Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee touted “momentum” today, saying Oakland is “on the move” with improving public safety and new economic investments.

Here comments were delivered to the San Francisco Business Times’ Oakland Structures conference, a gathering of real estate industry professionals held at the downtown Marriott.

Lee told attendees that five funded police academies will benefit the city’s police department, which struggles with understaffing. An increased workforce should also help clean up illegal dumping, she said, citing a recent effort to do more trash abatement on weekends.

Oakland is also attempting to spur retail, restaurant, and entertainment activity by easing permitting, she said. This includes expanded hours for the city’s permit center. Lee also ticked off several big recent investments in Oakland, including the opening of Samuel Merritt University’s downtown campus and expansion of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. Many of these projects have been years in the making.

Oakland has also won roughly $138 million in grants through the state Homekey program to create permanent supportive housing for formerly homeless residents.

And the mayor dangled the prospect of tax breaks in front of the business community. Lee and several councilmembers are currently drafting a ballot measure for next year that could reduce the local tax burden for small businesses and extend a temporary break to companies of any size making new investments in the city.

“We’re building an economy with room for everyone,” Lee said in a press release. 

On Friday, Lee also plans to host over 100 Chinese and East Bay leaders to talk about international trade and investment. Attending the meeting, which will be held at the Claremont Resort, will be Zhang Jianmin, the consul general of People’s Republic of China in San Francisco, Ren Hongbin, chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Port of Oakland Executive Director Kristi McKenney, and John Grubb, Interim President and CEO of the Bay Area Council.

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