WHY EMERYVILLE?

A cityscape during sunset featuring buildings, roads, and a body of water in the background.

From Rotten City to Innovation Powerhouse.Emeryville's transformation is one of California's most dramatic urban stories.

WHY HERE?

Our Story

What was once called "The Rottenest City on the Pacific Coast" is now where the future gets built every single day.

In 1971, when most cities were doubling down on manufacturing, Emeryville welcomed Cetus Corporation, one of America's first biotech companies. That decision planted seeds that would eventually yield a Nobel Prize for the PCR technique that revolutionized DNA research.

The pattern continued. In 1981, UC Berkeley and UCSF biochemists founded Chiron Corporation here, developing the first genetically engineered vaccine and the first blood screening test for Hepatitis C. When Novartis acquired Chiron for $5.1 billion in 2006, it validated what was becoming clear: Emeryville knew how to nurture breakthrough science.

Then came the moment that defined everything. In 2000, Steve Jobs chose Emeryville for a 22 acre campus that would prove his theory about how innovation actually happens. He personally architected every detail around a single insight: breakthrough thinking happens when different minds collide unexpectedly.

In 2017, California designated Emeryville as one of just 14 State Cultural Districts. The "Rotten City Cultural District" name embraced the notorious past while recognizing the present: a place where art and innovation actively fuel each other. The state made official what businesses already knew. This city gets it.

EMERYVILLE BY THE NUMBERS

Behind the numbers are the people. About 13,300 residents, and nearly 20,000 workers who commute here every day.

That's almost double the resident population choosing to work in Emeryville. And 71.5% of residents hold bachelor's degrees or higher, one of the highest rates in the nation. The median household income sits at $120,302, 88% above the national average.

The city grew 21.3% over the past decade, making it California's second fastest growing city in 2024. That growth comes from a simple truth: people want to be where things are happening.

Why Emeryville Works for Business

The practical advantages matter as much as the creative energy. Here's what makes Emeryville different.

  • In a city of 1.27 square miles, you're not just another permit number. Business leaders work directly with city officials who know your challenges. The Commerce Connection facilitates real relationships across the business community, from biotech startups to hospitality operators.

  • You're not near the talent. You're next to it. The Berkeley Emeryville BIO corridor contains 1.45 million square feet of commercial wet lab space. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab's 4,000 scientists are neighbors. The QB3 incubator has already created 280+ jobs and attracted $230 million in investment.

  • The Emery Go Round serves 1.3 million passengers annually. Free shuttles every 10 to 15 minutes, seven days a week, connecting all of Emeryville to MacArthur BART. Combined with Amtrak service, direct highway access, and Oakland airport 15 minutes away, your team can get here from anywhere.

  • Commercial real estate runs $44 to 65 per square foot compared to $61 to 72 for Class A San Francisco space, and up to $138 per square foot in premium SF locations. Your dollars go further here.

  • The Small Business Incentives & Rebates Program provides license tax rebates, fee rebates for fire inspections and permits, and dedicated assistance navigating city processes. When you need to move fast, you actually can.

  • Recruit talent from every direction. South Bay, North Bay, Peninsula, San Francisco, East Bay. Emeryville sits at the convergence point. When major employers evaluate Bay Area locations, they recognize what Steve Jobs understood when he chose Emeryville: proximity to San Francisco means access to talent from everywhere. That geographic advantage still defines who can build teams here.

WHO’S BUILDING HERE?

companies in Emeryville range from global entertainment powerhouses to emerging gene therapy innovators.

An office interior with a second-floor walkway overlooking work stations below. Bicycles are hanging from the ceiling, and there are desks with chairs, computers, and green sitting areas.
  • Logo for Clif Bar & Company featuring a climbing illustration and the brand name in bold letters.

    Food & Beverage

    343 employees. Acquired by Mondelez International for $2.9 billion in 2022. Built a national brand from Emeryville.

