Oakland Hotel Room Shortage Could Lead To Construction Boom
OAKLAND (KCBS) -- It's a good problem to have: there's a shortage of hotel rooms in Oakland, but that could change if developers get approval for a number of construction projects.
Visit Oakland CEO Alison Best says Oakland draws visitors for business, pleasure and major sports events. Oakland currently has about 5,000 hotel rooms but could use 1,000 more.
Right now Oakland officials are considering two proposals that would include rehabilitation of the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center at Lake Merritt. The revamp could include the addition of a high-rise hotel on the site.
Best says Oakland's Uptown neighborhood is becoming one of the most prosperous, and crowded. "The turnaround in Uptown over the last few years with the re-opening of the Fox Theatre and new housing and new businesses there has definitely changed the landscape," she said.
