Opinion: Concord has made major progress on weapons station development

In Concord, we have spent 18 years on an ambitious journey to turn a closed military base, the former Concord Naval Weapons Station, into a world-class development that integrates with our existing community. This endeavor involves 5,000 acres of land that lacks essential infrastructure, such as roads, water and electricity.

Developing the property requires collaboration with federal, state and local agencies. The process is complicated, time-consuming and expensive but necessary to realize the vision. When complete, 30-40 years from now, this new part of Concord will be home to 28,000 residents, 16,000 permanent jobs and 3,300 acres of parklands and open space.

The East Bay Times on Monday published an article stating that nothing had been accomplished in the last 18 years and that the city was “in the hole” for $40 million. Both statements are false, and here’s why:

• Through a community-driven process, we have created a plan for a balanced, transit-oriented development that includes commercial development and the thousands of homes. This vision has become our roadmap. Together with the resulting environmental documents, it provides the legally required support for the U.S. Navy’s transfer of the land ownership and the city’s land-use development efforts.

• The creation of a large regional park required studies focused on protecting wetlands, endangered species and native sites. As a result of that work, the East Bay Regional Park District received 2,600 acres from the Navy in 2019 at no cost. This land is now known as “Thurgood Marshall Regional Park — Home of the Port Chicago 50.” And Contra Costa County will ultimately receive 75 acres for a first-responder training facility, also at no charge to them.

• The city is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other agencies to monitor the Navy’s cleanup of contaminated sites on the property. Cleanup is required to transfer the property into non-military ownership.

• In the past, we’ve stumbled working with master developers to realize the community’s vision for the base. However, the City Council recently entered a partnership with master developer Brookfield Properties. Now, Brookfield and the city are working together to negotiate land transfer from the Navy and secure approval of the project’s necessary federal, state and local entitlements. While this will be a long, complicated process, we anticipate success with this partnership.

These critical steps, and many others, required staff and council time, and support from technical experts. This work was accomplished with project investments of approximately $39 million over the past 18 years. Of this, about $24 million was from federal and regional grants, redevelopment funding and master developer payments — none of which requires repayment. The balance, $14.6 million, is a loan from the city to the project that will be repaid by the project with interest.

Brookfield will be reimbursing the city for all project costs including staff time going forward. Reimbursement is a regular practice the city uses for large developments ensuring all risk for failure is borne by the applicant and not Concord taxpayers.

Everyone has a particular part of this project they are eager to see happen sooner rather than later. Whether it is affordable housing, a veteran’s hall, community center/library, tournament sports park or the campus district, these community benefits can only be realized if a project is approved and can be built. The city and its consulting team are working on all the elements required to gain those approvals.

A project as large and significant as the redevelopment of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station requires time to get it right. The city is proud of the progress we’ve made so far, and we look forward to working with Brookfield and our community in the pursuit of a world-class development.

Valerie Barone is city manager of Concord.