  • Novartis logo with stylized emblem on the left and the company name in blue text on a white background.

    Pharmaceuticals / Biotech

    Major R&D facility continuing the legacy of Chiron Corporation's breakthrough vaccines and diagnostics work.

  • Grocery Outlet Bargain Market logo with maroon and yellow text on a white background.

    Retail

    Corporate headquarters managing national discount supermarket chain operations from Emeryville.

  • The word 'amyris' in bold purple font on a white background.

    Synthetic Biology

    595 employees pioneering sustainable alternatives through synthetic biology, from clean beauty to renewable materials.

  • Peet's Coffee logo featuring a stylized 'P' with an arrow pattern above the word 'Peet's' and the word 'COFFEE' below.

    Food & Beverage

    Founded the American specialty coffee movement in 1966. Headquarters at 1400 Park Ave. Part of ~$18 billion Keurig Dr Pepper transaction.

  • Pixar Animation Studios logo in black text on a white background.

    Entertainment / Animation

    1,441 employees. Acquired by Disney for $7.4 billion. The Steve Jobs designed campus established a model for how creative spaces drive innovation.

Emerging Innovators Shaping Tomorrow

Beyond the anchors, Emeryville hosts the next generation of breakthrough companies.

Dynavax Technologies developing vaccines and immunology treatments. 4DMT pioneering gene therapy as a Top Workplace 2024. Bolt Threads creating sustainable materials from spider silk and mushroom leather. Perfect Day producing animal free dairy proteins. Finless Foods cultivating seafood.

When California designated Emeryville as a State Cultural District in 2017, it recognized what these companies already knew: this city offers something you can't find elsewhere. Access to UC Berkeley research. Proximity to funding sources. A creative culture that values both scientific rigor and imaginative leaps. And a community compact enough that collaboration happens naturally.

Where Art Meets Innovation Daily

The art in Emeryville isn't decorative. It's foundational to how the city thinks about innovation.

Since 1990, city ordinance has required commercial developments to allocate 1% of construction costs to public art. The result: over 230 installations accessible to everyone, from sculptural works to painted utility boxes to rotating gallery pieces in bus shelters.

In 2017, California made Emeryville one of just 14 inaugural State Cultural Districts, designating it the "Rotten City Cultural District." The name embraces the city's notorious historical nickname while recognizing a complete transformation. This wasn't honorary recognition. It was the state formally acknowledging that Emeryville had built something unique: a place where art production and modern forms including animation, digital video mapping, and light as medium converge with biotech research and commercial innovation.

Cultural partners in the district include Wareham Development, with their expansive collection housed in state of the art laboratory facilities, the 45th Street Artists' Cooperative, and the annual Emeryville Celebration of the Arts, now in its 40th year. The designation brought resources, visibility, and formal acknowledgment that creativity isn't separate from commerce here. It's the foundation.

The connection between art and commerce runs deeper than aesthetics. When Steve Jobs designed his Emeryville campus, he architected spaces specifically to force encounters between people with different ways of thinking. He understood that innovation happens when artistic vision collides with technical execution, when someone solving a visual problem sparks an insight for someone solving a molecular one. That same principle plays out across Emeryville every day. A biotech researcher grabs coffee next to a digital artist. A gene therapy startup shares a building with a sustainable materials company. The cross pollination isn't planned. It's inevitable.

