Here's How We Mark Progress in Emeryville

Out With the Old

In With the New

Who Needs Stately Beaux Arts Turn-of-the-Century 

Architectural Heritage 

When You Can Get Modern Curved Screening

and Oceans of Stucco?

Emeryville just keeps getting better and better.   We're on the move!  We keep tearing down these old eyesore buildings with their architectural integrity, authentic period materials and old world craftsmanship and replacing them with new buildings that are so new and therefore better.  We know it's better because the City Council majority keeps tearing down Emeryville's old buildings and they would never do anything that's bad for Emeryville.

Take the 'Avalon Building' at the star intersection of Adeline Street and San Pablo Avenue.  For a hundred years there was a stately Beaux Arts triangle shaped building from the turn-of-the-century "city beautiful" era there; the old First National Bank Building.  But in 2000, a developer saw a payday and said he could turn a profit if he tore down that monstrosity and replaced it with a modern stucco building.  It's a job the developer said that would "pencil out".
The City Council majority tells us it's best to defer to the developers.  Emeryville always turns out better when we put them in the driver's seat...you know, jobs and all...revenue and whatnot.  So with a subsidy from the taxpayers via the Emeryville Redevelopment Agency, the old blighted eyesore was torn down.  Good riddance!

We keep tearing down these historic buildings so we know we must be doing something right in Emeryville.

Take a look at the pictures below.  See how much better Emeryville is without that old Beaux Arts monstrosity?  Stone quoining blocks, load bearing brick walls, deep set wood sash double hung windows with curved glass, stone columns supporting an entablature comprised of an architrave & frieze with stone mouldings, beveled glass transom window above cope and stick oak doors and copper dentils with ogee cove detailing on a three foot cantilevered cornice has been replaced with aluminum windows, stucco and curved steel screens.  It's so much better now, don't you agree?

The stately old building lent a palpable sense of authentic place to San Pablo Avenue.  But it was old, blighted and it had to go.  The new building could be anywhere but it's new....and better!

 These side by side photos clearly show what the City Council majority of Nora Davis, Kurt Brinkman and Ruth Atkin and their developer friends have delivered to us.  See how they're looking out after our interests?

Adeline and San Pablo Avenue
The replacement: The Avalon Building
2000
Note the beautiful curved screens.
Oceans of Stucco.
New and so much better.

Adeline and San Pablo Avenue
The Old First National Bank Building
circa 1900
Outdated blight.
Old and ugly.
Good riddance!