About Us
Formed in 2021, the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council (OCIC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit committed to helping Oakland Chinatown small businesses, residents, and the greater Chinatown community.
The primary goal of OCIC is to make Oakland Chinatown cleaner, safer, and more vibrant for the people who live, work and visit. As a Community Benefits District we strive to support our businesses, large and small, new and old, through the hard times and through the good times. OCIC is currently in the process of rolling out safety and cleanliness services through ambassador and security programs, graffiti abatement, promoting our Chinatown and its small businesses, managing events around our cultural district, helping our small mom and pop shops with social media presence, coordinating the many volunteer efforts in Oakland Chinatown, and more.
We are governed by a diverse Board of Directors made up of Oakland Chinatown community members which includes property owners, small business owners, community non-profits, and residents.
Next Board Meeting: Tues, March 28, 2023, 6:30PM-8:30PM
Full Board Meetings usually occur on the last Tuesday of the month. The public is welcomed to join the meetings in person or via Zoom.
The public is able to comment at the beginning and end of meetings. Questions/comments from the public will be recorded, but will be replied to at a future date.
Benefit Zones 1 (red) and 2 (purple)
Words from the community
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Be a Part of the Solution
Board President
Stewart Chen
OCIC President
Stewart Chen is the president of the Board of Directors for the Oakland Chinatown Improvement Council. Dr. Chen has been a member of the community for many decades. He has operated a chiropractic business in Chinatown since 1988. Through the years, Dr. Chen has been an active member of the Alameda community. In 2010, Dr. Chen ran and was successfully elected to the City of Alameda Healthcare District (Hospital Board) where he served until he was elected to the City Council. He has participated in the Alameda City-wide Needs Assessment survey and played an active role in the Mayor’s Fourth of July parades. He has chaired various committees including serving as Second Vice Chair of the Alameda County Human Relations Commission, Vice President of City of Alameda Social Service and Human Relations Board, and Chair of Alamedans Together Against Hate (ATAH). He also founded the Alameda Sister City Association (ASCA) and the Alameda Asian Pacific Festival. He was also one of the Directors of Alameda County Healthy Homes Joint Powers Authority and the alternate Commissioner to Alameda County Transportation Commission.
Improving Public Spaces Throughout Chinatown
DISTRICT BOUNDARIES
Per state law, the City does not maintain sidewalks or remove graffiti on private property; it is the responsibility of the fronting Property Owner. Often, the City's baseline services are minimal. This is why improvement districts are so important for our neighborhoods. By forming community benefits district, communities can pool property owner contributions to collectively identify, procure, manage and pay for improvement programs specific to an area.