Franklin Plaza is a City of Oakland Park at the north end of Franklin Street (418 22nd Street), across Broadway from the Breuner Building, that serves as a food court for the changing array of outlets there. The landscaping includes two healthy coast live oaks in triangular raised beds, decorated with boulders of local stone from the high hills. It apparently received its name in 1958.
At one point it contained a fountain, which was dedicated in 1958 1 and went dry in 1978. In 1986 the park was renovated using a design by architects Herb Greene and Thad Kusmierski, sponsored by The Bay Area Partnership and the Oakland Redevelopment Agency. The design enclosed both trees and included a pavilion between them with small fixed tables on cast concrete bases resembling billets of split timber that were created by artist John Toki. 2 Some time between 2005 and 2011, this design was simplified and opened up, removing the tables and enclosing the trees in separate raised beds.
Note: Franklin Square, the block bounded by Broadway and Franklin between 4th and 5th Streets, was also known as Franklin Plaza before the county acquired the land and erected an office building there.
Franklin Plaza in 2005
Sources
1. Oakland Tribune, "Dedication of Franklin Plaza set," October 30, 1958
2. Oakland Tribune, "New look for downtown plaza to be unveiled this week," June 18, 1986
Additional Links
- City of Oakland Parks official website
