3620 San Pablo Avenue (Now Nellie Hannon Gateway)
Auto dealerships began spreading rapidly across the American landscape in the years following World War I, driven by a convergence of mass production, installment credit, and changing urban land-use patterns.
In Emeryville, San Pablo Avenue became part of this transformation, developing into a corridor lined with auto dealerships, parts retailers, service stations, garages, and repair shops.
Around 1925, a concrete and steel commercial building was constructed here at 3620 San Pablo Avenue, purpose-built for automotive use. Among its earliest known tenants was Hooper Chevrolet, managed by S. L. Hooper. Period advertising praised the structure as an “excellent building, with attractive salesrooms and a well-fitted service department.”
By 1930, the space was occupied by Glikbarg Motor Company, a dealer specializing in reconditioned automobiles. During the early years of the Great Depression, the building briefly housed the Auto Insurance Clearing House, which repurposed the space to sell used office furniture and equipment. By 1950, records indicate the property was owned by Bear Photo Service.
From 1952 to 1957, the building was home to Joe’s Furniture, a retailer selling furniture and appliances under the slogan “Buy from Joe, save dough.” The business closed when the building changed hands in 1957.
At roughly the same time, just across Emeryville’s southern border, the El Rey Burlesque Theater faced displacement due to the planned construction of the MacArthur Freeway. Its owner, Peter De Cenzie, sought to relocate the theater to the vacant building at 3620 San Pablo Avenue. The proposal drew strong opposition from community groups, including the Emery Unified PTA, and the application was ultimately withdrawn.
Over the following decades, the building entered a period of shifting commercial and light-industrial use. It was leased by Acme Scale Co., Inc. in 1964, followed by K & K Auto Supply in 1969. By 1975, it housed Genuine Ceramic Discount Tile, and by 1981 it served as a factory for the Berkeley Design Shop, which manufactured furniture on site.
Around 2018, Golden Gate Key & Lock returned to Emeryville after operating across the Oakland border for roughly 17 years. Their return was short-lived. In 2019, the City of Emeryville acquired the property as part of a plan to redevelop the site for affordable housing, requiring Golden Gate Key & Lock to relocate once again—this time directly across the street to 3617 San Pablo Avenue.
By the time the building was demolished in 2023, it had fallen into significant disrepair. The affordable housing development that now occupies the site was completed in 2025, marking the latest chapter in a property that spent nearly a century adapting to Emeryville’s changing economy.
