The nation’s first federally assisted rehabilitation project.

Federal Housing Act of 1954

In 1955 a 125 block area bounded by E. 21st Street, 14th Avenue, E. 12th Street, and Lake Merritt was chosen as the “study area” for urban renewal.

In October of 1955, Oakland applied to the Federal Government to formally designate an 80 block area of East Oakland bordering Lake Merritt as its first urban renewal project.

First in the West

The area was Oakland’s first concentrated action against blight and substandard housing.  

Clinton Park was a conservation project, the first of this type in the Western United States. 

When the project began in July 1958, the area covered 282 acres contained approximately 1,358 structures and 4,750 dwelling units. Clinton Park Project is bounded by Lake Merritt, 14th Avenue, East 21st. and East 14th Streets

The field office for the project was located at 1626 6th Avenue. The field office, an example of urban renewal in action –was a 50-year old house that was located at 1535 10th Avenue.

Oakland Gets U.S. Grant

In December of 1955, the Federal Government earmarked $1 210,000 for Oakland’s Clinton Park Urban Renewal Program. This amount was two-thirds of the anticipated total cost.

New School – Recreation Center

“heart of the Clinton Park urban renewal area.”

The new Franklin School served as an educational and recreational facility and the nucleus of the project. The revised plans for the site called for the additional area and a recreation center to be added. The school replaced the old school building condemned as an earthquake hazard.

Oakland acquired property to double the playgrounds of Franklin School.

The new school opened in September of 1956.

Due to many problems in acquiring property for the expanded facility, the Recreation Center and Playground area’s completion was delayed until the summer of l 961.

Our City Oakland

In 1956 the Oakland Junior Chamber Committee of the Chamber of Commerce produced a movie on Oakland’s urban renewal program.
The movie, entitled ” Our City Oakland.”

The film (in color with sound)shows examples of Oakland’s slum dwellings, and census figures at the time showed Oakland more than 15,000 such structures (Wow!)

The film also tells of the work in Clinton Park.

Project Launched

In July of 1957, a wrecking crew started the demolition of eight houses near the new Franklin School. This would be the location of the new recreation center.

Older Home Gets New Life

In 1956, the Greater Eastbay Associated Homebuilders purchased a 50-year-old home at 1535 10th Avenue.

Home and Garden Show

The house was moved from its lot to become an exhibit at the Home and Garden Show.

It was completely remodeled as a part of Oakland’s Operation Home Improvement Campaign.

 Following the show, the home was moved to and used as the Clinton Park Project field office.

The office was located at 1621 6th Avenue.

Looks like the house was moved sometime in the mid 1960s. A church is there now.

A Rehab Project

The homes at 624 and 630 Foothill Blvd

Many New Apartment Buildings

From 1956 to 1962, 57 new apartment buildings were constructed. By 1960 $4,000,000 had been spent on new apartment construction.

First Project

The ground was broken in May of 1956 for the first significant construction project for Clinton Park.  

Robert A. Vandenbosch designed the 32-unit apartment building at 1844 7th Avenue and East 19th Street.

 The three-story structure was built around an inner court that has balconies overlooking the court from every apartment.

New Apartment Project

A new 12-unit apartment building replaced a “dilapidated” single-family dwelling at 12th Avenue and East 18th Street.

The old structure was located at 1755 12th Avenue, was built in 1900. It had been converted illegally to an eight-unit apartment.

The structure costs $75.000 to build.

Garden Type Apartment

In 1958 a new $400,000 apartment was built at 1125 East 18th Street.

Two old homes and their outbuildings were razed to make room for the 40-unit two-story building with parking for the 24 cars on the ground floor.

An eight-unit apartment building at 645 Foothill Blvd was under construction at the same time.

Clinton Park Manor

Clinton Park Manor, a 144-unit complex, was built in 1958 at the cost of $1,400,000.  

• 24 efficiency units
• 50 one-bedroom units
• 46 two-bedroom units
• 24 three-bedroom units

Architect Cecil S. Moyer designed the four three-story structures with a landscaped courtyard in the middle.

The complex is bounded by 12th and 13th Avenues and East 19th and East 20th Streets.

One of Oakland’s first schools, Brooklyn Grammar School, was built on the site in 1863. It was renamed Swett School in 1874, and in 1882 a new school Bella Vista was built there. Bella Vista School was razed in 1951.

