Why the Former Office Depot at Ravenswood 101 Has Stayed Empty for Five Years — And What’s Needed to Unlock Its Potential

Christopher Kao
Christopher Kao
The former Office Depot space has sat vacant for five years due to restrictive CC&Rs blocking popular tenants and difficult amendment rules—stalling redevelopment despite city plans for a vibrant, mixed-use district in East Palo Alto.
Food

Mega Mart in East Palo Alto: A Mismatch or a Market Strategy?

Christopher Kao
Christopher Kao
Mega Mart’s new East Palo Alto store may seem out of place demographically, but with 40,000 Asians nearby, no local Asian grocers, and high traffic, it’s a bold and strategic market move.

Death & Taxes in East Palo Alto

📈 East Palo Alto's Property Tax Advantage and the Urgency of Development City's Share of Property Tax Revenue The bar chart above visualizes the property tax revenue share for each city, sorted from highest to lowest percentage. CityShare (%)East Palo Alto36.00Redwood City18.00South San Francisco17.00Mountain
- 2 min read

East Palo Alto's Code of Conduct for Elected Officials

Many people have discussed East Palo Alto City Council's decision to remove Carlos Romero from regional boards and commissions following his repeated violation of East Palo Alto's Code of Conduct for Elected Officials. The Code of Conduct for Elected Officials can be found here: Code of
- 3 min read

A New Community Garden Takes Root in East Palo Alto

East Palo Alto’s beloved community garden is finding new life on Demeter Street. Led by Fresh Approach, the new space reconnects the city with its agricultural roots and invites residents to grow, learn, and volunteer together.
- 3 min read

What Businesses Do You Want to See in East Palo Alto?

Many in East Palo Alto were excited when the Korean grocery chain Megamart opened in the former Target building. It’s a great addition to the city, and it appears to be doing well. However, East Palo Alto is a city of about 30,000 residents, and a legacy of
- 4 min read

On the Front Lines of East Palo Alto's Housing Crisis

When I was running for office last year, I knocked on doors in every neighborhood of East Palo Alto. One of the most memorable conversations I had was with a Guatemalan woman in the Gardens. Her family had lived in the same house for over ten years, during which the
- 8 min read

City Council Update - The Year So Far - September, 2025

I was sworn in last December and I wanted to share an update on what we've accomplished - especially for those who don't follow local government closely. The East Palo Alto City Council has five members: Ruben Abrica, Martha Barragan, Mark Dinan, Webster Lincoln, and Carlos
- 4 min read

Building Our Way Out of a Deficit in East Palo Alto

East Palo Alto’s empty lots could solve its structural deficit — if we start building now. If we don’t encourage development today, we’ll pay for it down the road. East Palo Alto faces a $2 million structural deficit, and it’s projected to worsen. Simply put, the revenues
- 4 min read