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Construction to Begin on Alameda Cineplex Project
The Alameda City Council approved construction bids for the development of a controversial theater project in downtown Alameda Wednesday, dealing a blow to opponents who insist the project is out of scale with the area.
Councilmembers awarded $9.1 million and $8.8 million contracts to Overaa Construction Inc., a Richmond company, to respectively develop a parking garage and restore a defunct Art Deco theater at the corner of Central Avenue and Oak Street, in the heart of downtown.
The project also includes a seven-screen cineplex, whose construction costs will fall to private developer Alameda Entertainment Associates. Construction for all three components is slated to begin by the end of September, said Jennifer Ott, city development manager.
The vote spells trouble for the opposition, Citizens for a Megaplex-free Alameda (CMFA), an ad-hoc group that has consistently spoken out against the project. The group filed a lawsuit against the city for allegedly failing to conduct appropriate environmental review prior to approving the project. An Alameda Superior Court judge rejected the case June 30. The group plans to appeal that decision and will seek an injunction against construction, CMFA member Ani Dimusheva said Monday.
“We’re hoping we still have a case for environmental impacts,” she said. “We’re seeking an environmental report because we believe the project is too big and it’s going to have adverse impacts.”
The complex will include a two-story, 54-foot-tall cineplex, a 350-space parking garage and the restoration of the Historic Alameda Theater. The project, budgeted at $30.2 million, also includes 6,100-square feet of retail space.
Construction should be complete by fall 2007, Ott said.
Mayor Beverly Johnson, Vice Mayor Marie Gilmore and Councilmember Frank Matarrese voted in favor of the contracts. Councilmembers Tony Daysog and Doug deHaan voted no. Both Matarrese and Johnson have filed papers seeking reelection this November, and Daysog has filed papers for mayor, according to the city clerk’s office.
