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RUINS Project Updates
As you all know by now, and if you do not, the Ruins Project was unanimously approved by the Oakland City Council's Community & Economic Development Committee on June 28th. The hearing room was full of supporters, and there was a round of applause for the council members as everyone left. Thanks to everyone who came out, including those who spoke, for all of your help.
The next step is approval by the city council itself, so once more into the breach! The Ruins Project to reopen the Fox Oakland Theater as a live entertainment venue will finally be up for a vote at the Oakland City Council on July 19, 2005, at 6:00 pm, in the main council chambers on the 3rd Floor of City Hall. We would like to pack the chambers with people wearing Fox Oakland T-shirts. You will not have to be there until after 7:00 pm. The Ruins Project report is no. 14 on the agenda, so it may even be a little later than that.
It is hard to believe that this is all really happening, so come down to City Hall and then go out to celebrate with us. After the vote, we will head to Cafe Van Kleef at the end of Telegraph Ave. between 16th and 17th Streets, a short walk from City Hall, to enjoy ourselves and congratulate ourselves on a job well done.
We hope to see you at City Hall!
View the CEDA Report (PDF, 3MB).
View the Supplement to the Report (PDF, 240KB).
- 6/7/05: While funding for the RUINS Project continues to accumulate, the City Council Community and Economic Development Committee is considering the details of the RUINS Project itself. The Committee is scheduled to vote on the plan June 28th. The full Council is scheduled to vote on the plan July 19th. Now is the time to write your Council person in support of the plan! more...
- 12/21/04: The Oakland Redevelopment Agency has received a grant of $2,887,500 from California Prop 40 funds towards the restoration of the Fox Oakland Theater! This is just one of the funding sources being pursued for the Ruins project.
Funding Updates
- 12/21/04: The Oakland Redevelopment Agency has received a grant of $2,887,500 from California Prop 40 funds towards the restoration of the Fox Oakland Theater! This is just one of the funding sources being pursued for the Ruins project.
- 12/13/04: The Oakland City Council approved $746,000 to continue the planning of the Ruins project. That means renovation project is building momentum!
FOOF Update, 12/14/04
Pat Campbell
and Patricia Dedekian
We were all relieved to learn that the recent fire in one
of the wrap-around buildings of the Fox Oakland did not cause
any extensive damage. Fortunately, the City of Oakland
has insurance coverage to pay for the necessary repairs. It
is our understanding that money was also allocated by the
Oakland City Manager from the City’s emergency funds
to be available if needed for the initial clean up.
 We’re also happy to report that Phase 1 of Phil Tagami’s “Ruins” Project
proposal is now complete. During this phase, preliminary
cost estimates and funding options were developed and the
environmental cleanup was completed.
The approval to fund Phase 2 of the
project is scheduled for a vote at the City of Oakland
Community and Economic Development Committee meeting on
12/14/2004. The money
will be used for design development and cost refinement,
in preparation for the final report to Council next spring. The
CEDA report with details regarding the proposal for the Fox
Oakland is now available on the City of Oakland website, www.oaklandnet.com,
under City Council Meetings and Agendas. The council
meeting starts at 4:00 pm, and it is agenda item #7.
The board is in the process of contacting all city council
members who will be voting on this phase of the project. These
include Jane Brunner, Larry Reid, Ignacio de la Fuente, and
Henry Chang.
FOOF board members have had two letters to the editor published
in the Oakland Tribune recently. Tod Abbot’s
letter discussed what a treasure the Fox Oakland is and how
important it is to see that it is brought back to life. Patricia
Dedekian wrote a letter on behalf of the FOOF Board in support
of Phil Tagami’s development proposal. Pat Campbell
has written and submitted an op-ed piece for the newspaper
addressing the issues raised by others concerning the feasibility
of reviving the Fox Oakland. We hope to see it published
in an upcoming issue of the Oakland Tribune.
 FOOF’s “Deities
Project,” funded by a
matching grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation,
is now complete. The money allowed FOOF to hire experts
to evaluate the structural condition of the Deities flanking
the Fox Oakland stage. Claire Antonetti worked hard to coordinate
the project and to make sure the final documents were ready
by the end of November. Pat Campbell has prepared a
summary of the project and costs for submission to the National
Trust for Historic Preservation. The project was under
budget and some money will be refunded to the NTHP. During
the course of the project, Claire was able to obtain new
photos of the Fox interior (some of which are displayed here
- the rest can be seen on our updated
Photo Tour page) .
Tod Abbot’s suggestion to use the website to communicate
FOOF activities has resulted in our commitment to posting news
once a month in place of sending out the board minutes. Monthly
content will be generated from the board minutes as well
as “breaking news” regarding the Fox. The
news will be posted to the FOOF website and also emailed
to FOOF members.
Rosemary Lynch has agreed to take over maintaining and expanding
the “Friends” membership list. The effort
will begin with a renewal mailing to all FOOF members, the
first such renewal that we have undertaken. We will
be encouraging all members to send us their email addresses
so that they can receive our emailed newsletters and other important
updates. This will give FOOF and its friends a fresh
start in the New Year as we all await great things for the
Fox Oakland.
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