Three food truck vendors who were displaced by UC Berkeley’s construction at Sproul Plaza have been found a new location at the corner of Bancroft and College. According to an announcement from Mayor Tom Bates, the vendors will be able to renew their permits to operate in the new location for an additional two years.
Michael Koh, owner of Dojo Dog, Ann Vu, owner of Healthy Heavenly Foods, and Jack Huynh, owner of Kettle Corn Star, were forced to vacate their previous location near the intersection of Telegraph and Bancroft in December, when construction started.
Koh spoke at the Telegraph Avenue brainstorming convened by the mayor last month, and local councilmember Kriss Worthington had asked the city manager to assist in the relocation. Worthington’s referral is on the City Council’s action agenda for tonight’s meeting.
Worthington’s referral points out that, although the Lower Sproul project construction has been planned for years, the food vendors were given just two days’ notice to vacate their locations.
Vu, owner of Healthy Heavenly Foods, was involved in a previous dispute with the university some years ago when she and other small family-run businesses lost their leases in the Bear’s Lair food court, to be replaced by Subway, Tully’s Coffee and other chain food stores.
“We heard loud and clear at our Telegraph Avenue community brainstorming meeting, three weeks ago, that our vendor community was in need of a solution,” said Mayor Bates in today’s announcement. “I am incredibly happy that city and UC staff have been able to work out a solution for our vendors and feel that this is one in a series of steps towards helping to revitalize the Telegraph area.”
Related:
Tackling Telegraph Avenue: Is this time different? [03.01.13]
New building proposed for Sequoia site on Telegraph [02.27.13]
New Sproul design ideas provide optimism for Telegraph [11.29.12]
Can Berkeley’s Telegraph Avenue get it mojo back? [04.18.12]
Telegraph site owner plans for temporary resurrection [02.06.12]
Imagining a future for Telegraph Avenue without blinders [04.11.12]
Urban think tank: Student visions for blighted Telegraph lot [10.03.11]
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