Launching the Imagine Jack London fundraising campaign

This summer, the Jack London District Association (JLDA) is launching Imagine Jack London, a fundraising campaign designed to give community stakeholders a strong voice in the creation of a Business Improvement District and to fund the continued community outreach of the association.

IMAGINE if Oakland's Jack London district had a grocery store, clean streets, safe highway underpasses, a vibrant retail community, and more green space.  

IMAGINE if the Jack London district had a strong community of active citizens, contributing to the improvement of their surroundings and actively engaging in its prosperity. 

All of this is possible, but it cannot happen without your help. 

1 Click the Donate button on the right to give $10 minimum, $25, $50, $100 or more towards the goal of improving our district.

2 Leave a comment about how you would like the district improved (i.e. cleaner 1-880 underpasses, attracting a grocery store, creating the Webster Green Park). 

3 Send your friends to crowdrise.org/imaginejacklondon using e-mail, facebook, twitter, word-of-mouth, street-theater, or any other way you can think!

Our goal is to raise $11,000 from district residents and businesses by September 30th. To be successful, we need you, your neighbors, and nearby businesses to participate.

Can you be among the first to donate to the Jack London District Association and move us closer to our $11,000 goal?

We are counting on your excitement and support to make this campaign a success. Keep an eye out for invitations to fun events designed to give you an opportunity to share your ideas on how to make our district a better place.

Looking forward to our stronger community.

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Creating a CBD/BID in Jack London

As you might have read in the June/July JLDA CALL, the process to establish a Community Benefit District/Business Improvement District (BID from here on) is moving ahead. We are gearing up a number of events and outreach initiatives to seek your insight, build a stronger community presence, and to raise funds to make this all happen.

In the meantime, here is some more information about why we are excited about creating a  BID right here in Jack London . Please feel free to leave comments with questions, thoughts, and/or words of encouragement.

What is a BID?

Jack London District property owners can establish a BID by agreeing to jointly fund improvement projects through an assessment paid by all property owners within the district. BID funded projects promote commerce, tourism, and community growth, and reduce vacancies and crime.

BIDs funds are managed by a non-profit board chaired by property owners with representation from numerous community stakeholders.

What have BIDs done?

Business Improvement Districts lead to effective planning, financing,  and executing of improvement  projects in struggling urban  communities. 

downtownoakland.org

You may have noticed the impact  of BIDs in the presence of Safety  Ambassadors in Downtown Oakland,  graffiti abatement and trash  pickup led by Maintenance  Ambassadors in Koreatown,  and sidewalk lighting and  beautification in Temescal. Have you ever enjoyed walking the streets of Oakland's First Friday Art Murmur? That project, and many others that bring life and beauty to our city, is funded in part by surrounding CBDs and BIDs.

What can a BID do for Jack London?

As a Jack London community stakeholder you will have the opportunity to have a say in what a  Jack London Business Improvement District could do to improve the district.  Preliminary surveys of property owners,  residents, business owners, and  visitors indicated interest in:

• Attracting a grocery store and other amenities

• Eliminating blight like trash, graffiti, and defaced signs

• Beautifying the I-880 underpasses to improve access

• Marketing the district through signage, joint promotion, etc.

• Improving safety by hiring Safety Ambassadors and installing more 
streetlights

How can I help ?

There will be many more opportunities for you to have a say and lend a hand to make this long-term project a reality. You can start by subscribing to our mailing list, meeting and talking with your neighbors about what you would like to see improved in the district, and shopping at local businesses.    

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TRASH BASH 2012

Sunday, June 3rd, 9am - 3pm -- Meet at Radiance, 278 4th St

Trash Bash 2012

This year on Sunday, June 3, JLDA, in conjunction with the Church of Radiance Oak, will host our annual Trash Bash Neighborhood Cleanup. Please come out, meet some neighbors, and pitch in for a couple of hours of easy work to help beautify our District.

Then enjoy lunch provided by local businesses, including excellent BBQ from Steve Sacks and the folks at Prime Smoked Meats.

Again this year there will be free E-waste collection by ReliaTech. Bring anything with a cord or batteries, but no large appliances please. ReliaTech is a nonprofit organization and donation receipts will be provided.

Music by local DJs and Circus entertainment by Kinetic Arts will be offered after the cleanup, and art featuring recycled materials will be presented in the Radiance Gallery. All are welcome to attend and there is no charge.

