2023 Construction Recap
When the City of Oakland closed the doors of the Kaiser Convention Center in 2005, the building was in need of extensive repairs. The building had suffered significant water damage during the 1989 earthquake and it needed repairs of much of its core systems. Originally built in 1915, the Convention Center was also not compliant with modern building codes, lacking ADA accessibility or appropriate seismic retrofits.
Given the extent of the damages, it should be no surprise that the construction process to bring the former Kaiser Convention Center into present day has been long and extensive. Our team working onsite has had the opportunity to see the building’s transformation from the abandoned Kaiser Convention Center into the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts. However, to the many Oakland residents and organizations eager to see the building operate again, we can’t get it finished quickly enough.
2023 marked the 3rd year of the building’s construction and the 9th year of the redevelopment process, managed by Orton Development. In it, many significant milestones were achieved, from getting power to putting fresh paint on the walls to pouring the concrete deck of our iconic Lakeview Terrace. Shoutout to our architects at Heller Manus and contractors at Build Group + Tulum Engineering for being a major part of the Kaiser Center’s renovation.
To all those wondering what the heck is taking so long, here’s a non-exhaustive list of 2023’s major construction milestones:
1. Getting the Arena event-ready
The Arena at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts prior to Skate the Town event on October 1st, 2023
Despite construction taking place in the building, our operations team got special permitting to open up our arena for a pop-up event series called Skate the Town in partnership with Richard Humphrey of RollerDance. Behind the scenes, it was our construction crew that really made the event happen. To meet our October 1st, 2023 kick off, crews expedited processes and worked overtime to clear the floor of supplies, clean the 4,000 seats above, and make concourses safe for passage.
2. Getting Greenlit for power
One huge undertaking in redeveloping this 215,000 square foot historic building was getting the electrical redone and modernized. Not only did ALL of the wiring have to be replaced, the renovation also included the development of a solar array on the roof to reduce energy consumption. After operating on generator power for years through construction, the Kaiser Center was just recently given the green tag to cut on services with PG&E. Now, we’re powered up!
3. Finishing plumbing + duct work
Beyond wiring the building for electrical, two other infrastructural elements wrapped up, plumbing + duct work. Just like the electrical, these two elements had a complete overhaul in the renovation process, with all new pipes and ducts installed through the building. HJK uses high-efficiency fixtures and appliances to reduce its use of potable water, resulting in 41% less water consumption compared to the LEED baseline. The project’s goal is to achieve LEED Gold certification upon completion.
4. Pouring the Lakeview Terrace’s concrete deck
One new addition with the building’s remodel is the Lakeview Terrace, a 20 foot deep deck that runs along the entire 400 foot length of the Center for the Arts. It even has a channel built in underneath, providing future production crews access for event support. The terrace provides visitors with spectacular views of the 7 intricately carved niches on the building’s face while also overlooking the south shore of Lake Merritt. Upon our opening this year, visitors will be able to spend lunch breaks and intermissions admiring Alexander Stirling-Calder’s art from the deck.
5. Installing gridiron above the Calvin Simmons Theatre stage
For months and months, the building’s Calvin Simmons Theatre has been unrecognizable, filled with scaffolding from floor to ceiling. Quite a few things are happening overhead, but the biggest project has been installing the gridiron above the theatre’s stage. Upon opening, this 1,500 seat proscenium theatre will reopen for performances from local and touring performing arts companies alike. Whether a symphony, play, or ballet, they all require infrastructure to hold up thousands of pounds of curtains, speakers, and lights, and this gridiron is the support to hold all that up. Just before the holidays, Orton’s Project Manager, Everardo Mora, showed us all that iron from above, where we learned that supplies had to be loaded in through a hole in the roof!
6. Finishing installation of 5 elevators
With four floors and over 200,000 square feet, accessibility through the Henry J. Kaiser Center was a huge concern for the design team. In 2023, crews onsite finished installing five brand new elevators around the building. Of the five, two elevators on the Center’s east side provide seamless access to 2nd and 3rd floor ballrooms and one connects the Calvin Simmons Theatre to ground level on 10th Street. Of course, there are still several ramps providing multi-level access for those who are able and prefer to get their steps in.
7. Seeing fully finished bathrooms
While our venues are certainly the stars of the building, seeing the marble walls, deco tiles, and large mirrors of the bathrooms getting installed is a marvelous relief in our messy construction site. Not every bathroom is finished yet, but seeing them start to come together gives a sense that construction will end soon.
8. Getting paint + lighting in concourses
The thing about many of the improvements listed above is that when they’re done, the space still looks unfinished. To the untrained eye, it’s hard to see the work being completed. As 2023 came to a close though, more and more minor cosmetic changes to the building began, making the space feel more fresh and complete. Prior to Skate the Town in October, crews started painting the arena lobby and north concourse in a fresh coat of white paint. These last few weeks have also included the installation of track lighting which will brighten the passages even further.
In summary
Construction is a long and complicated process, with a number of moving parts relying on each other to move the entire project towards next steps. This list gives those curious a little peek into what’s going on behind the scenes here as we reopen one of Oakland’s major historical institutions.
By the end of 2024, not only will construction at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts be completed, but we’ll be fully operating with a whole lineup of events already scheduled. Come by one of our upcoming events to see the space in action!