Berkeley, a Look Back: Big downtown development announced in 1925

"Local real estate agent Roy O. Long, a prominent businessman and development proponent, announced that he would build a $1.25 million complex of commercial buildings at the southeast corner of Shattuck Avenue and Addison Street, the Berkeley Daily Gazette reported. The complex was to include four modern stores and office buildings, the Gazette reported. Three of the structures will be two stories in height, and all will have foundations to carry several other stories when there is a demand for offices to warrant the extra height."

"Game traffic: Cal played the University of Washington in Berkeley on Nov. 14, 1925, and several thousand motor cars passed in and out of Berkeley with just one accident reported. A car driven by a 15-year-old Oakland boy hit another car near Hillegass Avenue and Webster Street, and the driver and his 14-year-old passenger were injured. Police estimated that there were more machines (cars) at Saturday's game than at the California-Stanford game last year, the Gazette reported."

Roy O. Long planned a $1.25 million commercial complex at the southeast corner of Shattuck Avenue and Addison Street, comprising four modern stores and office buildings. Three structures were two stories tall, and all foundations were built to support additional stories when office demand warranted the height increase. The project followed a land sale and a regulatory decision that allowed opening a short stretch of Addison Street south of the site. The buildings were constructed in 1926 and are designated city landmarks. On Nov. 14, 1925, a Cal–Washington game drew several thousand motor cars with one reported accident. On Nov. 16, 1925, the university administration moved to suppress an issue of The Occident because of an article deemed to reflect discredit upon the university; the student editor stated opposition to military training and to censorship of student publications.

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