Lake Merritt Plaza, Office building in Oakland, California, US
Lake Merritt Plaza is a 27-story, 371-foot (113 m) office tower in downtown Oakland, California, completed in 1985. Architect Bill Valentine of Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum designed the building, which was developed by Transpacific Development Co. It stands among the ten tallest high-rises in Oakland as of 2025.
The building opened in 1985 as part of a major development of Oakland's Uptown district when the city needed new office space. Architect Bill Valentine designed the structure during a time when the city was building many new high-rises.
The tower's name comes from the adjacent Lake Merritt, and its ground-floor Bike Room, opened in 2023, gives tenants a place to store bicycles. The building changed hands repeatedly: Beacon Capital Partners bought it in 2006, Divco West in 2014 and Clarion Partners in 2016 for $211 million.
Access is easy near the 19th Street BART station, where riders can reach the building directly from the platform. Inside you will find bike storage, shower facilities, and outdoor seating areas that visitors and workers can use.
The ground-level plaza uses recycled granite and drought-resistant plants in Corten steel containers for a sustainable design. This mix of reused materials and water-efficient plants creates an interesting outdoor space that needs less watering.
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