Today, it’s the site of the All Good Bakery. But 55 years ago, the building on Grove Street – now Martin Luther King Jr. Way – was the first office of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense.
Oaklandside reports the building and bakery owner wants to make a five-story, 20-unit apartment complex. The new building would still feature displays about the landmark and the Panthers’ history. In addition to the Bakery, it would include two low-income housing units and other ground-floor shops.
Plan details will be formally presented today before the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board. If approved, the proposed project could be completed in about two years.
The Huey P. Newton Foundation and Newton’s widow, Frederika, have voiced support for the plan. Others have launched an online campaign opposing it.
The dispute over the fate of the Panthers original headquarters comes in the wake of the 55th anniversary of the group’s founding.
