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| Photo Credit: Chris Willis |
One of Oakland’s many gifts is its architecture. There are art-deco gems like the Paramount, the Baghdad-inspired Fox Theater, the flat iron building, Tribune Tower, Preservation Park and The Dunsmuir House, just to name a few local landmarks, but our building prowess doesn’t end there. In fact, given the architectural diversity of Oakland, if our film department stepped up, we could be known for shooting movies just as much as we’re known for shooting people.
Want a modern down town? Got that. Need a fully operative 19th century historic district? Done. An expansive waterfront? A bustling port? Beautiful Victorians? Tasteful craftsmen bungalows? Gentrified lofts? Destitute slums? urban lakeside splendor? Ethnic enclaves? Oceans, bays, mountains or rivers? You name it, we got it.
Want a modern down town? Got that. Need a fully operative 19th century historic district? Done. An expansive waterfront? A bustling port? Beautiful Victorians? Tasteful craftsmen bungalows? Gentrified lofts? Destitute slums? urban lakeside splendor? Ethnic enclaves? Oceans, bays, mountains or rivers? You name it, we got it.
One such Oakland jewel that needs some polishing however, is the now defunct terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad, Southern Pacific’s 16th Street Train Station. This building was once the hub of all western travel, but now stands as a shell steeped in neglected history. A developer is looking to open hundreds of homes in the area, and though he has pledged to keep the train station as a focal community place, we all know how "inclusive" development in West Oakland has been in the last decade.
Thankfully, there is an opportunity for community members to contribute their ideas of how this once glorious space should be repurposed. I'm skeptical of the degree to which community voices will be heeded, but if we don't participate in the process, then our voices will just be apathetic "Monday morning quarterback" ramblings. Before you put in your two cents however, come check out the space in the flesh!
Thankfully, there is an opportunity for community members to contribute their ideas of how this once glorious space should be repurposed. I'm skeptical of the degree to which community voices will be heeded, but if we don't participate in the process, then our voices will just be apathetic "Monday morning quarterback" ramblings. Before you put in your two cents however, come check out the space in the flesh!
Check out this Channel 7 news piece (above) for details on how you can contribute your ideas and come to check it out live in the flesh on Thursday from 5:30-8pm. You can tour the station, record memories of the station, listen to live music and spoken word, dine at local sustainable food trucks, taste East Bay wines, do kids' activities, and more.
As the juxtaposing photos below illustrate, the station was once quite spectacular, help us return in its former grandeur.
Thursday, July 28th 2011; 5:30-8 p.m.
16th Street Station, 16th and Wood Streets
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