The Oaklandside reports that the Oakland City Council voted 6-0 to allow Becker Boards LLC and Outfront Foster Interstate LLC to remove 50 existing advertising signs throughout Oakland and replace these with 10 new double-sided digital billboards near freeways. Three council members who endorsed the deal when it was first proposed submitted a report that the agreements would generate over $73 million in revenue for the city over 41 years. Becker and Outfront will also pay hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to several community service providers and offer free advertising for local chambers of commerce and community organizations.
Oakland has banned the installation of new billboards since 1997, but a projected $360 million budget shortfall anticipated in the cities General Fund over the next two years has encouraged City Government to entertain solutions that would provide long term revenue. Most of the city’s billboards are sited along or between I-880 and I-580, and the current law only lets companies relocate or renovate existing signs.
Insider noted that OUTFRONT partnered with Foster Interstate, an Oakland based OOH company who has constructed several digital projects around the Oakland area.
Becker-Outfront said it has received preliminary approval letters from Caltrans for permits for nine out of 10 of their proposed development sites. Link noted that these sites are tentative. According to a packet submitted to council, the proposed sites of the double-sided digital billboards are located at the following locations:
- 1357 5th Street
- 8099 Coliseum Way
- 4701 Oakport
- 1001 22nd Avenue
- 601 Brush Street
- 3650 Mandela Parkway
- 277 5th Street
- 3700 Mandela Parkway
- 2982 E 7th Street
- 3401 E 8th Street
Clear Channel Outdoor, tried to stall the deal with a last-minute appeal to Oakland officials. Clear Channel previously submitted its own proposed relocation agreement to the City Council—one that it claimed would have paid out more money than the Becker-OUTFRONT Foster deal. Clear Channel counsel argued that Oakland’s process for approving the latest agreements was “tainted by factually inaccurate and defamatory commentary” from Becker-Outfront. You can read their letter at this LINK.
Insider Comment: We assume that there will be more news coming and we will keep readers updated as available.
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