This was posted before, but I had to update it because some of the photos were lost when I switched hosting sites.

In the summer of 1931, a group of property owners in the central downtown section formed the Downtown Property Owners Association.

One of their first projects was modernizing some of the “elderly buildings” in the downtown area. They were losing tenants to the new modern buildings being built there.

The association took care of all the details of the program.  

“Just try to find a vacancy!”

D. Frost

A committee was formed to study older buildings. Buildings were photographed, and data was gathered, including finances, taxes, leases in effect, rentals, accurate measurements, and complete descriptions of the buildings.

By 1934, there were seven completed projects, with three more started.

The Jonas Building

The Jonas Building is located at the corner of Broadway and 11th Street in downtown Oakland, California.

Abraham Jonas owned the building and ran a clothing store for men.

The Jonas building was the first to be remodeled and modernized.

The Abrahamson Building

The Abrahamson Building is located on the corner of 13th and Washington Streets.

It was opened in 1893 as Abrahamson’s Dry Goods and is owned by Jules and Hugo Abrahamson.

The second project in the modernization program was a five-story structure. J.H. King supervised its transformation, and E.T. Foulkes was the architect.

The facelift was completed in March of 1934 with the opening of the Union Furniture Company. The firm occupied all five floors of the building.

Modern vertical lines predominate in the remodeled building, replacing the bay windows, cornices, and ornamentation from when it was built. Green tiles was used to cover the brick walls.

Over the years, other businesses occupied the building.

The M.K. Blake Building

M.K. Blake Building was a four-story store and office structure at the corner of 12th and Washington Streets.

This was the third modernization project.

The building was stripped of the bay windows, cornices, and other ornamentation removed. A warm ivory shade was used on the exterior walls, with a darker color for the trim.

The Delger Building

The Delger Building was the ——building to be remodeled under the program.

The project included the removal of the former exterior and the bay windows.

The Park Building

In 1933 the modernization of the Park Building begin. The building was locatied on fourteenth street between Broadway and Washington Street across from City Hall.

The Park Building marked the eight building in the program.

Glenn Building

Work began in 1937 on the Glenn Building at 1308 Broadway as part of the Downtown Property Association’s modernization program.

According to the Oakland Tribune, the Glenn Family had owned the building for 50 years.

The improvements to the two-story cost $5,000 and included all new tiles on the front of the building.   Edward T. Foulkes was the architect of the project.

Most people will recognize the building as the home of De Lauer’s Newsstand.

The Zukor Building

The Zukor building was modernized in 1934. The ancient arches were replaced, and the unsightly exterior features were removed. The wall finish was replaced with a soft shade of green hard glaze.

The Schutz Building

The Schutz Building, was on Twelfth Street between Broadway and Washington Street, was the twenty-first modernization project.

The three-story building was owned by the F.W. Schutz Estate Company.

The builing was the twenty-first project.

The briock exterior was replaced with a hard tile finish in a light tan with black trim.

More Info:

In total, 31 buildings were rebuilt or given a “facelift.” The program was a success; buildings were filled with stores, and the stores were filled with shopping people.

• Plaza Building at 15th and Washington Streets
• Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank Building at 13th and Franklin
• S.H. Cress Company on 14th and Broadway.
• Federal Telegraph Building at 12th and Washington Streets
• Fuller-Sparks Building on 14th Street.
• Masonic Temple Building on 12th Street for the new Lerner Store

More Info:

• Today Vacancies Are Not A Problem –  American City Magazine Vol 54 
• Modernization – Oakland Tribune Jun 19, 1932
• First Item in the New Program – Oakland Tribune Jun 30, 1932
• Gets A New Dress – Oakland Tribune Aug 06, 1932

• Remodeling Plans Studied – Oakland Tribune Feb 23, 1933
• Washington Street Chosen – Oakland Tribune Feb 13, 1934

• Union Furniture Company Opens –  Oakland Tribune Mar 02, 1934
• Zukors Expands – Oakland Tribune Mar 20, 1934
• Program Works Wonders – Oakland Tribune Feb 27, 1935,. Pg 2
• Modernization of Downtown Store – Oakland Tribune Jan 21, 1936
• Rogers Fashion in new Quarters – Oakland Tribune Nov 02, 1939

Photos courtesy of the Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room and Maps Division (Oakland, Calif.)

The End