Renderings have been published for the first market hall in East Oakland at 6955 Foothill Boulevard. The project will replace the 1.2-acre Liberation Park with a permanent home to the Akoma farmer’s market next to 120 affordable housing units. Black Cultural Zone Community Development Corporation is leading the project.
The proposed structure will become the permanent host of the current Akoma Outdoor Market, a farmer’s market held on the first Sunday of every month. Along with the three-story market, 26,000 square feet of community space will contain a cultural performance space, pop-up retail spaces, and a co-working office space for cultural entrepreneurs. The project will be adjacent to the Liberation Park Residences with 100 affordable apartments and 20 affordable live/work units.
Writing to YIMBY, CEO of the Black Cultural Zone CDC Carolyn Johnson shares that “the Market Hall will be 3 stories with a ground floor event, food and retail hall; 2nd and 3rd floors will house health, wellness, learning and nonprofit office spaces. Art and food spaces will also be available on the upper floor along with a rooftop deck for performances.”
The site has been an important part of the Black Cultural Zone’s ongoing participation in the neighborhood. Johnson described that “this is a site we currently license from the City of Oakland California and build a community cultural and commercial hub which is currently active with markets, movie nights, roller skating and community events.”
Johnson explains that current plans for the new facilities offer a space for roller skating and a capacity for ten to twelve food and retail vendors. There will be two performance areas and a pop-up area for the weekend farmers’ market and weekend events.
BlinkLab Architecture is responsible for the design. Preliminary renderings show that the market will be clad with large glass panes rising above the dark grey flush wall. Previews of a multi-level mural show a potential art piece that could be painted from the second level to the fifth-floor rooftop parapet.
City records show that Black Cultural Zone is working in partnership with Community Arts Stabilization Trust and Curtis Development.
Construction is expected to start as early as 2024, according to reporting by the SF Chronicle, though the project has yet to receive approval.
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