Swan's Marketplace

[swan] [swans market]East Bay Local Development Corporation (EBALDC)

Ninth & Washington Streets, Old Oakland Historic District
An Oakland tradition gets new wings!

The Past

Swan's circa 1939
In the early part of the 20th century, Washington Street, extending from City Hall fourteen blocks to the waterfront across the Bay from San Francisco, was the bustling commercial core of downtown Oakland, California. Between Ninth and Tenth Streets, stood the building now known as Swans Marketplace. Built in sections starting in 1917, this white brick landmark served for most of its early life as a department store and prepared food mart. It closed almost 20 years ago and stood empty until five years ago when it was turned over for development to the East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC), a non-profit community developer dedicated to community economic development and the construction of affordable housing.
Swan's Market before renovation Before and after sketch of space use at Swan's Market Swan's at Night
The project was designed by Pyatok & Associates and under construction by Oliver & Company for just over two years, after three years of planning and negotiations.

The market has been internationally recognized:
2001 Silver Medalist
2001 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence		 2001 AIA/HUD Secretary's Mixed-Use/Mixed Income Development Award California Preservation Foundation
2001 Design Award for
Rehabilitation/Adaptive reuse
University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Architecture and the Arts
2001 CRA Award of Excellence for Mixed-Use Development
Presented to the Oakland Redevelopment Agency
California Redevelopment Association (CRA) 		Pacific Coast Builder's Conference 2001 PCBC Gold Nugget Award
Best Mixed-Used Project

Getting to Swan's Marketplace

Map of Swan's Market area in Old Oakland

The Present

Swan's Marketplace after renovation Swan's Marketplace courtyard after renovation Museum of Children's Art (MOCHA)
Swans Marketplace opened its doors at the end of 1999, providing an ongoing venue for the popular merchants relocated from the nearby Housewives Market; dozens of families are living here in the Cohousing condominiums and affordable Swan's Apartments rentals. The project is also home to:
  • Museum of Children's Art PaperSong Poster Gallery
  • Cafe Aztlan mexican food
  • Suruki's Japanese Restaurant & Food to Go
  • Elegant Touch Flowers & Gifts
  • Lucky AJ's barbershop
  • Coming soon:
    Jesso's Cajun Seafood
  • Housewive's Market merchants:
    (Mon-Sat, 9 AM - 6 PM)
    • Jack's Meats also carrying a produce selection
    • Sam's Liquors featuring fine wines, tobacco products, Lottery tickets
    • Taylor's Sausages
    • Allan's Ham & Bacon also stocking many salads, sandwiches, and baked and fried chicken, plus Espresso!
    • Abraham's Fish also carrying a produce selection
    • EJ's Spices (under construction)
    • Fox Ingram Enterprises: all natural soaps, incense, and more
    • NEW! Avalon Bay Jewelry
    • Swan's Specialty Grocery also open evenings and weekends
  • East Bay Housing Organizations (EBHO)
HKI&T ArchitectsHardeson Komatsu Ivelich & Tucker

Swan's Cultural Arts Fair

Every Friday
9 am - 3 pm
Swan's courtyard
pop in while visiting the Farmer's Market!

Local artists sell their wares, including (participating vendors vary each week):
  • Jewelry
  • Home-style food items
  • Cin(e)Poetry
  • Folk art
  • Crafts
  • Live Music
Site last updated: September 22, 2002.

Contact Information:

For information on Swans Marketplace write to swansmarket@swansmarket.com.