Located on the site of the former California Cotton Mills Company, The California Cotton Mills Studios will occupy the largest building that remains of the cotton mill. The existing 4-story brick warehouse/storage building that fronts Calcot Place will be converted to 75 units of Work/Live. The historic building’s exterior is characterized by 15" thick red brick walls with large expanses of metal sash windows, which will be replaced with soundproof windows with a similar appearance.

The Cailfornia Cotton Mills Studios will serve as an incubator for local artists and small businesses and promises to be the hub of artists’ activities in this diverse industrial neighborhood. The original clock and its exposed workings will be retained as a museum in one of the towers of the building. The building, a City of Oakland Landmark, will be financed in part through the use of historic tax credits.