Downtown Oakland Historic District

Downtown Oakland's historic core covers roughly 11 city blocks around 14th Street and Broadway, forming an L-shaped area that includes City Hall, its plaza and a series of 7- to 24-story skyscrapers. Of 56 buildings, 43 buildings plus City Hall Plaza and Latham Memorial Fountain contribute to the district. Most contributing buildings date from 1901 to 1929 and share brick and masonry surfaces, neoclassical ornament, terra cotta cornices and Chicago-style windows. Tall buildings recur at regular intervals, often on southwest-facing corners, creating a distinctive skyline in which City Hall and the Tribune Tower are widely recognized symbols. Banks and offices concentrated on the east side of Broadway, while major retail once lay to the west. Examples of terra cotta Gothic, Art Deco and Moderne design appear throughout. Four buildings are individually listed, and many others hold local landmark status. Earthquake damage in 1989 and later redevelopment shaped the boundaries, though the form rates integrity as very high.