Advocates for Historic Oakland Train Station, Fallen Into Disrepair, Eye a Lifeline

People who have been advocating for decades to restore West Oakland’s once-bustling 16th Street train station see a potential light at the end of their tunnel in the form of federal historic recognition.

By early January, the National Park Service will decide whether to list the station — which played a critical role in the development of West Oakland as a thriving Black neighborhood — on the National Register of Historic Places. That would open it up to a 20% tax credit that could be used to help with badly needed repairs and rehabilitation work, estimated to cost $50 million.

“It’s about time. I’m hoping this will get folks to say, ‘Well, what can we really do with this asset?’” said Feleciai Favroth, the treasurer of the Oakland Heritage Alliance, a nonprofit organization that submitted the station’s application to the California State Historical Resources Commission.

The commission voted unanimously last week to nominate the station and its signal tower for consideration to the national register, citing its cultural, architectural and transportation-related significance.

In addition to the tax credit, the Oakland Heritage Alliance hopes designation as a historic place will attract grants and additional attention that could give the station a second life.

Opened in 1912, the station was once a sort of Grand Central Station of the West, welcoming generations of newly arrived Oaklanders from all parts of the country on their way to the city’s once-plentiful jobs working for the railroad, Navy and other industries.

“Soaring arched windows evoke Roman baths and flood the grand main hall with natural light, providing the visitor with a majestic portal into Oakland,” reads the Oakland Heritage Alliance’s application for the station.

Porters who worked out of the station’s baggage wing established the West Coast headquarters for the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters — the first Black union in the United States.

However, after the slow decline of rail travel and the deindustrialization of Oakland, the station fell out of use and into disrepair. After being damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, it saw its last train in 1994 and has sat vacant and in neglect for the past 30 years.

If the station is repaired, Favroth said she would hope to see it used in a way that benefits the West Oakland community now and honors its past. She suggested the space could be used as a hybrid events space and business incubator.

“African American places are rarely saved, rarely counted, rarely documented. This is an opportunity to say to West Oakland in particular, we hear you, your stories are important, and we are willing to help you save a physical asset that hopefully will reinvigorate the community and be able to be a physical representation of your story,” Favroth said.

The current owner, housing developer City Ventures, has an application pending with the city of Oakland to build a 77-unit townhome-style development — dubbed “Signal House” — in the areas around the station.

The proposal has been under review since May 2023 and does not include rehabilitation of the station. City Ventures has hired the OE Consulting firm to explore fundraising for the repair of the station.

“We and our client are delighted with the nomination and grateful to the Oakland Heritage Alliance for their efforts,” said Arthur Combs, the principal of OE Consulting. “The prospect of tax credits helps with our funder conversations. In order to be successful, this restoration campaign will have to make use of every possible avenue for resources; it’s always a complex mix of private and public support, and this will be no different.”

Members of the Oakland Heritage Alliance are hopeful that if the station is added to the national register, it will spur a drive to repair it before it falls.

“We really look forward to finding a way to get this station rejuvenated as an activity hub for West Oakland, and celebrating its role in Oakland’s rail, and multimodal transportation history,” said Naomi Schiff, secretary of the Oakland Heritage Alliance.

Favroth said a place on the national register would cement the station’s significance not just as an architectural gem but also as a place of significance for the community.

“We need the world to know that it’s more than just this physical structure that trains went through. We need to talk about the people,” Favroth said.

The State Historical Resources Commission passed the nomination on to the National Park Service on Nov. 7. The park service has 60 days to respond.