The former military base Naval Weapons Station in Concord is still waiting for a master developer

The Naval Weapons Station in Concord, Contra Costa County, California is a former military base that was closed in 2005 and is now being planned for redevelopment. The project involves transforming 2,300 acres of the site into a mixed-use community with thousands of homes, commercial and retail centers, parks and open space and schools. The project is expected to take 40 years to complete and is considered the largest development project in the Bay Area.

However, the project has faced many challenges and delays over the years. The city of Concord has been searching for a master developer to lead the project since 2020, when it ended talks with Lennar Corporation over a labor dispute. In 2021, it selected Concord First Partners, a consortium of three developers led by Discovery Builders Inc., which is owned by the Seeno family3. But in January 2023, the city council voted to cut ties with Concord First Partners after learning about internal strife and legal battles within the Seeno family.

The city council said it had lost faith and trust in the Seenos because of their history of environmental and other legal violations.

The city is now starting fresh again in its search for a new master developer.

The Bay Area’s largest development project has hit yet another snag, as it seeks a new master developer to oversee its ambitious plans. The Concord City Council is faced with the daunting task of finding a new team to develop the Naval Weapons Station, a colossal undertaking that has been two decades in the making and is expected to take four more to complete.

This marks the third time in less than three years that the city will have to search for a new suitor. The previous master developer, Concord First Partners, was ousted by the council in January after reports surfaced of internal strife and legal battles involving the powerful Seeno family. The family’s Discovery Builders Inc. had spearheaded the consortium, along with Lewis Management and Oakland developer Phil Tagami’s California Capital & Investment Group.

With the Seenos out of the picture, the council is keen to find a new master developer who can be trusted to steer the project towards its completion. This will be no easy task, as the Naval Weapons Station project is a complex one that requires a team with a wealth of experience and expertise. The council is hopeful, however, that they will be able to find the right partner to make their vision a reality.

The Concord Naval Weapons Station, a sprawling 5,200-acre property that was abandoned by the US Navy in the late 1990s, is a place of great potential. Plans for a 2,300-acre portion of the land call for a brand new mini-city, featuring thousands of homes, retail centers, commercial space, schools, and open spaces.

But the development has not been without its challenges. After cutting ties with their second master developer in three years, the Concord City Council is embarking on a new search to find a worthy partner. The next step in this exciting journey is the drafting of a questionnaire to help narrow down the list of prospective developers. The council is leaving no stone unturned, and every possible precaution is being taken to ensure that the right developer is chosen.

This time, one key item all council members agreed on is requiring its next master developer to disclose litigation against them on a rolling basis. And with the city receiving interest from developers such as City Ventures, Brookefield Properties, and Lendlease, there is no shortage of candidates vying for the role of master developer.

With the council expected to approve the recommended questions by the end of April, the excitement is building as the city moves closer to finding the right partner to bring this dream project to life. The possibilities are endless, and the future of the Concord Naval Weapons Station is looking brighter than ever!