Case Study Overview
A grand opening was held September to celebrate a well-conceived, well-executed brownfield project in the “other” City by the Bay—Oakland, Calif. The Uptown project today consists of 665 apartments, 9,000 square feet of retail space and a new public park. The development symbolizes what cities, together with private developers, can accomplish with brownfield sites when all parties are interested in smart-growth and urban in-fill development.

The Uptown project represented a joint venture between Forest City Enterprises, Inc. and San Francisco based MacFarlane Partners. Both firms have strong San Francisco Bay Area ties, and a long-standing history of partnerships. Cleveland-based Forest City has extensive experience developing complex, urban developments, and a great deal of expertise with brownfield remediation. The city of Oakland formed a public-private partnership with Forest City, with the city agreeing to expense for the streetscape, a new park and brownfield remediation.

The project area was once occupied by surface parking lots, a multi-level parking structure, a former service station and a Sears Auto Center. The city had been seeking ways to reinvigorate the once bustling downtown core, and thus pinpointed land in the area for re-development. The city identified 14 acres and determined it needed to develop 5.02 acres of the property immediately.

The first step was locating the capital to fund an assessment and clean-up of the site. The Oakland Redevelopment Authority, working with non-profit organizations, obtained a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. Together with Forest City, the Redevelopment Authority developed a Remedial Action Plan and a Risk Management Plan focused on mitigation of residual chemicals in the soil and shallow groundwater. Project entitlements were conditional upon satisfactory completion of the hazardous materials clean-up.

As an environmentally friendly residential development, The Uptown has now earned a LEED Silver certification by the U.S. Green Building Council—the first such designation for a multi-family building in Oakland. Just a few of the community’s notable sustainable components include designated parking for hybrid or alternative fueled vehicles, landscaping that uses approximately 50% of the water normally required for irrigation, recyclable trash chutes, and low-flow shower heads and lavatory faucets that reduce water usage by 20%.

All adhesives, sealants, paints, and carpets in interior and common areas are classified as low VOC (Volatile Organic Compound) for better health and indoor air quality due to reduced gases. Further, at least 20% of construction materials will be manufactured regionally (within 500 miles of The Uptown) and purchased locally, with at least 90% of waste generated by the construction being recycled rather than taken to a landfill.

Another area of note is the fact that Forest City dedicated 25 of the units for low and moderate-income residents, with units ranging in size from studios to three-bedrooms. Many of the communities the company develops are through partnerships with cities such as Oakland and include an affordable component.

In the case of The Uptown, this strategy makes great sense. The units are leasing and this area of downtown is alive with new activity that was unimaginable just a few years ago. New restaurants are opening, people are walking on the streets and the Fox Theater, located directly across the street from the project, is due to complete its renovation later this year, adding entertainment to the mix of the neighborhood. The Uptown is a shining example of a public/private partnership at its collaborative finest.

Lessons Learned
The Uptown development team identified three guiding principles for the project, all within an overarching goal of embracing “the 21st Century mantra of urban development: sustainability, transit-oriented development and smart growth—all intended to help rejuvenate Oakland’s renewed downtown”, said Kevin Ratner, president, Forest City Residential West.

• Strive for a transit-oriented development, and dividends will be paid: Encompassing four city blocks in the downtown area of Oakland, The Uptown is surrounded by public transit. Well within walking distance is the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), and about 15 local bus lines. The project also has an agreement with Zip Car to house a car in the project garage for tenant use. A recent transplant for Albion, Mich., Don Nielsen, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist with Kaiser Permanente’s Regional Workplace Safety Center, perfectly summed up the advantages of living in The Uptown. “Using public transportation, I was able to go eight weeks without purchasing gas for my car,” he said. “Between BART and bus system, I can go just about everywhere I need to go.”
• Always stress the sustainability aspects of a project: The entire project is LEED Silver (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), and is the first multifamily building in Oakland to earn LEED certification. It is certified by the LEED Green Building Rating System which is considered the national standard for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings.
• Preach “smart growth”: The Uptown is LEED Certified Silver, located within blocks of public transit and is built on a remediated brownfield site.
• Develop a unique vision: Developers recognized an opportunity when they dedicated 25 of the units at The Uptown for low and moderate-income residents. The units are spread throughout the building, and were constructed to be indistinguishable from the higher-cost units. This was made possible by strong local government support, and its success required using a variety of incentives to achieve the affordability sought.