Oakland Mayor Jean Quan may get her wish after all.
A week after she said the Occupy Oakland movement needs to start thinking of moving its encampment away from Frank Ogawa Plaza the group looks like it may oblige her, at least in part.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the activists behind the Occupy Oakland movement are talking about possibly occupying vacant and foreclosed buildings in downtown Oakland.
The group has been discussing the matter in group meetings recently and the conversation appears to center around what buildings to occupy and not whether they should.
"It's a very important front for the Occupy movement all over this country, and if any one city can set a precedent for taking over foreclosed buildings, the idea will then quickly spread," Adrian Dyer, an Occupy organizer, told the paper. "The key is to improve what we occupy, to do it right, to set a good example."
City officials and business leaders are not impressed with the report. This would also not be the first time the Occupy protesters have taken over a building.
Last Wednesday, a group occupied a vacant building on 16th and Broadway and police officers have to forcibly remove the protesters.
Also on Tuesday Oakland released updated numbers on the cost of the encampment. The city said that the number of tents at Frank Ogawa Plaza has increased from 165 last Friday to 180 on Tuesday.
The Oakland Fire Department has also had to respond to two fires caused by illegal gas products, halogen lamps, portable stoves, LPG tanks and more.
The city also said there continued to be unsanitary conditions in the plaza, despite the city cleaning it daily.
Cost Estimates:
- Costs through Friday, October 28, 2011, are estimated to be: $1,002,000
- These are preliminary estimates at this time and are subject to change.
- Costs by category:
- Personnel (overtime) costs: $737,000 through October 28, 2011
- $700,000 for Oakland Police Department staff
- $28,000 for Public Works Agency staff
- $9,000 for Information Technology staff
- Hard costs (supplies, equipment, etc.): $265,000
- $70,000 for Oakland Police Department
- $70,000 for Public Works Agency
- $25,000 for glass replacement for damage to plaza buildings on 11/2/2011
- $100,000 for information technology security enhancements to the police department web site
Source: Oakland Office of the City Administrator
