The city of Oakland is moving forward with a plan to sell a plot in West Oakland to a group headed by former Black Panther Elaine Brown to develop affordable housing and business opportunities for people who were formerly incarcerated.

Brown, who headed the Black Panther Party from 1974 to 1977, began developing the 0.71-acre plot as an urban farm almost two years ago through her nonprofit, Oakland and the World Enterprises. In last night's session, the council voted 6–0 to clear the way for the city administrator to sell the property.

While she started with a farm, Brown always had other plans for the plot, saying at the time she intended to use the land as a business incubator for former convicts. Plans included building a small grocery store, a fitness center, café and a tech support center.



But given the city’s dire housing needs, city officials asked Brown to include affordable housing as part of the project. According to East Bay Express, the land is worth $1.4 million, but the city will sell it at a greatly reduced price.



Elaine Brown. | Via Oakland & The World Enterprises, Inc.

Brown told the City Council on Tuesday night that she and her group had a "magnificent plan" for the space at Seventh and Campbell. She said the project would help push back gentrification by creating a project that was 100 percent affordable and also opened up economic opportunity for formerly incarcerated people.

She said she hopes it will be a "model for reducing recidivism, poverty and crime."

Several speakers spoke in support of the plan, including Oscar Grant’s uncle, Cephus "Uncle Bobby" Johnson, and environmental activist Margaret Gordon, who said she’s lived near the lot since 1992.

2015 video about the urban farm at 7th & Campbell. | Video: Al Jazeera/YouTube

The corner connects to the Black Panthers' history; in 1967, Oakland Police Ofc. John Frey was shot and killed there while arresting Huey Newton, the party's founder. Newton was imprisoned for the killing, but his conviction was later overturned on appeal.

Oakland has been trying to develop affordable housing on the site for years.



Between 2001 and 2003, Oakland Community Housing Inc. was working on purchasing the land using loans from the city’s Redevelopment Agency. In 2007, Oakland Community Housing became insolvent, leaving the city to maintain its 14 rental properties.

When Gov. Jerry Brown dissolved the state’s redevelopment agencies, it further complicated efforts to build at the site.

The plot in 2014 when it was taken over by Brown's group.

Elaine Brown's ambitious plan didn't come without controversy; Councilmember Desley Brooks expressed doubts about Oakland & The World Enterprise's financials and whether it could pull off the ambitious plan.

She eventually abstained from the vote; Councilmember Abel Guillén was not present.



Brown is suing Brooks and the city for an incident in 2015 in which she claims Brooks assaulted her at Everett and Jones restaurant in downtown Oakland. The suit was not discussed in last night's session.

Separately, the Alameda County Civil Grand Jury also recently found that Brown had improperly received more than $800,000 in funds from county Supervisor Keith Carson’s office.

Brown was employed in Carson’s office and also receiving the funds for the nonprofit, constituting a conflict of interest, the Grand Jury found after investigating a citizen complaint. According to Brown, the allegations are "a blatant lie."