OUR STORY BY THE NUMBERS
Community Stewards Reach
17,000 +
Reached through BCZ’s Community Stewards program, with $800,000+ paid to 160+ stewards (July 2024–June 2025).
Businesses Support
300 +
Businesses engaged across BCZ programs, with direct navigation support provided through Biz Nav.
Collaborative Network
90 +
Partners in the BCZ Collaborative, including General Assembly members working together for community impact.
Partnered in Securing
$100 Million
Invested directly into East Oakland through stewards, businesses, and collaborative partnerships.
The Black Cultural Zone (BCZ) drives a vibrant renaissance in legacy Black communities by unapologetically centering Black arts, culture, and economics. Defined by Place, Partners, and Purpose, we serve all current and Legacy Residents who live/lived, work/worked, and create/created in this community.
The Place (The Zone): Our vibrant cultural campus is a 60x60 block area in East Oakland, comprising 12 districts. It is the foundation, celebrating the people, places, and history that define our community.
The Partners (The Collaborative): This powerful network of 90+ partners (residents, churches, public agencies) works together to preserve and uplift Black culture, arts, and community in the City of Oakland, fulfilling the vision of a thriving community
The Purpose (The CDC): The CDC is our nonprofit developer, revitalizing the Place by designing and transforming it. We acquire and develop Hubs, Places, and Spaces to ensure perpetual community ownership and economic vitality.
REAL ESTATE
Our Black Cultural hub Model will elevate Black Arts/Culture, Building, Community Wealth, Quality of Life and Community Healing within community cultural facilities. We are working with the East Oakland Black Cultural Zone Collaborative, Allies and Supporters to build a model which will include community investment, cooperative ownership and collective management.
Key Efforts
Commercial Corridor Hubs
Securing and activating commercial real estate in East Oakland to create vibrant indoor and outdoor cultural spaces.
Liberation Park
A 54,000 sq. ft. lot serving as a resource hub for rapid response, community events, and the Akoma Outdoor Market—while advancing plans for a permanent mixed-use cultural and community space.
Space Activation
Transforming public and private spaces across East Oakland into places for connection, collaboration, and collective action.
Black Cultural Corridors
Developing commercial corridors in legacy Black communities that celebrate culture, commerce, and a strong Black economy.
Projects
AFFORDABLE HOUSING - LIBERATION PARK RESIDENCES
Foothill Blvd. at 73rd Avenue Oakland, CA 94621 Developer(s): BCZ /CDC + Eden Housing JV
CULTURAL HUB - LIBERATION PARK MARKET HALL
7101 Foothill Blvd. Oakland, CA 94621 Developer(s): BCZ CDC and CAST JV
SENIOR HOUSING
76th Avenue at Bancroft Boulevard Oakland, CA, 94605 Developer(s): BCZ CDC and EDEN JV
LIBERATION PARK WELCOME CENTER
8321 International Blvd. Oakland, CA 94621 Developer(s): BCZ CDC
COMMUNITY EVENT SPACE/CAFE
73rd Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard Oakland, CA 94605 Developer(s): BCZ
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
MacArthur Blvd. at Casa Street, Oakland, CA 94605 Developer(s): BCZ CDC
RETAIL HUB
1955 Broadway Oakland, CA 94612 Developer(s): BCZ/Block Inc. (JV)
