Concord Naval Weapons Station

Post Type

Concord Naval Weapons Station

About the Campaign

Equitable growth is coming to the decommissioned Concord Naval Weapons station. As part of the Community Coalition for a Sustainable Concord, we have ensured that 25% of homes will be affordable to very low and low-income families; 70% of the land will be preserved as parks and open space; and the development will include local hire and job training programs and dense development near public transit.

The City of Concord’s plan to redevelop the shuttered Concord Naval Weapons Station represents an opportunity — and a risk — as big as the station itself. At eight square miles, the station is the largest infill development site in the Bay Area. It’s bigger than Daly City, which is home to 100,000 people. By 2040, the station is expected to house nearly 30,000 residents and provide more than 25,000 permanent jobs.

The project’s scale and prominence demand a visionary approach. It must be fair to all residents — including those from lower-income households — environmentally sound and built for the future. Public Advocates is determined to help move Concord’s plans in the right direction. Our chief priority is ensuring that low-income communities and communities of color have access to affordable homes, quality jobs, reliable public transit, and healthy neighborhoods and parks.

Fortunately, we are not alone. In early 2008 Public Advocates joined the Community Coalition for a Sustainable Concord (CCSC), a broad group of housing, labor, faith-based, neighborhood, environmental and smart-growth organizations. The coalition’s diverse members quickly recognized that we shared a comprehensive vision to remake the former Weapons Station — one featuring affordable housing, quality jobs, transit-oriented development, green construction and open space. We also recognized the need for a transparent and responsive public process.

These hallmarks of high-quality smart growth are deeply interrelated. For example, while Public Advocates sees affordable housing as a matter of civil rights and equity, we also know that it is good for the economy and the environment, enabling low-income workers to live near their jobs and avoid lengthy commutes that pollute the air.

Public Advocates provides legal and policy expertise in the areas of environmental and civil rights requirements, affordable housing and transportation justice. We analyze planning and environmental documents with an eye for state and federal legal requirements, spearhead drafting of technical comment letters, and help our coalition partners identify and maximize strategic opportunities.