The Ford Point Building’s massive Craneway was open to the public for the first time in over 20 years when it served as a venue during Richmond’s first Home Front Festival By-the-Bay, which took place from September 28th through the 30th. The Craneway, a stunning 40,000 square foot space enclosed on three sides by two-story glass walls, is located where the Ford Building meets Richmond’s waterfront.
http://www.baycrossings.com/Richmond_Nov2007.pdf
Published: November, 2007
The Ford Point Building’s massive Craneway was open to the public for the first time in over 20 years when it served as a venue during Richmond’s first Home Front Festival By-the-Bay, which took place from September 28th through the 30th. The Craneway, a stunning 40,000 square foot space enclosed on three sides by two-story glass walls, is located where the Ford Building meets Richmond’s waterfront.
Built in 1930, the 517,000 square foot Ford Building was the largest assembly plant on the west coast in its day. It was converted to a wartime production facility during World War II, and aided the war effort by producing over 60,000 tanks, combat trucks and other military vehicles. The legendary building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, and it has been chosen as home to the future Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park Visitors Center.
Orton Development, the company currently restoring the building, worked feverishly alongside the City of Richmond, the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, and the National Park Service to prepare the Craneway to host four separate events, three of which were associated with the Home Front Festival By-the-Bay.
First, on September 28th, the Richmond Chamber of Commerce was proud to present the Northern California Ambassadors Rally, which was an assembly for Northern California Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors.
Later that evening, the Rosie the Riveter Fundraiser Gala Dinner served as the official kickoff for the Home Front Festival By-the-Bay. The Henry J. Kaiser Think Big exhibit was on display for the first time in Richmond and is now part of the visitor’s center. The keynote speaker for the event was Emily Yellin, author of the critically acclaimed Our Mother’s War. The sold-out kickoff raised money for the Rosie the Riveter Trust, which is to be used to help build out the visitors center for the park that will be housed in the Craneway.
We were very pleased with the willingness of people to support what we’re doing, which is trying to help build up this National Park and the programs that it offers, said Tom Butt, president of the Rosie the Riveter Trust Board. Although the figure was not final at press time, Butt said the event raised in excess of $30,000, and added, Considering that this was the first time we’ve done this, the way things went off really was extraordinary. Butt stated that members of the Trust have already been informally talking about what can make the event even bigger and better next year.
On Saturday night, the Craneway was thrust into a time warp for a traditional 1940s style USO dance and show, complete with big band and swing music provided by the Junius Courtney Orchestra and Muir Station Jazz Band. Attendees dressed for the occasion in period clothes; some even donned their original military uniforms. The extremely successful event took the Craneway back to a special era for those who remembered the extraordinary atmosphere of USO dances. Attendees were repeatedly heard commenting on how Ford Point was the perfect place to have such a nostalgic event.
On Sunday afternoon, the events at the Craneway came to a close, with the Rosie Reunions for Home Front Workers event. Former World War II shipyard workers reunited to share stories and memories from over 60 years ago, in the same building where many of them once worked to help a nation in need. Over a thousand people participated in the mutigenerational event, which featured approximately 200 Rosies in attendance.
There was an overwhelming consensus by both the attendees and the event planners that all four events in the Craneway were wonderful and went off without a hitch. We were utterly delighted with the way the events came off, said Michelle Itagaki of the Richmond Convention and Visitors Bureau.
According to Troy Peterson, Project Manager for Orton Development, more events are scheduled for the Craneway in the future, starting as early as December. The space can now accommodate 1,500 people; when construction is completed by the end of the year, the entire 40,000 square foot Craneway will handle 3,000 or more people, making it one of the East Bay’s larger event venues.
A full kitchen area will be installed that can be used by caterers for upcoming events, and can also be expanded to become part of a restaurant, as the Craneway sees further development. According to Peterson, they are not actively pursuing a restaurant for the building at this time; however, We like the idea of an events center and want to see where that takes us, said Peterson. If a full service restaurant wants to come in at a later time and it’s the right deal, he added, then we’ll do it.
For the near future, the Craneway will be available for corporate events, weddings, concerts, speaking engagements and other private functions. This is just the first step in the redevelopment of the Craneway. The exact floor plan for the Craneway is not yet in place, but will most likely include a significant amount of open space available to the public, including a large portion dedicated to the Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park Visitors Center.
Peterson also reported that the rest of the redevelopment of the building is progressing well, with occupancy expected to be at 90 percent by the end of the year. The current occupants include: Best-Line, a manufacturer of Roman shades and window coverings; Vetrazzo, a company that transforms recycled glass into one-of-a-kind countertop, tabletop, and vanity surfaces; Title 9 Sports, a multi-channel retailer of women’s athletic apparel; and Mountain Hardwear. PowerLight, a large solar power company, plans to move its corporate facilities and 200 employees into 175,000 square feet of office space around the end of the year.
As an additional bonus, the completion of the Craneway project also includes a section of the popular Bay Trail, which runs along the Richmond waterfront in front of the Craneway. When completed, this portion of the Bay Trail will connect Lucretia Edwards Shoreline Park to Harbor Way South, a major corridor connecting the waterfront to Downtown Richmond.
Richmond Community Redevelopment Agency
Office of Economic Development
Richmondca4business.com