Oakland building once dubbed ‘Radio Central' flops into loan default

OAKLAND — A century-old downtown Oakland building once known as “Radio Central” has tumbled into a loan default, a financial setback that suggests the city’s real estate ailments have yet to run their course.

The office and retail building at 464 19th St. is in default on a $2.4 million loan that has become delinquent, documents filed on May 4 with the Alameda County Recorder’s Office show.

Warren Malnick, described on his LinkedIn page as a developer, manages the affiliate that owns the two-story, 11,800-square-foot building, state business records show. Over the decades, the ground floor often was leased to a retailer.

The building at the corner of 19th Street and Broadway in the Uptown district has a rich history, according to the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame.

Constructed in 1923 for Harvey Lyon, owner of Lyon Moving & Storage, the building’s design was crafted by Edward Foulkes, who was the architect for the landmark Tribune Tower, another historic Oakland building that’s in default.

From 1936 through 1964, Oakland radio station KROW and its successor KABL operated in the building.

Notable personalities such as Don Sherwood and Russ Coughlan worked for one of the radio stations that operated on the second floor, according to the Bay Area Radio Hall of Fame. Comedian Phyllis Diller once was a copywriter for KROW before turning to stand-up comedy.

The loan default extends wide-ranging financial setbacks that have descended on numerous office, apartment, and hotel buildings in downtown Oakland.

Slumping values, delinquent loans and foreclosures still haunt numerous commercial properties throughout Oakland.

The money woes might also morph into difficulties for an array of government agencies if the financial nosedive erodes property values and reduces revenue streams for cities and other local public entities.

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This story was originally published May 5, 2026 at 9:40 AM.