Oakland’s City Council has picked Orton Development’s proposal for renovating and redeveloping the city’s long-shuttered 215,000-square-foot Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center across from Lake Merritt and the City will now enter into an exclusive negotiating agreement for the project.

Orton’s plans include a renovation of the center’s Calvin Simmons Theatre and the redevelopment of the center’s 140,000-square-foot arena space with a mix of primarily private uses, including a restaurant hall and office space.

In selecting Orton, the City Council rejected a competing proposal and procedural challenge from Creative Development Partners which would have maintained the center’s arena space for events and activities but includes the development of an adjacent 280-room hotel dubbed “One Lake Merrit.”