Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • 34

'X--f I SUNDAY March 301997 1 THE OAKLAND 7WBUNE Smith fifwwrif preferred to walk to work setting out from his palatial estate (Arbor Villa) east of the lake reaching hfa corner of- flee suite on the 10th floor The sidte featured an elabo- lately carved marble fireplace tvnmwrirtdnnwl landscape mural of fire East Bay bins and flna wood window and wall trim Be- fore overextenskm and questionable business practices farced Smith ait of die company In die early 1920s he was said to hold $10 mlflkm In real estate and 13000 acres of honesties In flie buildlngs main entrance stlU can be seen the orig-inal richly decorated barrel- vaulted oiling and corridor with 'veined marble wainscottlng and ornamented elevator doors Despite some alternations dm Survey rates 1440 Broadway of hipest importance and a primary contributor to a pro- posed Downtown Historic Dls- StWi jjw Tha okl Amsrican Bag Bulking on Third Street has been remodeled Into office and loft units hchnlng wtanUe became ste sen- alor In January she moved up Broadway to the World Savings' KEHBPREDE- CESSOR Asaem- bfyman Don Benia had to look about fcr mjtaiiif gait for his rfecal district office: The state of California's 40-year-old administration budding on Jackson Street has 4 been dosed and unoccupied since the Loma Prleta earth-J quake forcing hundreds of state workers including elected ofll-I dais to find rental space 4 1 The 23-story replacement complex which will be known as 2 the EUhu Harris State Building is under construction and wont be ready until the fall Jofl9da Perafahas chosen what might seem to be an unusual building for a district office He and bis stalT occupy a ground suite in a red-brick converted warehouse on Third and Harrison streets a short block from the new Amtrak station -In the heart of Oakland's historic Waterfront Warehouse District -4- im Originally known as the Amer 'lean Bag and Union Hide Co Building it was built In 1917 as a factory converting hides wool tallow and later burlap Into various products Kalman Gluck was Usted as manager and the1 architect was Leonard Thomas a partner In the firm Olver Thomas that 1 Realty Syndicate Co was one of the East leading teal estate and according to history room flics did more to develop Oak- land than any other company Flamboyant capitalist Francis (Borax) Smith who made his considerable fortune mining borax In Death Valley and Iran Smith consolidated the many competing street car electric train and ferry companies by forming the Key Route System then laid out home tracts adja- cent to affordable transportation BufldiniwbereNlck Petris had the American Bag Building the Realty Syndicate Building and the new State Building are featured: oh the walks Cafltiie 24-hour Torn hotline 238-3234 to receive a schedule i i NEW BABIES HATCHED! Landmarks was responsible for many East Bay industrial buildings The Cultural Heritage Survey finds the warehouse to be ox of Oakland's best early 20th century utilitarian structures and notes Its rich textures and patterns brought about by the fine poly-chrome brickwork Also noted fa die strong archl- tectural flavor id the arched win- daws The corner location and unaltered exterior (the original signage is a conspicuous reature) make the building a maor con tributnr to a potential Rational district: building's lack of alternations fa especially remarkable and reflects its continued occu- pancy by descendants of its wig-inal owner Developer John Protopappas acquired the property from Gluck's son Max and retrofitted and upgraded the building for offices and loft units: Perata and his staff moved Into fire newly configured space in January When Barbara Lee held the as- A- i PorWbmn'(QotNng aid 4 onccikirwi ORTHOTICS A SPECIALTY KNEE BRACE RECOMMENDATIONS rr-TWs'' Bf APPOINTMENT jm Sports Rehab Supplies Doctors on Referral Staff Trained by Mdkal Professionals Top Brand Athletic Footwear 1 AVENUE BOOKS A Sports Health 8 Weflness Center Now hand feedmgjwlth our us lal love and caret MeyerslfUTOts BlackHeaded Caiques and Yellow-collared Macaws 'xMi YOUR BASldlS 2940 Collcg Av 41-7617 Monday-Satuiday 1 0urjplay 1 2-5 sembly seat (she now fa state sen- ator for the 9th District) she too Her chokx was 1440 Broadway also known as the Re- alty Slcate Building a 10- story Beaux Arts-derlved land- mark with an unusual history At the turn of the century the -2 v-: A 1 'tv 0 7 --V- rwwv V- ill Ia 2935 College Avenue (at Ashby) Berkeley (510) 644-3668 Qottwsvoullovau Rn Utant Kcmlndcy Hoft Bta Ungwlaft olhor tamptafloni 29MCOUWWBftJlliaHEYC5lO)fl4M191 MonOoy-SakfdovlO-OStfdavlX-S1 SERYING THE ELMWOOD BEYOND SINCE 1983 Books Periodicals' Special orders Free Gift Wrap 2904 College Avenue 549-3532 i Ar -i'' r1- -I-' 1 I wm I 1 TyJH' urjV'i i 1 i I 'V -I" i (ravAN 4 I i 9- A UNIQUE ORIENTAL RUQ STORE Rugs from China kaXTurkcy kxMa Pakistan Ahanisfan UrdquehomefiMnislingsLetlSMonesUiLhda ALL' WHOLESALE TO THE PUBLIC ATTHE BEST POSSIBLE PRICES TlieKUv -Suurdqr 11-6 Sunctay 12-5 29S6ColegeAM (M Ashby) BeAeky (510) BERKELEYCONNECnON Hut the iotM hoiinfr dl your dreams lnlhe Eknwoodand beyond 845-7821 2840008806 Avenue Betetey 1- r- '7 -f SS' A 11 -'C-' r- 1- Ml -1- S--: I FreeParlrii located'" behind the Elmwood Vi Af fN (During April with this ad) POPacky UPS FEDX Packaging US MtS Fax Maifxttes Notary 2887ColigAvk 1 4043 Piedmont Av Borkstey CA 94705 OrfdandCA 94611 510834276 Phone 51M834471 Fax 6195-7611 Fax i f-'v1 1 'V rf- 't mA 'ff' i -ij "-v 4 S' -A- 'fr -1: 1: i v- i- Vr -j---: 1 'r sta.