A group of four people standing in front of a colorful mural on a brick wall. The mural depicts a large animal, possibly a lion, with intricate designs and a blue mane. The group includes a woman holding a child holding a red teddy bear, a man with tattoos, and another man standing in a scissor lift. They are smiling and appear to be enjoying their time together.
A large sculpture of a dinosaur made from wooden planks and metal parts, located outdoors in a field with grass and scattered debris, under a cloudy sky.
A mural of a young boy squatting surrounded by four large flying cranes painted on the side of a building.
Colorful street mural of a large snake with vibrant blue, orange, and black scales on a pink background, painted on the side of a building.
Colorful mural of a feline figure with intricate gold and blue designs on a bright blue background, painted on an exterior wall.
Colorful mural of a confident woman with curly hair, large earrings, and vibrant clothing, surrounded by abstract patterns, bright colors, and a small depiction of the Earth.
A woman with curly hair in a purple and blue outfit stands on an indoor balcony of an art gallery, looking at the camera. Behind her is a colorful portrait mural of a woman with vibrant hair and geometric floral designs.
A mural on a building depicts medical professionals and patients in a healthcare setting, with trees in the foreground and a cityscape background.
A woman with long braided hair, wearing a blue bucket hat, a striped crop top, and orange paint-splattered shorts, spray-painting a colorful mural on a wall.
Two young smiling people standing in front of a vibrant graffiti mural, one wearing a neon yellow shirt with green and black text, the other in a black jacket with paint splatters, posing with their arms around each other.
Colorful art mural featuring green grass at the bottom, a blue background with white contour lines, a dark blue river or waterway, and a wooden windmill on the right side, with the word '@APEXER' written in the top right corner.
A woman with a New York Yankees cap sitting on the ground, painting a colorful mural on a wall. She has a big smile and is wearing paint-splattered clothes. There are painting supplies nearby and a lift in the background.

What's Being Built Right Now

Emeryville's momentum isn't slowing. It's accelerating.

We’re building the infrastructure for sustained growth that balances density with livability, innovation with sustainability, economic development with community wellbeing.

  • A modern multi-story parking garage with green rooftop gardens and surrounding pedestrian area with people walking, trees, and colorful landscaping.

    Growth Projections Through 2030

    The General Plan projects adding 2 million square feet of office space, 300,000 square feet of hotel space, 640,000 square feet of retail, 3,767 residential units, 10,000 new jobs, and 4,000 new residents.

    Learn More
  • Modern mixed-use building with glass and brick exterior, surrounded by trees on a city street with pedestrians.

    Sutter Health's $1 Billion Medical Campus

    The February 2025 announcement represents Emeryville's most significant development in decades. A 12 acre medical campus at 53rd and Horton Streets will include a new medical center with emergency services, ICU, labor and delivery, and operating rooms opening 2032 to 2033. The campus will serve 800,000 patients and is projected to become Emeryville's largest employer.

    Learn More
  • Modern multi-story glass office building with colorful flower planters in rectangular openings, surrounded by trees, parked cars, and people walking outside on a sunny day.

    EmeryStation V (Overland Expansion)

    Wareham Development is adding approximately 300,000 square feet of new R&D and lab space with demolition permits issued November 2024. The five level building features a central courtyard, Linear Park, and pedestrian art walk connecting to Hollis Street. This continues the EmeryStation Research Campus expansion that now anchors 1.6 million square feet across 15 buildings with another 1.5 million square feet in development.

    Learn More
  • People walking on a modern, curved pedestrian bridge with a red arch and metal fencing, with city buildings in the background.

    Infrastructure and Climate Leadership

    The Climate Action Plan 2.0 targets 40% greenhouse gas reduction by 2030 and 80% by 2050. The Sustainable Streetscapes project completing Fall 2025 adds green infrastructure stormwater planters, solar powered bus stop lighting, and 100+ new bike racks citywide. The Emeryville Crescent Community Visioning project running May 2025 through July 2026 will plan climate adaptation, recreation, and community life for the shoreline area.

    Learn More

YOU ARE WHAT’S NEXT

The people that built this city understood something fundamental: Innovation doesn't happen in isolation.

It happens when people with different perspectives work in close enough proximity that ideas collide accidentally.

Meet your future, in the City of Emeryville. Connect with our team to explore opportunities, schedule a tour, or discover how your vision fits into our innovation ecosystem.

step into your future.

It’s closer than you think.