If we can start to transmit the energy of uptown into the rest of the downtown Oakland environment we’ll suddenly find ourselves with an incredibly vital city on our hands. -Derek
OAKLAND — A new restaurant is coming to downtown and is slated to open it doors this summer, executives said Wednesday, an arrival that could help revitalize a stretch of Broadway that has been riddled by riots and unrest.
B2, the new restaurant, is going into a century-old building at 1440 Broadway that was originally constructed 100 years ago. A partnership led by developer J.R. “Eddie” Orton bought the building for $3 million in May and has since been working to restore the office and retail high-rise to its former elegance.
“We’re very excited about this restaurant,” said Brionna Garner, general manager of B2. She also manages the Boilerhouse restaurant at Richmond’s Ford Point, a former auto assembly factory that Orton Development renovated.
The revival of the 10-story building also has attracted office tenants.
“The leasing is really starting to pick up,” said Nick Orton, the son of Eddie Orton and project manager for Orton Development. “We are getting a lot of calls from people who want big spaces in the building.”
When Eddie Orton’s group originally bought the 73,000-square-foot building, the office spaces were 40 percent occupied. The building occupancy is currently is about 61 percent and headed higher, said Gary Bettencourt, a broker with Oakland-based realty firm California Capital & Investment Group, which is seeking tenants for the project.
Unite Here, Alegria Community Living and Housing Consortium of the East Bay area are among the office tenants that have recently inked deals, Bettencourt said.
“People are attracted to the historic authenticity of the building,” he said. “You have all the marble and the woodwork throughout.”
An adjacent retail space is also attracting interest in the building, now that the B2 deal is in place. That ground-floor space could host a store or a lounge.
Still, it’s the B2 restaurant that the developers think will help spur a revival in that section of Broadway between 14th and 15th streets. B2 will cater to business people and commuters.
“We want to bring back more businesses into downtown Oakland,” said Ivonne Inurritegui-Folster, a vice president with Orton. “We want corporate meetings and to attract business people back into the downtown.”
B2 will mainly serve breakfast, lunch and early dinner, Garner said. “We will offer primarily soups, salads, sandwiches and a continental breakfast,” she added. The restaurant likely will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., she said.
“We want to have a restaurant where the busy working professional can come here and grab a quick breakfast or lunch,” Nick Orton said. “Or they could have a drink with a co-worker or business associate.”
B2 will be similar to, although smaller than, the Boilerhouse restaurant in Richmond. The Boilerhouse seats 145; B2 will seat 49, Bettencourt said.
The new restaurant also is poised to provide an upgrade for an area that has been trashed by rioters in recent years.
“B2 will provide workers, commuters and the local comm
via Developer sees new Oakland eatery as key to Broadway building’s renewal – Inside Bay Area.