Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Breaking News- Negoiations Complete, City Council Calls Developer's Bluff, Major Concessions for Residents

Market Place Developer Concedes: Will Build Affordable Family Friendly Housing

Progressive City Council Majority/Residents 
Emerge Victorious

Details are leaking out of City Hall today bringing light to what's shaping up to be a major victory for affordable housing in negotiations with the developer of the Market Place development at the hands of the progressive Council majority.  Details have not been confirmed but insiders tell the Tattler that City Center Realty Partners, the developer of the contentious Market Place development, finally folded and accepted the Council majority's terms for building more affordable units, now some 50 in total as well as increasing the number of family friendly units to match what is required by City Ordinance.

The project located at the existing Public Market on Shellmound Street, originally planned for 33 affordable units in the 456 total rental unit mix.  That plan was rejected by Council members Jac Asher, Dianne Martinez and Scott Donahue (the progressive majority).  The new plan, now agreed to by the developer calls for 50 affordable units, bring the project at or very nearly at parity with what exists in Emeryville as far as affordability goes town-wide in terms of percentage, a progressive Council majority goal.
In addition to rejecting the non-parity affordable housing, the progressive Council majority also rejected the "family flexible" plan put forth by the developer.  After negotiation, City Center Realty Partners now agrees to build actual family friendly units as called for by the City's new family friendly housing ordinance.  Originally the developer sought to ignore the new ordinance and instead build some number of what City Center called "family flexible" units, a cheapening of the provisions laid out in the ordinance.

Notably, veteran Council members Ruth Atkin and Nora Davis voted in favor of the previous iteration of the Market Place development, the deal favored by the developer, with only 33 affordable units and no family friendly units.

Details of the negotiations and the final agreement will be revealed at Tuesday's City Council meeting.
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4 comments:

  1. UnknownNovember 11, 2015 at 7:43 PM

    Little ditty about Jac and Diane and Scott
    Three American kids growin' up in the Emeryville-Land
    Their gonna be a City Council stars…

    New song by John Cougar Mellencamp

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  2. Brian DonahueNovember 11, 2015 at 11:18 PM

    Funny....except you reminded me of that song. Everything was going fine until you reminded me of that damn song.

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  3. AnonymousNovember 12, 2015 at 9:06 AM

    So social worker and "progressive" Ruth Atkin felt that 33 affordable apartments out of 456 is satisfactory. That's 7.2 percent.
    The fact that the 'real' progressives were only able to wring out 50 units or 11 percent is hardly a victory. Typically, in Oakland, Berkeley and SF, developers are required to provide 20-25% of units as "affordable."
    I don't see a new project with 89 percent of units "unaffordable" as something to cheer about, but Ruth has proven herself unsatisfactory.

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    Replies
    1. Brian DonahueNovember 12, 2015 at 4:00 PM

      It's true, the 11% figure is the barest of acceptable minimums. Projects after this should be held to a higher standard.

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