22 Mar Concord Accepts Term Sheet for Former Naval Weapons Station Development

Land, formally part of the Concord Naval Weapons Station, and downtown Concord seen looking west from Bailey Road in Concord on April 5, 2021. (Ray Saint Germain / Bay City News)

By Tony Hicks
Bay City News

The Concord City Council on Tuesday accepted a term sheet for the development of the former Naval Weapons Station from Brookfield Properties — a plan the developer would do in five phases spread over 40 years, with extensive community benefits and union involvement that critics said were lacking from the previous two master developers.

The 2,300-acre site will feature 12,200 homes, 6 million square feet of commercial space and 880 acres of green space.

The adjacent 2,600 acres to the east has been gifted to the East Bay Regional Park District for the new Thurgood Marshall Regional Park – Home of the Port Chicago 50.

The developer’s plan calls for 25% of the housing to be designated affordable for the area, a significant amount in the pricey East Bay.

“I like the idea that our good friends at Brookfield are sticking their neck into the business (of affordable housing),” said Concord Mayor Edi Birsan. “I think that’s great.”

The council’s initial exclusive negotiating agreement with Brookfield was also extended Tuesday, giving the developer up to 48 months to negotiate with the U.S. Navy, which abandoned the base in 1999 and still owns the land, though it designated the city as the land’s reuse authority.

The higher density housing would be near state Highway 4 and most of the commercial development would be at the western end, near the North Concord BART station.

The plan also includes a restoration of Mount Diablo Creek, green buffers and trails between phases and lower density housing on the southern end of the land, where bunkers are now located.

The plan also commits to improvements to current infrastructure, such as a widening of Willow Pass Road.

Brookfield has already entered agreements with Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council and the Nor Cal Carpenters Union to do all the construction. This was a requirement of the city and a sticking point with first master builder Lennar FivePoint, with whom the city’s initial deal collapsed in March 2020.

The city’s agreement with Seeno-owned Concord First Partners fell apart in January 2023 when the council rejected CFP’s term sheet after community members widely criticized CFP’s requests to amend the agreement, giving them early property rights and reimbursement of costs should the deal fall through.

Brookfield will also dedicate 4 acres of housing for unsheltered people, 10 acres to expand local food banks, and will contribute land for a future veterans hall.

Over the life of the 40-year agreement, Brookfield has also agreed to spend $100 million on local sports parks, $65 million toward a community center/library, and contribute 55 acres for schools. As master developer, Brookfield will receive $6 billion.

Once Brookfield has in deal in the place with the Navy — which still has to clean the site from years of industrial use — the developer has to come up with a specific plan and environmental reports.

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