West Oakland Dilapidated Buildings Restored Into New Community Food Hall

West Oakland is location to a caller organization nutrient hall, Prescott Market. 

Previously dilapidated buildings were restored and repurposed to beryllium a gathering abstraction for food, drinks and entertainment.

The proprietor of Woo Can Cook, Wesley Woo, became progressive early on.

"I judge I was nan first tenant that had signed a lease here," Woo said.

He was operating Woo Can Cook arsenic a popular restaurant.

At nan time, he was looking for a imperishable abstraction but everything was retired of his value scope aliases didn't person a vacancy, past he heard astir nan caller organization nutrient hall.

"I conscionable knew that thing cool was going to hap present truthful I wanted to beryllium a portion of it," Woo said looking astir his caller kitchen.

Woo has lived successful Oakland for much than 2 decades, but for nan past 2 years, he's lived successful West Oakland, conscionable stepping region from this facility.

"I've seen this vicinity alteration rather a bit," Woo said, reasoning backmost to nan past 2 years. "All of nan train tracks are gone. All of nan streets are abruptly paved."

General Manager of Prescott Market Harv Singh says nan changes were wanted.

"I deliberation nan organization has been waiting for thing for illustration this," Singh said.

The hallway presently has 9 businesses and room for 1 more, each section restaurants, a java shop and a taproom.

Singh says it took 3 years and a batch of activity to get to Saturday's expansive opening.

"We did person to do a batch of cleaning up but location were already immoderate bully things happening here, but we conscionable added to that," Singh said astir nan neighborhood.

Prescott Market was already successful nan process of building retired erstwhile it was announced they'd person caller neighbors, nan Oakland Ballers. They play each of their location games a artifact distant from nan nutrient hallway astatine Raimondi Park.

Woo says Raimondi Park was a messiness erstwhile he first moved in, but has been transformed into a destination.

"Honestly astatine immoderate point, we had to extremity stepping our canine location because it was conscionable truthful covered successful goose poop that she would conscionable eat each of it," said Woo describing what Raimondi Park looked for illustration 2 years ago. "So that portion had go unhabitable."

He expects Ballers games to beryllium a large arena for nan neighborhood.

"It's going to beryllium awesome for business," Woo said. "It's besides beautiful scary because I don't cognize really to service 5,000 people."

He said he and each of nan vendors are excited to fig it retired and to thief build thing bigger than their individual businesses.

"It's not conscionable creating thing for you to eat, but creating a organization for you to beryllium a portion of while you eat it," Woo said.

Revitalizing West Oakland pinch nan organization successful mind.

In:
• Oakland