Oakland Tribune from Oakland, California • 32

SUNDAY, March 7, 2004 THE OAKLAND T1UBUNE 2 LOCAL Chinese, Oaklands past may lose to uptown project LANDMARKS THERE lEarchaefl? logical evi-V dance of air 1870a Chinatown, be- neathtftey historic HotW Royal in downtown- Oakland, ALLETL 1 fe.l Historic buildings in the so-called "uptown district of Oakland may soon be falling by ihc wayside if a new development project clears final hurdles in the coming months. According to news ac- counts, the venerable, though long vacant Hotel Royal and the Post Building 1920) on Thomas Berkley Way (formerly 20th Street) will be demolished to make way for a 100.000-square-foot mixed-use facility that will house a new Alameda County social services and job training center. An Environment Impact Report on the project was reviewed and certified by the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in January. Project sponsors must still proceed through the city of Oakland's process for demolition of historic resources. Developer Alan Dones Is hoping to tweak ground In April.

Coming to light in the E1R (copies of which are available at the city Planning Department) is evidence that beneath the historic structures soon to be demolished, an archaeolo-gically sensitive area lies, awaiting excavation mid documentation. Archival records show that along the east side of San Pablo Avenue between 19th and'20th streets; a Chinese neighborhood existed during building. It Is a reinforced concrete structure that survived the earthquake in 1989 with only minor damage. It would be wasteful to throw such a substantial structure Into a landfill Building architect William Woollett came to the Bay Area from his home state of New York shortly after the 1906 earthquake. He is best known for his part in designing the Idora Park amusement park (In North Oakland) and later, alter he moved to Los Angeles, Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

The survey cites the hotel's richly textured, clinker-brick capital with its vertically coursed brick frieze and ketweave patterned panels with cream-colored diamondshaped tiles in the centers as notable architectural features (Mill Intact). The seven-story hotel opened in 1913. At one time, there were as many as 25 so-called residential hotels, built between 1910 and 1930, downtown between Grand Avenue and what is now Interstate 880. Many were built before the Panama Pacific Exposition, held across the Bay in 1915'. Thousands of visitors arrived to attend the fair, arriving by transcontinental trains, and a large number stayed in East Bay ho: tels.

Folks would take street cars to the ferryboats, as their know about the Uptown Chinatown from a few negative mentions in English-language newspapers (from the period). Then, the major newspaper editors, real estate developers and city ofllcials were business associates, so it many not be surprising they described the people whose land they desired in unfavorable terms. "Proper excavation ofar-chaeological remains could provide evidence countering the stereotype-driven native Impressions (from these early accounts), Naruta says. She sites a recent excaya- tkm undertaken in San Jose that revealed many interesting dues, warranting further study. Cultural Heritage Survey files reveal the Hotel Royal appears eligible for the National of Historic Places because of its connection to an early pioneer family, Its intact stylistic elements and the prominent architect who designed the structure.

A letter submitted by Naomi Schlff of Oakland Heritage Alliance's Preservation Committee, and filed with the EIR, states that "a more thorough exploration of the feasibility of re-using the Hotel Royal for affordable housing should be required of the developers. The Hotd Royal is not an unreinforced masonry the 1870s. A settlement of Chinese immigrants became established there alter a fire destroyed earlier buildings In Oakland's first Chinatown at 17th Street and Telegraph Avenue. Authorities prohibited the immigrants from rebuilding, say history flies, and directed them to relocate a few blocks north, to 20th and San Pablo, now occupied by the historic Hotel Royal According to Anna Naruta, an urban archaeologist cur- rently working on her dissertation, there could be wells or cisterns, refuse pits, latrines and other such remnants from this early Chinese settlement period long covered over by subsequent development that could be examined and evaluated. The time to do this study would be during the demolition and the construction 'of the new buildings now on the drawing board, Naruta says.

