A converted artists’ warehouse in Oakland that burned in 2016 and killed 36 people has been acquired by a nonprofit community development organization.

FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2016, file photo is the front of The Ghost Ship warehouse damaged from a deadly fire in Oakland, Calif. Relatives of some of the 36 partygoers killed at a San Francisco Bay Area warehouse fire say prosecutors told them Derick Almena, who is accused of illegally converting the warehouse into a cluttered artists enclave, is expected to plead guilty later this month. The victims' relatives told the East Bay Times that Almena is expected to plead guilty to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter on Jan. 22, 2021, ahead of his second trial. Derick Almena, 50, pleaded guilty to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter in exchange for a 12-year sentence. The jury also found co-defendant Max Harris, who was the Ghost Ship's “creative director” and would collect rent, not guilty at the same trial.

Almena, 50, was released from the Santa Rita Jail after a teleconference hearing Monday, the Alameda County Sheriff's office said. (Alameda County Sheriff's Office via AP, File)OAKLAND, Calif. – A man facing a second trial after a fire killed 36 partygoers at a San Francisco Bay Area warehouse he’s accused of illegally converting into a cluttered artists enclave is expected to plead guilty later this month, relatives of several of the victims said. Derick Almena, 50, is expected to plead guilty to 36 counts of involuntary manslaughter on Jan. 22, families of several fire victims told the East Bay Times Wednesday. Almena is charged in the Dec. 2, 2016, fire that swept through an electronic music party at the so-called Ghost Ship warehouse in Oakland. He remains on house arrest with an ankle monitor in the city of Upper Lake, where he lives with his wife and children.

OAKLAND, Calif. Oakland will pay $32.7 million to settle lawsuits filed over a 2016 fire at an illegally converted warehouse dubbed the Ghost Ship that killed 36 people, the city announced Thursday. The City Council authorized settlements of lawsuits filed by the families of 32 victims. The amount also includes more than $9 million for Sam Maxwell, who survived the blaze but will live with severe, lifelong injuries and major medical expenses, a city statement said. This was a horrific tragedy that deeply impacted every corner of our community, said the statement from the city attorneys office. The city doesnt acknowledge any liability in the agreement but decided to settle because of the possible legal costs, the statement said.