1100 Broadway

Despite being a prime downtown location, the corner of 12th and Broadway in Oakland had been an empty lot for decades. The adjacent historic Key System Building, built in 1911, languished since 1989 and had fallen into disrepair. Previous attempts to develop the combined property — first as a hotel, and then as office — stalled until 2017 when Ellis Partners saw an opportunity to bring the site back to life while expanding the downtown headquarters of UC Office of the President to kick off the project. 

Ellis Partners collaborated with Gensler to redesign the office and retail project to feature a side core layout, open floorplates and expansive window lines to meet the modern tenant office demand. The finished 18-story Class A office tower seamlessly integrates a new, modern office tower that increases the building’s floor sizes while remaining sensitive to the Key System Building’s historic character.