Concord City Council to discuss naval weapons station project Tuesday
CONCORD – The Concord City Council on Tuesday will host a study session on a conceptual land use plan to develop the former Concord Naval Weapons Station land and drafting an outreach program.
The city in September approved an exclusive agreement to negotiate (EAN) between the city and Brookfield Properties to develop the project.
The EAN allows for a 120-day initial negotiating period, to allow Brookfield to prepare and propose a term sheet to the city.
A city staff report for Tuesday's meeting says Brookfield is preparing a conceptual plan and financial details for a term sheet that still needs to be negotiated with the city.
The study session will provide the council and the public the chance to hear and comment on Brookfield's thoughts about a conceptual land use plan that could translate into a successful specific plan.
Brookfield will also map out its current and future plans for community outreach and phasing of the project.
The council will provide input Tuesday but won't take any action on the project.
The deal struck between Brookfield and the city in September specifies a 24-month period for the developer to complete a specific plan, environmental impact report, and a disposition and development agreement, all of which must be approved by the city.
If everything goes as planned, the city will seek the approval of the U.S. Navy - still the property owner - when the 24 months are up.
The city selected Brookfield to be the project's new master developer in August.
Development of the site has been the city's biggest issue since the Navy abandoned it in 1999. The city wants to develop the available 2,350 acres into 13,000 units of housing and millions of square feet of commercial space.
About half of the original 5,046-acre site will become a new park in the East Bay Regional Park District named Thurgood Marshall Regional Park - Home of the Port Chicago 50.
This is the third time the city has tried moving forward with a master developer for the former base. A deal with Lennar FivePoint collapsed in March 2020 when Lennar couldn't reach agreements with local labor unions, one of the city's conditions.
The city's agreement with Seeno-owned Concord First Partners fell apart in January 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.
The Concord City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the council chamber at city hall, 1950 Parkside Drive in Concord. The meeting can be seen remotely online.