Oakland's Empty Spot Gets New Life with Dave & Buster's

In the heart of Oakland, there's a big empty space that's been causing quite a stir. For years, people have been trying to figure out what to do with the ground-floor market hall at 55 Harrison St. in Jack London Square. The building is huge, with five stories and over 187, 000 square feet of space. But so far, no one has managed to fill that ground-floor spot. That's about to change, though. Dave & Buster's, a popular entertainment and restaurant chain, has set its sights on this prime location. They've applied for a license to open a "general eating place" and a "portable bar" there. Isn't that exciting? You might be wondering why this spot has been empty for so long. Well, it's had its share of ideas. People thought about making it a public market or a food hall. Some top chefs were even going to set up shop there. But those plans didn't work out, and the space remained empty. The building itself is pretty interesting. It was built in 2007, and the market hall was supposed to be ready in 2012. That didn't happen, and by 2022, the chefs who were supposed to move in had dropped out. So, the space has been waiting for the right tenant. Now, Dave & Buster's is hoping to make this spot their new home. They've got a pending license application with the state, so we'll have to wait and see if everything goes through. Wouldn't it be great to have a fun place like Dave & Buster's in Oakland?