Architectural Renovation for Alta Alliance Bank Enlivens Webster Street in Oakland.

OAKLAND, Calif. -- In early 2006, when the founders of Alta Alliance Bank purchased the 13,000-square-foot-building at 1951 Webster Street in Oakland for their headquarters, they knew what they wanted it to become and hired Oakland's RPR Architects to help realize their vision in the space of six short months.

They wanted the building fa[?]ade to be beautiful, with a strong street presence. And they wanted the interiors to be warm and inviting, with an upscale, comfortable atmosphere. The 1950's building had not been improved significantly since the 1970's.

"We viewed this building renovation as a statement of our pride in Oakland and the East Bay, our emphasis on delivering premier customer service and our desire to attract top caliber employees to our workforce," said Sedrick Tydus, executive vice president and chief operating officer who oversaw the project. "RPR helped us accomplish that, and our employees and customers love being in this building."

Fa[?]ade Improvement

The bank took advantage of grants offered by the Community and Economic Development Agency's (CEDA) Facade Improvement Program to create a dramatic street statement. CEDA Project Manager Brian Kendall said, "It's great to see visionary business leaders such as Alta Alliance Bank taking advantage of the city's program and investing in downtown Oakland. Through the Fa[?]ade Improvement Program, CEDA has assisted 40 percent of property owners in downtown areas, bringing 75 new businesses to the Central Business District and reducing the vacancy rate from 40 percent to 8 percent in just three years."

"RPR has done more than 100 fa[?]ade improvements in downtown Oakland so they were able to move things along quickly for us," Tydus said. The bank's new fa[?]ade is a mix of black polished granite with gray and beige dolomite limestone, accented by Alta Alliance yellow on the fascia and signature canopy, banking hall and executive offices.

Interiors

Throughout the two floors of the headquarters, cherry wood predominates in unique custom-designed furniture and casework. Those features, combined with comfortable, luxurious seating areas, well-crafted designer lighting and a new skylight, create an inviting atmosphere for customers and a delightful work space for employees.

"It was great to work with the bank's management team. They had an enlightened vision for the new bank that not only benefits the customers and employees, but enlivens the Webster Street environment," said Project Architect Michael Perkocha.

Oakland-based businesses used in project

Besides RPR, other Oakland-based businesses participated in bringing the bank's vision to life. Graphic designer Milton Cheng of Graphic Artistry created a unique identity for the bank with the distinctive California logo. Lignum Vitae Architectural Cabinetry in West Oakland crafted the distinctive casework from stained and ebonized cherry wood, and Oakland structural engineer Ingraham DeJesse Associates provided engineering for the seismic upgrade.

The general contractor for the job was South Bay Construction from San Jose, which completed the fast-track project in six months.

About Alta Alliance Bank

Alta Alliance Bank, based in Oakland, Calif. is a community bank with a focus on businesses, professionals, nonprofit groups, faith-based organizations and individuals in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. The bank combines a large institution's powerful financial capabilities and technology-based resources with experienced community bankers, who know customers personally and make decisions locally. Alta Alliance Bank opened its doors on October 16, 2006, with $25 million in capitalization. It is a subsidiary of Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL), which owns four banks in Nevada, Arizona and California.