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Commissioner Doan outlines Mandela Station plan: 240 affordable units, health center relocation and emphasis on Black economic participation
Summary
At the Alameda County Reparations Commission meeting Commissioner Doan presented Mandela Station, a transit‑oriented West Oakland project including 240 affordable units targeted at roughly 45% AMI, a 520‑unit market tower and partnerships to relocate West Oakland Health Center; commissioners asked how benefits and accountability would reach Black residents.
Commissioner Doan presented the Mandela Station transit‑oriented development proposal to the Alameda County Reparations Commission, describing it as a public‑private project intended to generate economic participation for Black Oakland residents.
"We have entered into a 99 year lease for the parking lot," Doan said, describing a fully entitled plan that he said includes a 520‑unit market‑rate residential tower, about 300,000 square feet of commercial office space, and 240 affordable units. He said the 240 affordable units are being made affordable to families earning an average of about 45% of the area median income and that construction costs are substantial: "somewhere in the neighborhood of 750 to $800,000 per door to build." Doan said state tax credits, bond financing and other subsidies will be essential to reach those affordability levels.
Doan described a joint venture arrangement with McFarland Partners and highlighted an intended partnership with the West Oakland Health Center (now Baywell Health) to relocate its headquarters to Mandela Station. He framed the project as an opportunity to couple housing, health services and job access in a major transit hub, saying co‑location could improve outcomes for residents and create local business and employment opportunities.
Commissioners asked detailed questions about accountability and who would benefit. Commissioner Hirschkind asked how the commission could ensure the development's benefits reached longtime Black residents rather than being captured by newcomers. Doan emphasized the need for public accountability and proactive community engagement: "...making sure that there's accountability — not only for policymakers, it's accountability for me as a developer," he said, urging that community engagement and oversight be used to secure local participation in jobs, contracting and long‑term ownership.
Doan agreed to share his presentation materials and the white papers he had submitted so the commission could review details under a subsequent agenda item. Commissioners signaled interest in agendizing a fuller review so the commission could consider how to support or formally engage with the project while preserving necessary compliance with meeting rules and disclosure obligations.
The presentation also noted related transit‑oriented projects that the speaker's team has been awarded, including an Ashby BART site. Doan said Mandela Station represents one part of a broader effort to leverage transit assets for equitable development in the Bay Area.
The commission did not take a formal vote on the project during the meeting; Doan's presentation was followed by requests for the written materials and agreement to schedule further review.
