An art car at Burning Man in the Nevada desert. What will emerge in Civic Center Park? Photo: eponamusic A free, one-day festival on Saturday, Aug. 10, hopes to bring some of the spirit of the Burning Man Playa to downtown Berkeley. Berkeley Spark plans to bring art, music, performance, dance and workshops led by […]
John Caner
Posted inCity
Berkeley council approves plans to green downtown
Map of major projects prioritized in the Downtown Streets & Open Space Improvement Plan (SOSIP) Berkeley City Council last night unanimously approved both the Downtown Streets & Open Space Improvement Plan (SOSIP) and a schedule of fees that will help fund the proposed projects. SOSIP aims to help create a more pedestrian-oriented neighborhood downtown, and […]
Posted inBusiness, City
Newly cleaned up downtown hopes to attract more retail
New landscaping is part of an ongoing major clean-up campaign in downtown Berkeley. Photo: Nancy Rubin On Tuesday, downtown Berkeley was born anew. Billed as a fresh start, the heart of the city was relaunched to a capacity crowd in the ballroom of the Hotel Shattuck Plaza on Allston Way. For the past three months, […]
Posted inCity
Downtown PBID passes overwhelmingly
Downtown Berkeley has $1.2 million to spend on beautification and increasing vibrancy. Photo: Tracey Taylor The Berkeley City Council last night approved the formation of the third property-based improvement district (PBID) in the city, increasing fourfold the funds available to the Downtown Berkeley Association (DBA) for environmental enhancement and economic development programs. A ballot count […]
Posted inBusiness
Photos from the First Local Business Forum
By Queena Kim, The Bay Citizen Welcome to the first ever “Local Business Forum” at Freight & Salvage. On stage tonight were Berkeleyside’s Lance Knobel in conversation with Wired’s Chris Anderson and Autodesk’s Carl Bass, who both live in Berkeley. The Berkeleyside Local Business Forum begins/All photos by citizen journalists from Bay Citizen The doors […]
Posted inBusiness, City, Schools
BART plaza to become an inviting spot
The downtown Berkeley BART plaza is kind of a dead man’s zone. More than 18,000 people pass through it daily, yet only a handful stop to savor its attractions. On most days, just a few people sit on the benches scattered throughout the plaza. Some of them are a little down and out and loiter […]
Posted inCity
New head for Downtown Berkeley Association
The Downtown Berkeley Association (DBA) has hired John Caner as its new executive director. The DBA launched its search for a new leader in September when it adopted a new strategic plan. Deborah Badhia, the current executive director, will become director of operations. Caner was one of over 50 applicants for the post. An 18-year resident […]
