What is the CBD?
The CBD is a special assessment district into which property owners contribute money to ensure the district is safe, clean and promoted.
Graffiti Abatement Program
One of the benefits to you as a property owner in the KoreaTown-Northgate Community Benefit District is graffiti removal from your building. KoreaTown Oakland Inc., the manager of the KoreaTown-Northgate Community Benefit District, would like to help you remove the graffiti from your building, but we need your consent to remove it.
How the program works.
Your consent allows us to hire a contractor to remove the graffiti from your building. The contractor can reach up to twelve (12') feet to remove the graffiti. You may choose the paint color for the contractor to use or authorize us to choose the paint color for you.
If the graffiti is above twelve feet (12') high, what happens?
We will not remove graffiti above twelve (12') feet from the sidewalk, but the contractor we are using, First Building Maintenance Company, may be available to provide these services to you through a separate agreement between you and the contractor. Please speak to First Building Maintenance if you are interested in contracting with them to remove graffiti above 12' from the sidewalk. You are of course free to contract with any service provider you choose for these services.
Finally, we welcome your suggestions for improving the graffiti removal program and the other services provided in the KoreaTown-Northgate Community Benefit District. Please attend our monthly Board of Directors meeting and participate in our subcommittees. We meet the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 3 PM at the Samwon BBQ restaurant, 2600 Telegraph Avenue.
We welcome your participation in making Koreatown Northgate a better place!
Contact Executive Director Shari Godinez at shari@koreatownnorthgate.org or 510/343-5439 for further details. As the district did not have a widely recognized name (though some called the area Northgate) they approved calling the new CBD the KoreaTown-Northgate CBD. This reflects both the new investment and the existing neighborhood.
One of the benefits to you as a property owner in the KoreaTown-Northgate Community Benefit District is graffiti removal from your building. KoreaTown Oakland Inc., the manager of the KoreaTown-Northgate Community Benefit District, would like to help you remove the graffiti from your building, but we need your consent to remove it.
How the program works.
Your consent allows us to hire a contractor to remove the graffiti from your building. The contractor can reach up to twelve (12') feet to remove the graffiti. You may choose the paint color for the contractor to use or authorize us to choose the paint color for you.
If the graffiti is above twelve feet (12') high, what happens?
We will not remove graffiti above twelve (12') feet from the sidewalk, but the contractor we are using, First Building Maintenance Company, may be available to provide these services to you through a separate agreement between you and the contractor. Please speak to First Building Maintenance if you are interested in contracting with them to remove graffiti above 12' from the sidewalk. You are of course free to contract with any service provider you choose for these services.
Finally, we welcome your suggestions for improving the graffiti removal program and the other services provided in the KoreaTown-Northgate Community Benefit District. Please attend our monthly Board of Directors meeting and participate in our subcommittees. We meet the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 3 PM at the Samwon BBQ restaurant, 2600 Telegraph Avenue.
We welcome your participation in making Koreatown Northgate a better place!
Contact Executive Director Shari Godinez at shari@koreatownnorthgate.org or 510/343-5439 for further details. As the district did not have a widely recognized name (though some called the area Northgate) they approved calling the new CBD the KoreaTown-Northgate CBD. This reflects both the new investment and the existing neighborhood.
Other CBD Initiatives
The CBD is working to build strong community relationships among property owners, merchants and residents.
The CBD is working to:
The CBD is working to build strong community relationships among property owners, merchants and residents.
The CBD is working to:
What is Koreatown Northgate Community Benefit District (CBD)?
The CBD is a special assessment district (similar to a homeowners association) into which property owners contribute money to ensure the district is safe, clean and promoted.Property owners contribute approximately $278,000 each year into the CBD. The assessments are an addition to each owner's property tax bill.
60% of the funds are used for district cleaning and security services... including sidewalk sweeping, trash removal, graffiti abatement and street ambassador services.
10% of the funds are used for marketing and identity enhancement.
20% of the funds are used for administration.
10% of the funds are held in contingency and to reimburse the City and County for collection costs.
The CBD is operated by a 9-person nonprofit board of directors. 8 directors are property owners in the CBD. One seat is reserved for a business licensee who is not also a property owner in the CBD.The CBD employs one 3/4 time staff person.There are 167 parcels of property in the CBD, most fronting Telegraph Avenue, betwnne 20th to 35th streets.
There are 281 registered businesses in the CBD.
60% of the funds are used for district cleaning and security services... including sidewalk sweeping, trash removal, graffiti abatement and street ambassador services.
10% of the funds are used for marketing and identity enhancement.
20% of the funds are used for administration.
10% of the funds are held in contingency and to reimburse the City and County for collection costs.
The CBD is operated by a 9-person nonprofit board of directors. 8 directors are property owners in the CBD. One seat is reserved for a business licensee who is not also a property owner in the CBD.The CBD employs one 3/4 time staff person.There are 167 parcels of property in the CBD, most fronting Telegraph Avenue, betwnne 20th to 35th streets.
There are 281 registered businesses in the CBD.
Check out Art Cart!
Board Meeting Resources
(pdf files)
Board of Directors Meeting
Minutes 2010
December 2010
November 2010
Minutes 2011
January 2011
February 2011
March 2011 (cancelled)
April 2011
May 2011
June 2011
July 2011
August 2011
September 2011
October 2011 (Cancelled)
November 2011
December 2011
(pdf files)
Board of Directors Meeting
Minutes 2010
December 2010
November 2010
Minutes 2011
January 2011
February 2011
March 2011 (cancelled)
April 2011
May 2011
June 2011
July 2011
August 2011
September 2011
October 2011 (Cancelled)
November 2011
December 2011
CBD's Annual Street Festival
The CBD organizes a multi-cultural street festival to celebrate the diverse and vibrant Koreatown Northgate Community Benefit District (KoNo) neighborhood.
