The saga of the Craneway is strange indeed. After a highly touted and well-attended grand opening on March 23-24, there has been little sign of life at the Craneway, despite Darlene Vendegna declaring, “thousands of Richmond residents are thrilled to have this entertainment venue coming to enliven the area,” and, “ …it's going to be a great boon for Richmond. I'll certainly be looking for places to eat and drink after spending a few hours playing. Imagine Richmond as a Pickleball Mecca for folks visiting the Bay Area.”

Craneway April 4, 2024, at 5:15 PM

Craneway April 2, 2024

Craneway on March 31, 2024


Craneway March 28, 2024

In addition to all the other mysteries, there is evidence that the ABC liquor licenses for the Craneway may have been based on falsified documents and erroneously issued.

Using documents from the City of Richmond and the ABC, I have tried to track the history of the City of Richmond CUPs and ABC State of California permits for the Craneway.

I have come to the preliminary conclusion that Orton Development, Inc./Orton Entertainment, LLC, does not have a legitimate ABC permit to sell alcoholic beverages outside the Craneway, except in a limited area adjacent to Assemble Restaurant. I believe that Orton Development, Inc./Orton Entertainment, LLC, does not have a Conditional Use Permit to sell alcoholic beverages outside the Craneway and that they may have fabricated an approved plan in order to apply for an ABC permit.

Below is a summary of licenses form the ABC website:

Note that while the ABC license is held by Orton Entertainment, which also holds a City of Richmond Business license, Contra Costa Health Servies shows the Owner/Operator of Assemble Kitchen is PB Development Groip., which has neither a liquor license nor a valid business license.

Initial CUP (CU/V/DR 1100454) 2004

The initial CUP (CU/V/DR 1100454) was approved August 5, 2004. It was a Master Conditional Use Permit that allowed, among other uses, a “jazz club,” 3,000 to 6,000 square feet and a “restaurant with culinary school,” 5,000 to 10,000 square feet.” It included, “It is anticipated that some of the building’s uses, such as the restaurant and jazz club, would partially spill into the open Craneway, which would be retained as an expansive interior open space with broad views of San Francisco, Angel island and the City of Oakland’s downtown in the distance.”

The original issue date of an ABC license for Orton Development, Inc. was June 24, 2009. It was set to expire on May 31. 2012.

As Orton Development, Inc. was in the application process, proof was needed that the use had been approved by the City of Richmond. On March 19, 2008, Senior Planner Judith Battle wrote the ABC:

I am writing to confirm that the site located at 1414 Harbour Way South in Richmond, California, was approved on August 4, 2004, for a Master Conditional Use (CU 1100454) permit to allow retail, restaurant, bar, and event and public gathering space. That approval listed specific uses (listed on page 2 of the attached CU 1100454 staff report) approved and ranges of square footages approved. Specifically, the approval included a jazz club and bar area of up to 6,000 square feet.

As I was the principal planner for the City of Richmond at the time of this approval, I am writing to confirm that the Planning Commission unanimously approved the Master CUP which includes on-premises sale and consumption of alcohol for the jazz club/bar area of up to 6,000 square feet.

CUP 1104689 and ABC License 459607

On May 16, 2008, Orton Development, Inc. received Conditional use Permit CU1104689 allowing alcohol sales, “as illustrated on the revised Exhibit A, dated May 16, 2008 (see below). Exhibit A does not show any outside dining area.

Subsequently, Orton development, Inc. obtained ABC License No. 47-459607 on May 31, 2010, set to expire on May 31, 2012.

License Transfer Orton Development, Inc. to Orton Entertainment, LLC 2012

Beginning in 2011, Orton Development, Inc. started the process of transferring the license for “Craneway Pavilion/Boilerhouse Restaurant” to Orton Entertainment, LLC. The premises was as indicated below. The transfer was complete on December 22, 2011, and became License No. 517773 issued May 11, 2012, expiring April 30, 2025.

Note that there is no outside dining on the pier.

License Expansion to Include 36’ x 17’ Outdoor Patio 2011

In 2011, Orton Entertainment, LLC. requested to expand the premises to include  “outdoor patio located at the rear of the premises measures approximately 36’ x 17’. This was the limited area adjacent to and east of Boiler House/Assemble Restaurant.

Modification to CUP 2013

In 2013, Orton Entertainment, LLC,  applied to the City of Richmond for a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) modification to all “Outdoor Dining and Alcohol Sales (Craneway and Assemble Restaurant at 1414 Harbour Way South. On September 10, 2013, Orton was notified the modification to his CUP was approved (see below).


From Planning Commission Agenda: APN 560-181-103 is the Ford Building, including Assemble Restaurant, not the Craneway, which has a different APN.

February 2, 2009, HPDC

ABC License Revision Request of 2013

In 2013, Orton Entertainment, LLC,  without approval by the City, sent a revised site plan to ABC (received October 6, 2013, by ABC and December 10, 2013, by ABC) showing the dining area expanded onto the pier.

2015 ABC License Revision

On February 5, 2015, Orton Entertainment LLC was issued a license that referenced the “September 5, 2013, amended Conditional Use Permit.”

Violation and Penalty of 2017

In 2017 at a rave, an underaged person was served an alcoholic beverage. Orton Entertainment settled by paying a $3,000 fine.

Based on a document production pursuant to the California Public Records Act, the latest revision of the license issued to Orton Entertainment, LLC, has a number of conditions that were violated when the Craneway opened for pickleball on March 23, 2024, and thereafter:

• The premises have been changed by constructing 12 pickleball courts, constructing a bar and covering up the historic railroad tracks.

• No notification was provided to the Richmond Police Department.

• Here were not separate cups for beverages, and IDs were not checked.

Finally, it appears that Orton Entertainment sought and received a license modification for outdoor dining on the pier without evidence of City approval.