City Hall, Tower

The City Center Building, known briefly as Centennial Tower, in the City Center district of downtown, is clearly visible as the tallest building in Hayward. It served as Hayward City Hall beginning in 1969, but is now abandoned. It was deemed unsafe after the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989, and city workers were moved to temporary facilities on Clawiter Road until the new City Hall opened in 1998.

The building was originally planned to have 20 floors and a cinema, but only 11 floors were built, with no cinema. Its top floor was the seat of municipal government and other floors were leased to businesses. It was nicknamed “the toaster” in the 1970s by its detractors. In the 1980s, the Plaza Center complex of retail and commercial businesses was built next to it, on the former grounds of Hayward Union High School.

The building was determined to be seismically unsafe. It was purchased by a private company, but later re-acquired by the City, and then deconstructed.  It will eventually be developed again.