June 13, 2014
By Sam Tepperman-Gelfant
Redevelopment of the Concord Naval Weapons Station reached another milestone this week when the City narrowed down to four the list of master developers it is considering partnering with. Build-out of the Weapons Station will require massive infrastructure improvements – including water, sewer, roads, transit, and electrical systems – so the master developer will have its work cut out for it. All four finalists have experience with large-scale developments.
Public Advocates and our partners in the Community Coalition for a Sustainable Concord will be watching and partnering with the master developer at every step of the way to make real the commitments we won in the Weapons Station reuse plan to 25% affordable housing (3000+ units), transit-served neighborhoods, open space remediation and protection, and quality jobs.
It’s worth noting that while one developer quoted in the newspaper sounds eager to build single family homes, the Community Coalition successfully advocated for a plan that emphasizes dense walkable and affordable neighborhoods instead of large estate homes. More than two-thirds of the 12,000 new homes on the site will be apartments, condos, and townhouses.
Next up, the four finalists will submit development proposals by October, and the City expects to narrow the field to two by January. The Community Coalition remains strong and is standing by to ensure that whichever developer comes out on top, the community’s priorities are fully incorporated into development when shovels hit dirt. Development of homes and neighborhoods can take years – or in the case of Concord, decades – and making sure that the development is equitable requires unflagging attention and advocacy from the social justice community.