In a comme letter submitted to the supervisors, Naruta stressed, So far we only hlbltive, he says. And so, the Hotel Royal stands empty, awaiting Its fate. For more information on foe, efforts to explore tht possible Chinese cultural resources at the site, visit www.uptownchl-natown.org on the Web or contact the Chinese Historical Society of America, (415) 391-1 188, Web site, www.chsa.org. mode of transport to the fair, which was open for six months, files say. Developer Alan Dones has expressed interest in rehabilitating the hotel as affordable housing and Incorporating It Into the new development.

But the estimated $6 million hi costs to bring the building up to code "may be too cost pro- Service, politics often meshed Neighborhood divided about changing name NAME, from Local 1 SANDRE SWANSON in 1976 (left), as an aide to U.S. Rep. Ron Dellums, went on to manage Alameda County Superior Court Judge Lionel Wilson's successful run for Oakland mayor Swanson, shown in a more recent photo at right, is retiring this month after 30 years of service. 3 neighbors and people from throughout the Oakland community and beyond. Although coming up with a new name for the neighborhood is a matter of neighborhood consensus and use.

renaming a park could be problematic for many reasons. Nelson said. There are rules and processes regulating name changes. There could be Caveats attached lo the land donation, that the name has to remain in perpetuity, or if it changes, the land reverts to the family, she said. Any efforts to rename the park should be dime carefully and thoughtfully" without rushing into it she said.

But she said she is for it if the neighbors are. and she thinks it could be a good way to bring the community new and old together. Brunner said she had not heard about efforts lo rename the park. Her son played soccer there as a child, and she said it's a great park. "I definitely want to research who Bushrod is before we change the name, but I'm open to it." she said.

'Maybe he was worthy. If not, if It'snol a name dial is relevant anymore, then 1 think (renaming It) would be a good thing." The. land for the park and adjacent Elementary School was donated to the COUN PETERSON, 2, and James McCann, 3, play in the sand at Bushrod Park in North Oakland Friday. Some area residents want to reftame the park, but others say it's fine just as it fa tables, then (the neighbors think) they're dealing drugs, she said. 'My son has been accused of selling drugs because he's big and Eveiything bad that happens in this neighborhood gets blamed cm the park.

Elysia and refer Chapman-live near the, And never have those (wo been more intertwined than in the past few years. He lost a younger brother to AIDS as he and Lee worked to elevate foe AIDS pandemic In Africa. And on SepL 11, 20Q1. Swanson's cousin, Wanda Green, died. She was a flight -attendant on ill-fated United Airlines Flight 93, by.al-Qalda terrorists and crashed into a Pennsylvania Add, killing all 44 on botud.

1 Still, when Lee sought his counsel before voting to oppose military retaliation for foe terrorist attacks, Swanson told tier, he thought she should vote no and not give the president the power. He was never more proud of her, he said. -Swanson said he never i SWANSON, from Local 1 In 1982. and again In' 1986, when he was defeated, by Don Perata, now a state senator from the East Bay. Yet Swanson says he was content to have worked for two of the East Bay's most prominent politicians.

1 Swanson certainly didn't start out behind the scenes. As Laney's student body president in 1970, he got the attention of college administrators by threatening to protest unless they addressed student concerns about overcrowded classes, budget cuts that limited the curriculum, steep textbook prices and unhealed buildings. The next year he was elected East Oakland representative tor the Oakland Anti-Poverty Board. In 1972, he went to work for New York Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm's presidential campaign. Barbara Lee was also working for Chisholm, and she recommended Dellums hire the brash young Swanson.

His first assgiment far Dd-lums was less than prominent to be sure, traveling to events In advance to scout out a parking space and setting up orange cones so no one else would gab it Every time his car drove up, 1 was standing and. he would notice me and say, Who Is that guy?" Swanson said with a laugfi. Eventually, he figured if I was going to be at all these events, I might as well be his driver. Then he took me under his wing and taugjit me politics. Swanson become 90 adept at organizing that community members sought his help.

