![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/medium-Aug.31-Local-groups-want-to-fix-up-Berkeleys-Civic-Center-Old-City-Hall-16.jpg\")
The former City Council meeting chambers in Berkeley\u2019s old city hall. The Beaux Arts building that opened in 1909 needs a seismic retrofit. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside\/Catchlight<\/p>\nThe former City Council meeting chambers in Berkeley\u2019s old city hall. The Beaux Arts building that opened in 1909 needs a seismic retrofit. Credit: Ximena Natera, Berkeleyside\/Catchlight<\/p>\n
Berkeley leaders are making early moves toward putting a bond measure on next year\u2019s ballot that would raise hundreds of millions of dollars for projects to improve local infrastructure, ranging from upgrades at fire stations and parks to a revival of the Civic Center complex<\/a>.<\/p>\n Many of those same officials are wary of whether the effort will win enough support from Berkeley voters, after an attempt to pass a similar infrastructure measure three years ago<\/a> failed. Still, the Berkeley City Council directed staff Tuesday to survey voters on their attitudes<\/a> about a potential bond worth $300 million, and members supported the nascent effort they described as a necessary step to shore up public facilities.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m excited that we are on the cusp of moving forward with a major investment in Berkeley\u2019s infrastructure,\u201d Councilmember Brent Blackaby said. \u201cWe know we need to do it, it\u2019s just a question of how, when, how much [and] what\u2019s involved.\u201d<\/p>\n Staff in Berkeley\u2019s parks, public works and fire departments envision splitting the bond funding and putting it toward projects they say will improve community spaces, public safety facilities and other \u201ccritical infrastructure.\u201d A report prepared for Tuesday\u2019s meeting listed 34 potential projects<\/a> that could be funded with the $300 million bond, including:\u00a0<\/p>\n Seismic retrofits of the Beaux Arts old city hall building, known as the Maudelle Shirek Building, and the nearby Veterans Memorial Building on Center Street, which today house a handful of local organizations but have mostly been cleared out because of their earthquake risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n Renovations of the city\u2019s struggling 911 dispatch center<\/a>, which has been identified as an important step to improve how the city handles emergency calls.<\/p>\n Modernization projects at two fire stations and the department\u2019s training center in West Berkeley.<\/p>\n Several projects aimed at preparing for rising sea levels, such as building a new sea wall<\/a> at the Berkeley Marina\u2019s South Cove.<\/p>\n Upgrades at the Frances Albrier Community Center in San Pablo Park.<\/p>\n Continued efforts to build new permanent bathrooms in parks that today have dated restrooms or portable toilets<\/a>, with new facilities in Cesar Chavez, Cedar Rose, Codornices and Harrison parks.<\/p>\n A bond of that size would cost property owners $44 for every $100,000 of their home\u2019s assessed value per year. That translates to an increase of $242 per year for someone whose home is worth the city\u2019s median assessed property value of $550,000 \u2014 although few other than longtime property owners whose assessments are locked in well below market value thanks to California\u2019s Proposition 13<\/a> will pay rates that low. Someone who just bought a house at Berkeley\u2019s median home sale price of nearly $1.4 million in October, according to Zillow<\/a>, would be looking at an increase of about $600 per year.<\/p>\n Deputy City Manager David White told the council prior bond measures have funded important projects to upgrade parks<\/a>, senior centers<\/a> and a long list of other public spaces. But White noted Berkeley will issue its last set of bonds from 2016\u2019s Measure T1<\/a> next year, and all of that initiative\u2019s funding has been allocated. Meanwhile, the city has identified more than $1 billion in unfunded infrastructure needs.<\/p>\n \u201cThe more we delay, the more things deteriorate,\u201d White said. \u201cWith all of our existing measures coming to \u2026 an end, this would provide an opportunity to keep that machine going.\u201d<\/p>\n City staff plan to refine the proposed bond over the coming months with surveys and other community engagement efforts. The deadline to put measures on the ballot is Aug. 7.<\/p>\n Berkeley voters have been willing to back a parade of bonds and taxes over the years to fund public services and infrastructure. But the campaign in 2022 to pass Measure L \u2014 a $650 million bond that pledged to ramp up street paving, build affordable housing and improve city facilities \u2014 suffered a rare defeat<\/a> that hung over Tuesday\u2019s council discussion.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI do think it will be important for us to avoid the shortfalls of Measure L: namely, a high dollar amount combined with an ill-defined scope of improvements,\u201d said Councilmember Terry Taplin. The measure, which needed support from two-thirds of voters, failed with 59% in favor, after it faced opposition over its size<\/a> and city leaders\u2019 decision not to commit the funding to specific projects.\u00a0<\/p>\n Berkeley\u2019s next bond will similarly need to clear the two-thirds threshold.<\/p>\n Several councilmembers pointed out the potential measure would land on a 2026 ballot that could also include regional taxes to fund affordable housing<\/a> and public transit agencies<\/a>, as well as a parcel tax in the works<\/a> to support Berkeley\u2019s ailing performing arts groups \u2014 all of which will test voters\u2019 enthusiasm to open their wallets further.<\/p>\n \u201cWe may need to look at something lower,\u201d Councilmember Rashi Kesarwani cautioned. \u201cWe\u2019re talking about a very tough threshold \u2026 so I think we need to be very targeted with it.\u201d<\/p>\n White said the city plans to gauge voters\u2019 attitudes about a range of bond amounts during outreach work early next year.<\/p>\n Some councilmembers were particularly wary of the plan for seismic retrofits at the Civic Center buildings, which could run into the tens of millions of dollars depending on how much funding Berkeley can bring in from the federal government. A conceptual plan<\/a> adopted in 2023 envisioned turning the Maudelle Shirek Building into a \u201cseat of Berkeley\u2019s democracy\u201d housing meeting spaces and city services, while the Veterans Building could become a community arts center with performance venues and exhibition space.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/large-North-Berkeley-Senior-Center-Opening-27.jpg\")
City officials cut a ribbon at a ceremony in 2022 to celebrate the opening of the North Berkeley Senior Center after a renovation project funded by the bond Measure T1. Credit: Kelly Sullivan for Berkeleyside
\nCan bond clear \u2018a very tough threshold\u2019?<\/p>\n