Emeryville Gets Another Private School

Reprinted from the San Francisco Business Times:

Emeryville residents voice opposition

Escuela Bilingue buys Emeryville building despite opposition

San Francisco Business Times - by Blanca Torres

Date: Friday, June 3, 2011, 3:12pm PDT

• Blanca Torres
• Reporter
• Email: btorres@bizjournals.com

It’s official, Escuela Bilingue Internacional is moving to 4550 San Pablo Ave. in Emeryville.

The school, which teaches students in English and Spanish, agreed to pay $3.5 million for a 28,000-square-foot space on a 1-acre parcel that now houses Social Vocational Services and Living Hope Christian Center.

The seller in the deal was Sterling Bank & Trust.

Developers had planned to reuse the site for an apartment building before the current recession took hold, said Aileen Dolby, a broker with Colliers International who represented Sterling Bank.

“Multiple user and investors were interested in property because of its location and the price which was below replacement cost,” Dolby said.

Emeryville’s planning commission approved the school’s move into the space in March, but that decision was appealed by nearby residents who said the school would cause traffic, noise and parking problems, according to the Emeryville Tattler, a local blog. The neighborhood near the building is called the Triangle.

Pues, lo siento, Triangle residents, your pleas were dismissed. A few weeks ago, the city council approved a motion to deny the appeal of the planning commission’s approval and grant the school a permit to proceed.

“One of the Emeryville City Council members commended our parent community for their level of commitment and involvement in the school. Thank you to everyone who has helped us create a permanent home for EBI and its generations of future students!” wrote Jon Fulk, head of Escuela Bilingue in a memo to parents.

The school’s purchase will be a partnership between the school and a philanthropic fund administered by Oliver & Co., a construction firm.

Escuela Bilingue, based in Oakland, plans to set up a second campus in the two-story building. The campus will accommodate up to 400 students in grades kindergarten to eighth.

The school will begin moving in the fall and in subsequent phases as the leases of the existing tenants expire. The full move is expected to be complete within six years.