When the City of Oakland was originally laid out in 1852, Kellersberger's map showed Franklin Square occupying the block bounded by Broadway and 5th, Franklin and 4th Streets. When Oakland became the county seat for Alameda County in 1874 at the urging of then-mayor Nathaniel Spaulding, Franklin Square was given to the County as the site for the Hall of Records. The site is currently used for County offices.
The County offered the property up for development in January 2020 as part of an RFP covering both this property and Washington Square, and EBALDC and a joint venture developer intend to develop approximately 600 affordable housing units on these two parcels. 1,2
Links and References
- County Broadway Properties, Alameda County website
- JV Plans Oakland project with upwards of 600 affordable homes, Matthew Niksa, The Real Deal, January 11, 2022
