Oakland neighbors fear return of notorious encampment on troubled lot

Neighbors and business owners fear a troubled property that once housed one of Oakland's largest homeless encampments is sliding back into familiar territory..

The shipping containers that surrounded the lot at 4200 Alameda Avenue next to a Home Depot parking lotwere removed a few weeks ago, prompting concerns among nearby residents and business owners who said recreational vehicles, illegal dumping, and suspected stolen cars are beginning to return.

For years, the property owner tried fences and concrete barriers to keep people off the site, but those efforts failed to prevent a sprawling encampment. The shipping containers eventually formed a wall around the property, clearing the encampment and bringing relief to surrounding businesses.

Now, neighbors fear the problems will return.

"My biggest worry is that maybe we haven't seen the worst of it, yet. And it has been bad," said Kevin Kim, owner of High Street Car Wash & Oil Change, which sits directly across from the property. "Since about 2017 or 2018, we've had so many issues over there.  And the issues are not just contained there, they spillover into the other businesses and properties around the area."

The site has long been a source of frustration for nearby businesses and residents. Police have linked the property to organized theft rings, chop shops and other criminal activity. The Los Angeles-based property owner partnered with the city on multiple evictions and cleanups over the years, but people often returned within weeks.

Home Depot threatened to leave the area, while some smaller businesses and neighbors eventually moved away.

"We're tired, we're very tired," Kim said. "But for us, with my car wash, I can't just get up and leave and move somewhere else. My building is stationary over here. And that's how a lot of neighbors feel. For the businesses that are able to leave, they left already."

Kim said crime in the area increased while business at his car wash declined.

In March 2025, a company leased the property to store shipping containers, and the encampment was cleared. But in January, the FBI and local authorities raided the operation, accusing people connected to the business of selling stolen gasoline from the site. Oakland City Councilmember Noel Gallo has also said people were selling drugs and guns from the containers.

The property owner subsequently evicted the shipping container business. With the containers now gone, neighbors said the lot is once again attracting unwanted activity.

"We're tired of this mess. It's a very big mess," said Norma, a neighbor who declined to provide her last name. "Hopefully, the city can clean up and make something good."

Miriam, a taco truck owner, moved her truck a block away from the property. She said illegal dumping and stolen cars have returned alongside a small encampment. She and other neighbors fear the lot could soon fill with recreational vehicles and makeshift structures.

"For me, for the business, it's no good," said Miriam.

Miriam's nephew, Charlie, said the city needs to intervene. "The city has to do something," he said. "It's become so hazardous."

Former neighbor Debora Goeden said her family moved away to San Jose because they no longer felt safe.

"We had one day where seven neighbors called the police on one person walking around the three-block area with a gun exposed and menacing, you know, threatening [people] verbally. Nobody came," Goeden said. "In Silicon Valley, my property tax is half of what it is in Oakland. And I'm safe here. In Oakland, we pay twice as much for property tax, but where's that money going to?"

The property owner plans to work with Gallo's team on Wednesday to clean up the site and remove debris.

Gallo said he plans to reach out to Home Depot and others to see if anyone is interested in buying the property and redevelop it.

"The homeless, they see the property available, so they'll come in with their trucks and RV's and trash the area," Gallo said. "And this guy over here, look, taking the tires from [what appears to be] a stolen car."

The property owner is also awaiting city approval to install a six-foot fence with an electric fence behind it. It remains unclear whether the city will approve the proposed barrier.

For Kim and other nearby business owners, the priority is preventing a return to the conditions that plagued the area for years.

"We always have to be optimistic here. That's the only way to survive in the city," Kim said.