to uplift and support The Laurel’s commercial corridor. Property owners are ready for us to build on that progress for the next 20 years.

The LDA Board of Directors—your elected representatives—and staff request YOUR support on these key dates:

  • December - January: Petition drive, meeting with property owners and collecting signed petitions as needed. SIGN THE PETITION.

  • Late January: Ballots mailed out by Oakland City Clerk including package of materials and public hearing date. VOTE YES ON RENEWAL.

    A full schedule of the entire Renewal process is available here.

 

Jain Williams, State Farm Insurance and Property Owner, 4222 MacArthur Blvd.

“Prior to the Laurel District Association forming in 2005, the challenges in the district seemed impossible. Now problems are handled, people want to be here, and I can’t imagine MacArthur Blvd. without the LDA.”

 THE LAUREL IS GROWING

A 197-unit apartment building is near completion at High St. Multiple commercial properties have been purchased in the last three years, many by owner-operators identifying The Laurel as a high-return investment and a desirable location to do business. New, upscale, award-winning businesses are opening in The Laurel. The district has welcomed Michelin recommended Jo’s Modern Thai; the award-winning bakery Crumble & Whisk; the national awarded winning brewery, Ghost Town. Foot traffic to legacy and destination businesses such as Everett & Jones BBQ, Sequoia Diner, and Kids ‘N Dance has increased. Anchor retail like Planet Fitness, Ace Hardware, and Goodwill believe their Laurel location is one of the top performers in the region.

As a property owner/investor in this corridor, The Laurel BID/CBD serves your interests and works directly for you to ensure the district is clean, safe, and a destination for shopping, dining, and services.

The Laurel District in 2024:

  • 82 property owners

  • 100 ground floor businesses

  • $1654 median parcel annual Assessment

  • < $4.50/day: amount most property owners pay in Assessment

Priority: Safety & Security

The LDA has installed 25 high resolution and License Plate Recognition (LPR) cameras covering the four main intersections in the district. The LDA staff have assisted the police with numerous arrests, providing evidentiary videos to hold criminals accountable.

The LDA (BID/CBD) actively addresses public safety issues in The Laurel, providing security guard service all year to work directly with merchants and liaison with the Oakland Police Department.

Since 2022 the LDA has received $400K in additional funds from grants secured by the LDA for security ambassadors and high resolution license plate recognition (LPR) cameras. The 2023 holiday security ambassador program resulted in a 40% reduction in incidents while crime was increasing throughout the Bay Area.

Security for the the LDA often works to assist in monitoring problem properties in support of the property owner, helping to prevent incidents of illegal dumping, vagrancy, vandalism, and theft.

Handling Community Concerns:

7 days/week guard coverage with overnight shifts during the holiday season

5 days/week year-round guard coverage

2000 patrol hours per year

25 high resolution and LPR cameras

 Priority: Cleanliness & Maintenance

A clean district with safe and functioning infrastructure is critical for economic activity. The LDA coordinates district-wide sidewalk steam cleaning, volunteer and community workdays to address litter and improve landscaping, graffiti abatement, working with the City to promptly remove illegal dumping, and pick up litter districtwide... every day.

Improvements and enhancements for safe and functional infrastructure is essential for public safety. The LDA works closely with the City Council and Department of Transportation to address district needs and to secure funds for investment in The Laurel. Sideshow deterrents (Bott’s Dots and bollards) have been installed at both the intersections of 35th and High. The LDA has secured City funding to initiate SLOW (Safe Livable Open Welcoming) Laurel streetscape design in 2025 to reduce traffic speeds and to improve walkability, enhancing safety and the customer experience.

7 Days Per Week Cleaning Service. Annually:

  • 1000+ bags of litter removed

  • 225 graffiti incidents removed

  • 50 illegal dumping incidents cleared

Joanne Wong-Lam, Property Owner of Goodwill and

Auto Zone, 3525 & 3533 MacArthur Blvd.

“Having the LDA there to clean and care for the district was a selling point to my tenants. The ROI of my District Assessment is unquestionably positive.”

