Crowded conditions on many commercial blocks in Berkeley in the evening could lead to metered parking until 8 p.m. Image: City of Berkeley New metered parking rates and time limits, in effect in Berkeley since last fall in three of the city’s busiest commercial areas, have made it easier for many visitors to find daytime parking, according to […]
John Caner
Posted inCommunity
Berkeley to celebrate Valentine’s Day with mass wedding
Berkeley will hold a mass outdoor wedding downtown on Valentine’s Day. Photo: marie-ll/Creative Commons Forget a mere box of chocolates or a bouquet of red roses or a pretty pink heart. The Downtown Berkeley Association has much bigger plans for Valentine’s Day. To celebrate love, and the first Valentine’s Day since the repeal of Defense […]
Posted inCity
Berkeley BART plaza workshop comes Monday
An early conceptual rendering of the new Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza. A new project underway to improve the BART plaza in downtown Berkeley is gaining steam, with a public workshop scheduled for Monday afternoon. The project, funded in part by a grant from the Alameda County Transportation Commission, includes renovation of the BART entrances, a new […]
Posted inCity
$2,750 fine assessed after Measure S campaign violations
FCPC commissioners review papers in a May 2013 meeting. (Note: Some of these commissioners are no longer serving.) Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel Update, Jan. 17: Berkeley’s Fair Campaign Practices Commission voted Thursday night to increase the fine for “Yes on S” campaign violations to $3,750, according to the East Bay Express. The campaign had failed to list the individual […]
Posted inHousing & Development
‘Explosive’ downtown Berkeley housing boom under way
More than 1,400 units are in the works for downtown. Image: Downtown Berkeley Association More than 1,400 housing units are currently in development in downtown Berkeley, with demolition on one of the first in the pipeline scheduled to begin this week. There are eight projects, including a hotel, planned in the downtown core, with two […]
Posted inHousing & Development
New 16-story hotel proposed for downtown Berkeley
Center Street Partners wants to construct a 16-story, 293-room hotel complex at Shattuck and Center streets in downtown Berkeley. Image: Center Street Partners A Carmel-based developer and UC Berkeley graduate will submit plans to Berkeley tomorrow to construct a 16-story, 180-foot-tall hotel with office space, meeting rooms and retail space at the corner of Shattuck […]
Posted inHousing & Development
Center Street garage slated for demolition, expansion
The Center Street garage in downtown Berkeley is slated for reconstruction. Image: Google Maps Parking in downtown Berkeley may get harder before it gets easier as a new project ramps up to demolish and rebuild the Center Street garage to add hundreds of spaces, improve seismic security and incorporate “green building” standards. The project is expected […]
Posted inCity
City parking garage fees up downtown, down on Telegraph
The Telegraph Channing Garage will be free for the first hour beginning Dec. 2. Image: Google Maps Tuesday night, the Berkeley City Council voted to change parking rates in three city-owned garages, downtown and near the Cal campus, as part of its goBerkeley effort to change driver behavior and make it easier for visitors to find […]
Posted inCity
FCPC looks into alleged violations by Yes on S supporters
Members of the Fair Campaign Practices Commission review material before their Oct. 25 meeting. Photo: Frances Dinkelspiel The Fair Campaign Practices Commission has decided to investigate whether any campaign laws were broken when the Yes on Measure S campaign paid people from $50 to $100 in cash to pass out campaign material on election day. […]
Posted inEvents
Berkeley Spark to provide a taste of Burning Man
Artismobilus, a mobile art gallery and “art incubator”, will be part of Berkeley Spark on Saturday. Photo: Steve Rhodes A mobile art gallery, numerous dancers, DJs, artists, art cars, and a host of surprises are in store when Berkeley Spark is held on Saturday at Civic Center Park. The 10-hour free festival will bring a […]
Posted inBusiness, City
Berkeley considers city-wide minimum wage hike
Some Berkeley business owners said last week, at an info session hosted by the Berkeley Chamber of Commerce, that a higher minimum wage would pose challenges and have unintended consequences. Photo: Emilie Raguso A mayor’s office request to set Berkeley’s minimum wage more than $2 above than the state-mandated $8 per hour will be discussed […]
Posted inSchools
Berkeley set for $12.7M in downtown transport grants
An early conceptual rendering of the new Downtown Berkeley BART Plaza and the reconfigured two-way Shattuck Avenue. A lightweight roof canopy with photovoltaic cells provides daylight, natural ventilation and solar power to the station and the plaza. Berkeley expects to get $12.7 million in grant funding for changes to BART Plaza, Shattuck Avenue and Hearst […]