The Valhalla Apartments

In March of 1960, a three-story 48-unit apartment building was built on the northeast corner of 12th Avenue and East 17th Street at the cost of $556,000.

Architect Cecil Moyer also designed this building. The new building contained (it might still have the same layout):

• 3- bachelor apartments
• 24- one-bedroom apartments
• 11- two-bedroom apartments
• 10- three-bedroom apartments

The courtyard had a swimming pool.

Six old homes, some dating back to the 1890s, were demolished to clear the site.

Apartments

A partial list of the new apartment buildings

• 2225-7th Avenue – 1957
• 1618-6th Avenue – 1957
• 1640 -6th Avenue -1957
• 602 Foothill – remodeled
• 1925-35 10th Avenue – 1960

New Supermarket

In 1960 Safeway Stores Inc. built a new 20,000 square foot building and a parking lot on 14th Avenue.

The Architects were Wurster, Bernardi, and Emmons of San Francisco.

Loops’ for Traffic

To meet the problem of through traffic on a residential street, which caused neighborhood deterioration. Forty-seven intersections were marked to be altered, either to divert automobiles to through streets by way of traffic “loops.” or slow them down with curb extensions.

The traffic-diverting “loops” will be landscaped areas extending diagonally across intersections.

The result of these intersections was that through traffic in the project area is limited to 5th, 8th Avenues, north and south, East 21st Street, Foothill Blvd, and East 15th Street, east-west.

Diverters were placed at East 19th Street and 6th and 11th Avenues and East 20th Street at 7th and 10th Avenues. Also at East 20th Street and 12th Avenue.

Discouragers were also placed at East 20th Street and 13th Avenue and East 19th Street and 13th Avenue.

New Mercury Lights and Traffic Signals

Other features of the program included:

• New Recreation Center
• Widening of several streets and the installation of curbs and sewers.
• Planting of 1,600 trees about 20 per block.
• Construction of pedestrian overpasses over Foothill Blvd and East 15th Street for safe access to Franklin School.
• Installation of new street lighting, street signs, and traffic signs.

Beautiful Homes of Clinton Park

Project Report

By March of 1962, 1,081 structures, containing 3,056 dwelling units have been repaired to eliminate all code. Violation. There have been ll7 structures demolished during the same period.   

During this same period, 57 new apartment buildings were constructed within the project area, adding l,l08 new units to the existing housing supply. 

More Info:

Oakland (Calif.). Housing Division. (, 1962). Clinton Park: a historical report on neighborhood rehabilitation in Oakland, California. Oakland, Calif.: The Dept.

Clinton – Oakland Local Wiki

• Councill to Seek Land for Urban Renewal – Oakland Tribune August 12, 1955
• Study Area for Urban Renewal Pt 1 – Oakland Tribune October 5, 1955
• Study Area for Urban Renewal Pt 2 – Oakland Tribune October 5, 1955
• City to Clean 78-Block Area – Oakland Tribune October 26, 1955
• 300 Business Leaders to Discuss Housing -Clin Oakland Tribune October 26, 1955
• Oakland Gets Grant Pt 1- Oakland Tribune December 23, 1955
• Oakland Gets Grant Pt 2 – Oakland Tribune December 23, 1955
• Oakland Gets U.S. Grant – SF Examiner December 24, 1955
• Older Home Finds New Life – Oakland Tribune April 22, 1956
• Big Apartment Started – Oakland Tribune May 30, 1956
• Oakland Acts to Buy Urban Renewal Site Pt 1 – Oakland Tribune September 2, 1956
• Oakland Acts to Buy Urban Renewal Site Pt 2 – Oakland Tribune September 2, 1956
• Oakland Urban Renewal Movie Previewed – Oakland Tribune September 20, 1956
• New Apartment Project – Oakland Tribune October 31, 1956
• Urban Renewal Project Launched – Oakland Tribune July 1, 1957
• Clinton Park Manor – Oakland Tribune June 25, 1958
• 31 Clinton Park Home Owners Given Awards – Oakland Tribune September 29, 1959
• Loops for Traffic – Oakland Tribune March 2, 1960
• Clinton Park Will Get Apartments – Oakland Tribune March 4, 1960
• New Safeway for Clinton Park – Oakland Tribune April 3, 1960

The End