In 1977, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Lionel Wilson, soon to become Oakland's first black mayor, asked Dellums If his young assistant could be spared to run his campaign, which he won. But when Wilson wanted to hire Swanson, Dellums said no way. Wilson settled for appointing Swanson to Oakland's Civil Service Commission. In 1990, Dellums Invited Nelson Mandela, just released from prison alter 27 years, to Oakland. Community and church leaders asked for Swanson to coordinate foe events a 60, 000-strong showing at the" Oakland Coliseum, and a 8100-a-plate dinner for 3,000 later that night The events raised $300,000 to citv adelpbla 'writer and retired Army surgeon who is believed to have been the nephew or son of ihe nephew of George Washington.

He purchased 15 acres of farm land by proxy in 1871. His will donated the land to the city. provided It be suitably Improved and surrounded by a wall or hedge, and that a monument or sign be erected to memorialize his gift. The school was built in 1905. and the park was created in 1908.

it come bi ben Jjju cnne-nooen, parents here $400,000 for' the Free South Africa Movement 1 Just want to commend him on. an effort well done, he spent a long time in public Dellums said. I hope the next door that opens as this one closes will be equally challenging and equally rewarding. It wasn't all good It was a dark day mien the Democrats lost the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994.

Swanson also worked eight years to bring a regional commissary to the Army Base in West Oakland, only to see it fall through. But the accomplishments outweigh those moments. Most Bay Area folks recognize Swanson for his thougjitful work on the Oakland and Alameda base reuse during the' painful era of military base closures starting. In 1993. He crafted the structure of Oakland and Alameda's base reuse authorities to transfer control of the Oakland Army Base and Alameda Naval Air Station to private use.

The complicated process a collaboration between the military, local governments and civilians took 10 years of complicated deals, endless community meetings, and cost $50 million In planning and environmental cleanup before ownership of the Oakland Army Base and Alameda Naval Air Station were transferred to foe for private use and development. Swanson considers himself fortunate to have had sf Job where his public service was so closely aligned lo his personal life experiences and beliefs, with one Influencing the other and vice versa. suprised Mini (they) and nets not al anrsee ai me with their tids. Leslie Colbert CKNTKR PROGRAM MRKCTOR the park and have rediscovered it for tennis. Carol Navarrette tends the community garden adjacent to the tennis courts and says the only problem she encounters is the occasional youngster who Jumps the fence and can't resist the bean poles.

There's not much problem with vandalism, she said. (The kids) are playful. They play Javelin with the bean poles. Bob Brokl, chairman of the North Oakland Voters Alliance, thinks residents are naive If they believe changing a name will magically make problems disappear and property values rise. He said the neighborhood Is alrrady Improving.

To me, it's trying to paper over some of the real problems and strengths and the actual history of North Oakland, he said. Bushrod, I believe, was the middle name of somebody who donated the land for the park and for Washington School, so that name has a link to the neighborhood and history of the he said. Tor people to say Idora Park sounds better because it has 'park' in It when Bushrod Park has a 'park' In It too, is a little ridiculous. thought about making the government his lifelong wwk-He Just liked helping people and he found he was part of foe movement Now his youngest daughter Is heading off to college, and hit's going to take a long vacation qpd work on his He Is being feted by Dellums and Lee gala event March 20, with exetes proceeds going to support sfltill business loans for under-served areas, such as West Oakland and West Alameda. I really can't believe "ft, Swanson said.

It's kind of Ufa! 1 started this when I was 24 years old and I never really thought about 1L It was Just event aer event, and campaign after cam-palgn. and crisis after erfefa Then all of a sudden you sQrt getting retirement notices figm the AARP, and notes reminjMg you about retirement planning' It's flown by, but it has been fun Leslie Colbert, a longtime center program director, said she Is not in favor of changing the name to appease some newer neighbors, and she thinks some of the old timers would have a problem with It She said people have the wrong perception of the park as a magnet for Ten years ago (North Oakland Coun-cllmember) Sheila Jordan wanted to change the name of the park, but the community said Colbert said. Only the newer people complain. Theydon't use the park. People are surprised when (they) come In here and see it's not crime-ridden, and see allihe parents here with their kids.

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