Concord City Council meeting to address selection of new master developer for one of the largest redevelopment project

Concord, California – In the midst of World War II, the Concord Naval Weapons Station was erected as a critical component of America’s military industrial complex. Its strategic location near the Sacramento River allowed it to quickly and efficiently supply armaments to the Port Chicago .

Now, the city of Concord is gearing up for a momentous decision as its City Council prepares to hold a study session to discuss the future of one of the Bay Area’s most significant redevelopment projects. The discussion will center around the Concord Naval Weapons Station, a former military base whose transformation into a commercial and residential hub has been the subject of debate and negotiations for years.

The City Council’s vote in January to reject the term sheet with Seeno Homes-owned Concord First Partners (CFP) added a new layer of complexity to the ongoing development process. As the city’s exclusive negotiating agreement with Seeno Homes expires, the council’s discussion is expected to provide clarity on the city’s next steps towards selecting a new master developer.

As the Concord City Council takes on the role of the Local Reuse Authority, it must make some critical decisions regarding the future development of the sprawling 2,275-acre site in the city’s northeast region that was formerly the Concord Naval Weapons Station. The future of this property, which was abandoned by the Navy in 1999, is being hotly debated in the city since it was announced that it would be redeveloped. The council’s primary focus is to decide on the selection of a new master developer to oversee the site’s development, which will feature approximately 13,000 units of housing and millions of square feet of commercial space.

The council’s January rejection of Seeno Homes-owned Concord First Partners (CFP) term sheet, one of the largest redevelopment projects in Bay Area history, has put the city’s exclusive negotiating agreement with Seeno to rest. One of the main factors contributing to the rejection was CFP’s request for early property rights and reimbursement of costs in case the deal fell through. The council’s upcoming study session on Tuesday aims to direct the city staff on new term sheet parameters and ways to select a new master developer. Following this, the staff will bring their findings back to the council on April 23, and if given the green light, a new request for qualifications will be sent to potential developers.

The meeting is scheduled to take place at the Concord City Council chambers at city hall, located at 1950 Parkside Drive, in Concord, starting at 6:30 p.m. The meeting is open to the public, but it can also be attended virtually by following the link: https://bit.ly/3JbDT5l.