The CBD organizes a multi-cultural street festival to celebrate the diverse and vibrant Koreatown Northgate Community Benefit District (KoNo) neighborhood.
Merchant Watch Program
In light of recent police reductions, including our Walking and Problem Solving Officer, it's imperative that Oakland Merchants unite in an effort to ward off neighborhood crime and nuisances.
Click below for more information on Merchant Watch:
Merchant Watch Brochure
Contact and Emergency Information for Koreatown/Northgate
In light of recent police reductions, including our Walking and Problem Solving Officer, it's imperative that Oakland Merchants unite in an effort to ward off neighborhood crime and nuisances.
Click below for more information on Merchant Watch:
Merchant Watch Brochure
Contact and Emergency Information for Koreatown/Northgate
How was the Koreatown Northgate CBD formed?
In 1999, the Oakland City Council approved the Oakland Property Business Improvement District Ordinance (Ord. No. 12190 C.M.S). This legislation allows for the formation of property-based assessment districts (CBDs) to undertake a range of services within an assessment area, independent from government, to further the development and economic viability of an area.
After a year-long planning process, commercial property owners along Telegraph Avenue from 20th to 35th Streets in Oakland voted to approve forming a CBD for that area in July of 2007. They were unhappy about the long economic decline of the area and wanted to band together for positive change. The goal was to improve the economic conditions for all property owners, business owners and residents of the district and to make the area more attractive for visitors. They also wanted to create a strong advocacy group that would bring attention and economic resources to the district.
The property owners recognized that the small residential population in the district could not support widespread economic revitalization of the district. They looked, therefore, for a strategy that would bring in new development and investment from outside the area. Given the large Korean-American business presence in the district, and the large number of Korean-American property owners in the district, they decided to target Korean and Korean-American investment as key to district revitalization.
As the district did not have a widely recognized name (though some called the area Northgate) they approved calling the new CBD the Koreatown Northgate CBD. This reflects both the new investment and the existing neighborhood.
After a year-long planning process, commercial property owners along Telegraph Avenue from 20th to 35th Streets in Oakland voted to approve forming a CBD for that area in July of 2007. They were unhappy about the long economic decline of the area and wanted to band together for positive change. The goal was to improve the economic conditions for all property owners, business owners and residents of the district and to make the area more attractive for visitors. They also wanted to create a strong advocacy group that would bring attention and economic resources to the district.
The property owners recognized that the small residential population in the district could not support widespread economic revitalization of the district. They looked, therefore, for a strategy that would bring in new development and investment from outside the area. Given the large Korean-American business presence in the district, and the large number of Korean-American property owners in the district, they decided to target Korean and Korean-American investment as key to district revitalization.
As the district did not have a widely recognized name (though some called the area Northgate) they approved calling the new CBD the Koreatown Northgate CBD. This reflects both the new investment and the existing neighborhood.
What activities is the CBD undertaking?
The CBD pays special cleaning crews to sweep sidewalks, remove illegally dumped household items and report maintenance problems to the City on a daily basis.
The CBD pays special cleaning crews to sweep sidewalks, remove illegally dumped household items and report maintenance problems to the City on a daily basis.
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Plant 83 New Trees along Telegraph Avenue from 20th to 35th streets
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Create a New Website (created by LocalOn) that allows Koreatown Merchants to post events and coupons directly on the site themselves.
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Promote the district through social media (Facebook, Twitter, & New Interactive website)
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Partner with local Media Groups to promote the district including East Bay Express, Korea Times, Oakland Local etc
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Promote Local Holiday Shopping by allowing our merchants to post on our site which will feed directly to the East Bay Express on line Newspaper page throughout the Holidays.
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Continue our Storefront Art Program in an effort to beautify the district and attract businesses to the area.
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Design a new logo and rebrand the district as KoNo (Koreatown Northgate)
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Design new banners to identify the district.
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Decorate the Utility Boxes in the neighborhood with art.
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Provide more litter containers in the district
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Strategically place cameras in an effort to combat graffiti
- And much more…….
- The CBD pays to remove graffiti from buildings.
- The CBD employs a Street Ambassador who goes door to door to ensure the business needs are being expressed and who monitors the area for crime, loitering and homeless activities.
- The CBD meets regularly with the Oakland Police Department to eradicate drug dealing, prostitution and other quality of life crimes from the area.
- The CBD will be installing new street banners in 2012 to enliven and promote the district.
- The CBD organizes a multi-cultural street festival.
- The CBD is working to build strong community relationships among property owners, merchants and residents.
Up Coming Meeting Dates and Times:
Note: There is a special Board Discussion on March 1, 2012 from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm, on the Conceptual Plan.
| Board of Directors | March 14, 2012 | 6:00 pm |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Committee | TBD | |
| Marketing & Identity | February 28, 2012 | 5:30 pm |
| Security & Operations | March 6, 2012 | 6:00 pm |
| Economic Development | TBD |
Note: There is a special Board Discussion on March 1, 2012 from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm, on the Conceptual Plan.
Koreatown Northgate (KONO) Board of Directors Meetings
2nd Wednesday of every month (except January) at 6:00 pm at the KONO office (2633 Telegraph Avenue, suite 107, Oakland, CA 94612)
2012 Board meeting dates:
| January 18, 2012 | July 11, 2012 |
| February 8, 2012 | August 8, 2012 |
| March 14, 2012 | September 12, 2012 |
| April 11, 2012 | October 10, 2012 |
| May 9, 2012 | November 14, 2012 |
| June 13, 2012 | December 12, 2012 |
