Hilton shutters hotel on Oakland's crime-plagued Hegenberger Road

Published: Aug 25, 2024 Duration: 00:03:37 Category: News & Politics

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STUDIOS IN SAN FRANCISCO THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON, I'M BRIAN HACKNEY. >> I'M ANDREA NAKANO. THE HILTON HOTEL NEXT TO THE OAKLAND AIRPORT WILL OFFICIALLY SHUT DOWN ON WEDNESDAY. BUT TODAY WAS ITS LAST DAY OF OPERATION. FOR MANY WORKERS, IT WAS ALSO THEIR LAST DAY AS WORK AS HOTEL GUESTS CHECKED OUT AT NOON TODAY. >> IT IS THE LATEST MAJOR BLOW TO THE AIRPORT CORRIDOR. A LOT OF RESTAURANTS HAVE SHUT DOWN IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS BECAUSE OF CRIME IN THE AREA. DA LIN'S GOT THE STORY. >> 40 YEARS, MAN. >> Reporter: THE FINAL CHECK OUT ON SUNDAY LED TO THE FINAL EMBRACE FOR MANY HILTON WORKERS. BETTER KNOWN TO GIGI SPENT 35 YEARS AT THIS HILTON WORKING AS A BELLMAN AND GUEST SERVICE AGENT. >> THIS IS MY LAST DAY TODAY. >> WE ARE ALL HEARTBROKEN RIGHT NOW. I SPENT MORE TIME HERE THAN IN MY HOUSE. SO IT IS VERY HIGH. >> Reporter: SUNDAY WAS THE LAST DAY FOR MANY HILTON WORKERS. GIGI SAYS IT WAS MORE THAN A JOB. ONE BIG FAMILY, ALL 152 WORKERS. >> YESTERDAY WE HAD A REUNION HERE FOR ALL THE OLD-TIMERS. WE WERE CRYING, YOU KNOW, HUGGING. WE WISHED EVERYBODY GOOD LUCK. >> MOST OF THE EMPLOYEES WORKED LONG TIME HERE. WE HAVE A LOT ON THE PLACE AS IT IS OUR SECOND HOME. >> I HAVE 150 PEOPLE THAT I KNOW AND WE WILL ALL BE LIKE SPLIT APART. I'VE BEEN OVER HERE FOR 20 YEARS. >> Reporter: HE THOUGHT HE WOULD RETIRE HERE. NOW THEY'RE LOOKING FOR NEW JOBS. >> ANY TIME A DOOR CLOSES, THERE'S A BETTER OPPORTUNITY ON THE OTHER SIDE. >> Reporter: AFTER 56 YEARS OF OPERATING NEXT TO THE AIRPORT. THEY BELIEVE IT'S THE RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC AND CRIME. LOSING THE RAIDERS AND THE WARRIORS LED TO FEWER SPORTS FANS BOOKING THE HOTEL. >> CRIME IS HIGH. AND THAT IT WILL BE TAKEN. >> Reporter: THE HOTEL SITS ON ABOUT 20 ACRES. 360 ROOMS. IT JOINS A GROWING LIST OF BUSINESSES THAT HAS LEFT OAKLAND. >> THAT'S MY FATHER'S LEGACY. I MEAN FOR DECADES, IT TOOK A LOT FOR THEM TO BUILD UP THE CORRIDOR AND THE PORT OF OAKLAND AND THE BUSINESSES. >> Reporter: THEY REPRESENT THE CORRIDOR WHERE SHE COULD NOT GET SOME OF THE ELECTED LEADERS TO DEVOTE MORE RESOURCES IN THIS AREA. >> I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE FAILING. I THINK IT'S CRUMBLING. THERE HAS BEEN A FAILURE OF COMMITMENT TO OUR DISTRICT, TO HAVING OUR BACK. >> Reporter: THEY WILL TAKE SOME TIME TO DO WITH IT. >> THAT IS MY CONCERN AND WHAT WILL HAPPEN WITH THE LARGE CAMPUS? WHAT TYPE OF PEOPLE WILL TAKE OVER THE PROPERTY? >> Reporter: THEY WORRY THEY WILL BREAK IN TO TAKE OVER THE BUILDINGS. THEY WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE PROPERTY AND HIS CITY. >> BYE. CIAO, ADIOS. >> Reporter: NO MORE HOTEL GUESTS AS WORKERS SAY THEY WILL STAY ON FOR A FEW MORE DAYS TO CLEAN UP THE SITE BEFORE THEY CLOSE ON WEDNESDAY. AND THERE IS ONE MORE BIG CLOSURE

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