A building that represents one of the most tragic losses of life in the Bay Area has been given a green light to be demolished.
The go-ahead was given in the form of no one protesting the building’s removal.
This 30 days public notice pending demolition of the Ghost Ship warehouse has expired with no objections from people in this Oakland community.
“Well, it needs to go simply because it is an eyesore,” Reeds Supply Company Owner Al Garcia said.
As the second anniversary of the deadly Ghost Ship fire approaches, the owner of Reeds Supply Company, Al Garcia, says removing the charred structure will be good for this Fruitvale neighborhood.
“I look at it daily, and it is just blight,” Garcia said. “For what it’s worth, it is just blight to the neighborhood. We need a new beginning. It is over and we’re beyond it now. We still need to remember the 36 people who died, but on the same token, the community needs to come together and move on.”
“I believe that it needs to be demolished, but at the same time, I believe there are many ways to honor those who lost their lives,” Oakland City Councilman Noel Gallo said.
Gallo says now that the 30 days notice has come and gone without any complaints, the next step is for the property owner to bring it down.
“I got family and children all around it,” Gallo said. “It is a complete eyesore. You see the trash all around it. So, I think we need to move on, tear the building down, rebuild back up.”
What would he like to see standing there in its place?
“Maybe establish a museum? An artistic school? Something that reminds us that we need to take care of our children,” Gallo said.
That sounds good to Garcia.
“Something good will come,” Garcia said. “That’s the bottom line on it. Something better will come.”