Priority: Economic Activity to Create ROI

The LDA actively markets The Laurel by coordinating events and activities to draw patrons to the district and to increase foot traffic to our businesses. LDA promotions feature the diverse mix of offerings found in the district. With Over 7500 social media followers, 2000 subscribers to direct e-newsletters, and the 40,000-person reach through neighborhood channels, the LDA keeps The Laurel in the mind of the public. Merchant profiles highlighting business owners and their businesses are shared through electronic newsletters and local media outlets like Oakland Voices, Oaklandside, Northeastern University (formerly Mills College) campus news, the Montclarion,and the East Bay Times.

There is always something good going on in The Laurel. The LDA coordinates a monthly concert series bringing out almost 1000 people for dinner and a show. The launch of the self-guided mural tour will get the district publicity and move people across the district to discover all Laurel has to offer. Community events bring out hundreds of families that stay to shop and eat after Halloween, the Santa Stroll, Make Music Day, movie nights, and Lunar New Year. The Laurel StreetFair celebrated 23 years, drawing 15,000 visitors to the district and raising $10,000 for cultural arts programming in The Laurel throughout the year.

  • 20 unique events annually drawing over 25,000 to the district

  • 4 seasonal merchant and district marketing campaigns with 40,000 average reach

Charles, Crumble & Whisk Patisserie, 4104 MacArthur Blvd.

“I chose The Laurel for my first brick and mortar location. It is accessible and supportive of small businesses. The LDA has helped connect me to customers and get me off and running.”

Direct merchant and property owner support leverages theLDA’s resources and connections for you. The LDA assists property owners with business attraction and/or property sale. The City of Oakland Planning Department works closely with our staff. LDA helped update the properties most in need by establishing a façade improvement grant program, helping to manage upgrades and matching funds to keep the district attractive and inviting for all.

 Budget, Assessment Rates, Map & Info

The purpose of renewing The Laurel District BID/CBD (LDCBD) is to continue to provide and manage activities, services, and improvements for the Laurel District, an important, historic, and beautiful East Bay Area business center. The LDCBD is a benefit assessment district that will enable the LDCBD property owners and businesses, working as a unit, to fund needed property and business-related improvement programs, and provide services above what is provided by the City of Oakland to benefit you as a property owner and landlord.

 
 
 

EXAMPLE ASSESSMENT: A 5000 square foot lot with 50 linear feet street frontage and a 2500 square foot building...

  • Lot size sq. ft.: 5,000 x $0.15 cents per sq. ft. = $750.00, plus

  • Linear Frontage: 50 linear ft. x $9.00 per linear ft. = $450.00, plus

  • Building Sq. Ft.: 2500 x $0.12 per sq. ft. = $ 300.00, equals:

    • TOTAL YEAR 1 ASSESSMENT: $1500.00

      Cost Per Month: $125.00

      Cost Per Day: $4.11

 

Click Map to Expand

Map of Relevant ParcelsEligible to Vote to Support LDA Renewal

 

 Your LDA Board of Directors & CONTACTS

PRESIDENT, Jain Williams
Property and Business Owner (State Farm Insurance)

TREASURER, Dorothy Okamoto
Property Owner (RBA Creative; Laurel Optometry)

SECRETARY, Joanne Wong-Lam
Property Owner (Goodwill; Auto Zone)

Alysia Gritz
Property and Business Owner (Marquardt Property Management; Fist of Flour Pizza; Blitz Barbershop)

Danny Tomasello
Community Representative

Kao Saelee
Business Owner (Jo’s Modern Thai)

Lorie Mata
Property and Business Owner (Manos Home Care; Communite Table)

Zinzi Zareef
Business Owner (Mizaan Boutique)

For Input and Questions, Contact:

Daniel Swafford, LDA Executive Director
LaurelDistrictAssociation@gmail.com
Call/Text: (510) 452-7392

Marco Li Mandri, Renewal Consultant
New City America, Inc.
mail@newcityamerica.com
(888) 356-2726

UPDATED 12/17/24