OAKLAND — The announcement that the Athletics will leave Oakland at the end of this season is a huge financial blow not only to sports fans but also to the struggling Hegenberger Business Corridor.
Retired city officials said it took decades to convince businesses to invest in the area. Many people are angry that years of hard work have been wiped out in a short amount of time as companies leave the city.
A’s will soon join a growing list of companies that have left the Hegenberger Corridor. The team acknowledges that the move will result in job losses.
“I don’t necessarily want to call it an economic desert, but it’s starting to look like that,” said Charles Johnson, a lifelong East Oakland resident.
Mr. Johnson said Mr. A’s impending eviction will only add to the economic pain for some of his neighbors who work as concession workers at the Coliseum.
“It’s complete frustration and sometimes even reaches the level of anger,” Johnson said.
The Hegenberger area has been in decline in recent years, starting with Walmart’s withdrawal in 2016. The pace of store closures has accelerated over the past 12 months. Losses include two Starbucks stores, one Subway store, one In-N-Out store, one Denny’s store and a Black Bear Diner. Two restaurants on Hegenberger Road, Taco Bell and Raising Cane’s, closed their dining rooms and switched to drive-thru only due to car break-ins.
“It’s very sad. I used to go to the Denny’s around here all the time,” said East Oakland resident Bethsie Meles.
“Look today, they’re leaving here like the city is on fire,” said Bishop Bob Jackson of Actful Gospel Church.
The complete Gospel of Acts is located near the Colosseum. Bishop Jackson said that while the reasons for the A’s leaving were different, the result was the same – less tax revenue and fewer jobs for people in east Auckland.
“This is just encouraging crime to escalate further. If you don’t have a job, if you don’t have money, what are you going to do? How are you going to survive?” Bishop Jackson asked.
Neighbors believe it may take years to revitalize the Hegenberger Corridor.
“It’s definitely scary, especially as a young woman, because it’s a crime to come to the gym here. I always lock my car. I look in all directions. It’s scary,” Mares said.
Johnson said if the city doesn’t improve public safety, businesses will continue to leave.
“I don’t think (Oakland) is finished. I think we need to be optimistic and we have some forward-thinking guys who want to come back and make Oakland as tough and strong as it was,” Johnson said. I need to be there,” he said.
The Athletics are scheduled to play their final home game of the regular season on September 26th.
