Pacific Renaissance Plaza

"The multi-purpose Pacific Renaissance Plaza at Ninth and Webster Streets was constructed in the early 1990s by a Hong Kong developer, C&L Financial. Built on land targeted in the 1960s for Chinatown redevelopment, the plaza has become a hub for Chinatown." (from William Wong's "Oakland's Chinatown," p.14.)
This building is now home to the Asian Branch Library, Oakland Asian Cultural Center, Chinatown Chamber of Commerce office, banks, small businesses, and over 200 housing units including fifty units of affordable housing units managed by the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation.

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(audio only)
"There actually were houses and small businesses here originally. Many of those were torn down because of urban renewal efforts and stayed vacant for a while.”

Lynette Lee

(audio only)
"Two of the main things that we advocated for was the Asian Library and a cultural center to be used as community space.”

Lillian Galedo

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"I'm so impressed with the Asian Library here because now you can go to the shelves and pull out books about our history. And we need to have more of that in the broadstream.”

Evangeline Buell

"Cultural activities are very important for Chinatown… things such as the Asian Cultural Center that continues to promote and preserve the culture, and allows others to view quality performing arts.”

Sherlyn Chew

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Introducing the PacRen eviction story (audio only)
"The East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) helped to settle a really contentious lawsuit involving a landmark building in Chinatown known as the Pacific Renaissance Plaza (PacRen). The lawsuit’s defendant was the original developer of the building, Mr. Larry Chan, who is from Hong Kong and owns a number of hotels in Oakland and San Francisco. The plaintiffs were a group of community activists and the City of Oakland, who were suing for wrongful eviction and fraud. Francis Chang’s family was directly involved in the lawsuit.”

Ener Chiu of EBALDC interviews Francis Chang








Introducing Francis Chang


Moving into PacRen in 1993.


Life at PacRen


Evictions in 2003


Campaign to fight evictions


Court settlement with the City, developer, and EBALDC.

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KEY:     Before 1945               Between 1946-65            Between 1966-99               2000 to present