OAKLAND — A tech-focused charter school is slated to sprout in Oakland on the site of a century-old performance venue and church after a deal to buy the property, according to Newmark, a commercial real estate firm.
The building was constructed in 1923 and has been the site of an array of activities over the decades. The seller was an affiliate headed up by real estate investor Edward Hemmat, state and county business records show. The property was built in 1923 and initially was a site for vaudeville performances. In 1931, the Palace Theater became a movie house. From 1953 to 2013, the property served as a church site. The building served as an events center and church space on a continuous basis up to when BayTech Charter School bought the site.