Kaiser Permanente to Construct Highrise Headquarters in Oakland

Following Salesforce's lead, the healthcare giant will relocate to a high-rise urban headquarters, transitioning out of seven locations it currently occupies in the East Bay.

1 minute read

July 1, 2019, 1:00 PM PDT

By Philip Rojc @PhilipRojc


Los Angeles Medical Center

Ted Eytan / Flickr

Kaiser Permanente's planned new headquarters will encompass 1.6 million square feet of floor space, making it "one of the largest new buildings in the Bay Area — larger in space, though not height, than San Francisco's Salesforce Tower," Roland Li writes. 

The healthcare corporation, already Oakland's largest employer, will consolidate over 7,000 employees from seven locations into the new 29-story tower, which is set to open in 2023. Occupying a site currently graced with "a parking garage and vacant lots," the new headquarters will be dubbed the Kaiser Permanente Thrive Center and cost a total of $900 million, saving the firm $60 million a year compared with its current set-up.

Kaiser's move makes it one of the latest major firms to set up shop downtown, moving away from the suburban office park mode. "The building is comparable in size to the huge suburban buildings occupied by tech giants Facebook and Google in Silicon Valley," Li writes.

Monday, June 17, 2019 in The San Francisco Chronicle

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 30, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up on Canadian flag with Canada Parliament building blurred in background.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?

As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

April 28, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Washington

Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing

A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.

May 1 - Streetsblog USA

Bluebird sitting on branch of green bush.

Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire

Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.

May 1 - AP News

1984 Olympics

LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles

LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.

May 1 - Newsweek

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.