OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Fine dining combined with bowling is taking Oakland by storm. There's a new massive entertainment venue that's opening up in Jack London Square. It's a revitalization effort in an area with a reputation for high crime and it's creating 160 jobs.
"I used to live right down the street and there was nothing. No coffee shop. Nowhere to hang out," former Oakland resident Mikal Mekki said.
That's why Mekki says he moved away from Jack London Square, but now he's having regrets. Mekki said, "Every club is full, the bars are full, the restaurants are full. We don't even go to the city anymore. We hang out here."
Plank is a new 50,000 square-foot luxury bowling alley, restaurant and bar with live music. There are even outdoor bocce ball courts. Its grand opening, with MC Hammer on hand, signifies a willingness to invest $7 million in a city with a reputation for high crime.
"Getting past the surface and actually spending time in the community, that's what encouraged us and ultimately why we made the decision to come here. It's not necessarily all what you hear in the news," Plank owner Mike Auger said.
The city claims overall crime in Oakland is actually down from last year. Auger says he found a thriving, untapped market that needed a large entertainment venue like Plank.
Visit Oakland president and CEO Allison Best said, "As a tourism destination, we honestly we've never really tried. So we never really put our money into hotel development, large venues. We have a small convention center for a city of our size."
Now city tourism officials say the Oakland is making an honest effort and it's hoping Plank will enhance its campaign to attract more conventions and corporate business.