Trash Bash 2012 Activities

9:00 am -- Cleanup begins at 278 4th Street. The City will provide tools, equipment, and cute orange vests. ReliaTech will accept E-waste until lunch is over.
12:00 noon -- Lunch is served for volunteers. Additional food and beverage donations are needed. If you can help, please let us know via email.
12:00 to 3:00 pm -- Art Show, featuring works using recycled and "found object" materials, opens at 278 4th Street. Music and circus performances will entertain and delight.

Please RSVP for Trash Bash 2012

To make sure we have enough food on hand, please RSVP to info@jlda.org.

Thank you!

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JLDA Year in Review 2011

This was a busy year for the JLDA. We thank everyone in the District for their continued participation and support.

Here is a sampling of the projects JLDA undertook in 2011:

• Neighborhood trash clean up
• A new look and expanded coverage for The Call, our bi-monthly newsletter
• Coordinating parking permits with the city
• Working with residents on a Train Quiet Zone
• Supporting the Oakland bid for an LBNL campus at Brooklyn Basin
• Holding a neighborhood meeting for businesses and residents to discuss late-night noise on Broadway
• Providing feedback and marketing information to new and potential businesses in the District
• Participating in the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council
• Coming up with solutions to the District's pervasive dog poop problems
• Advocating for a greater presence in the Lake Merritt Station Area Plan
• Providing a forum for discussion of a new home for the A's.
• Investigating the possibility of a Community Benefits District for JLD
• Outreach to area HOA's and businesses to establish JLDA-community liassons
• Working with Redevelopment Agency and CalTrans to improve the underpasses
• Organizing a community design charrette for a future Webster Green
  

All members of the Jack London District community are welcome at Board and committee meetings. See the calendar for meeting times and places. If you haven't come to a JLDA meeting, 2012 will be an exciting year to get involved. We are always looking for more participation and help.

All the best in the New Year!

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Webster Green Charrette a Success

JLDA organized a neighborhood design charrette on December 7, 2011. This was a working session to discuss and sketch ideas for a potential Webster Green connecting Chinatown to the waterfront. Participants were divided into four teams: two worked on Lower Webster (Embarcadero to 4th Street) and two worked on Upper Webster (4th Street to 7th Street). All teams were asked to address specific categories of development: character, program, features, transportation, financing, sustainability, and events. After ninety minutes of intense brainstorming, the groups came together to present their ideas and discuss outcomes.

You can download a PDF of the the Full Charrette Report (2.7 MB) or just the Development Principles (600 KB).

At the next JLDA Land Use and Transportation Committee meeting we will discuss the results of the charrette and next steps towards creating a Webster Green: January 23rd from 7-9pm at 229 Harrison Street in Oakland. All interested parties are welcome.

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Save the Date: Webster Green Community Design Charrette

What would a Webster Green look like?

Calling all architects, designers, bicyclists, pedestrians, dog owners, and everyone who has creative ideas for a new public space in Oakland. The Webster Green, extending from Embarcadero to 7th Street, would connect Chinatown to the waterfront and be at the heart of the urban renaissance that has taken place in Jack London District over the past ten years. Here's an opportunity to take part in shaping your city! What should the Webster Green feel like? How should it be used? How can it be financed and maintained? How will it effect district-wide transportation?

JLDA's Land Use and Transportation Committee will be hosting a community design charrette to capture good ideas for transforming the underutilized parking lots that sit atop the Webster Tube into beautiful, safe, and sustainable public open spaces. The results of the charrette will ultimately help inform the Lake Merritt Station Area Plan which has funding and support from the community and the City.

SAVE THE DATE: Wednesday, December 7, 2011
TIME: 6:30-9:00 PM
PLACE: 278 4th Street, Oakland (Google Maps)
RSVP: brendon [at] jlda.org

We have developed an online forum to share ideas before the charrette. Please visit us at the Webster Green Community Forum and leave your comments.

This is part of a series of planning efforts spearheaded by JLDA intended to plan and promote a cohesive vision for the Jack London District. All interested parties are welcome - feel free to forward this invitation to anyone you think might like to be involved.

Sincerely,
Brendon Levitt, LUTC co-chair
Steve Lowe, LUTC co-chair

Jack London District Association
Land Use and Transportation Committee

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