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Concord Naval Weapons Station.

The former Naval Weapons Station in Concord, CA is directly to the east of the Dana Estates Neighborhood. The Concord Naval Weapons Station is slated for a major redevelopment.

After the initial development process with Lennar fell apart. The Concord City Council is working to find a new developer to create a workable plan for the development of the project. Documents related to the project can be found at http://concordreuseproject.org/.

This is a collection of the posts regarding the Concord Naval Weapons Station.

Concord Seeking New Developer for Naval Weapons Station

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Moon rising over concord naval weapons station photo by peter maclennan
Moon rising over Concord Naval Weapons Station by Peter Maclennan

The San Francisco Business Times is reporting that the City of Concord is on the hunt for a new developer for 2,300 acres of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS).

The city has put an accelerated timeline on the RFQ process. With the RFQ slated to be released on April 16th and responses due by potential developers by June 16th.

The City has some stringent demands for any potential developer:

In the new RFQ, the city stipulates that bidders have to honor Concord’s 40% local hire policy; pay prevailing wages on all construction to avoid driving down area wage standards; and utilize a training and employment program for military veterans. Respondents also must explain how they intend to maximize business opportunities for local companies.

SF Business Times

The requirements of local hire and prevailing wage (union wages) will likely increase the costs to any potential developer.

As well, “The city expects the selected developer to rehabilitate a number of community facilities and build two new ones on land set aside for a veteran’s facility,” likely adding additional costs to the project.

The East Bay Times reports that the transfer won’t take place until the Navy has completed their cleanup.

The U.S. Navy, meanwhile, will be responsible for cleaning up toxic chemicals that may have built up at the site over its years as a weapons station. The Environmental Protection Agency is currently assessing the site’s soil for PFAS, a highly toxic fluorinated chemical.

Hopefully, this process is smoother and without the ugliness of the previous process.

“No Deal” on Concord Naval Weapons Station

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At a video meeting on Tuesday March 24, 2020 the Concord City Council voted against extending the exclusive negotiating agreement with Lennar to be the Master Developer of the Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS).

According the the SF Business Times:

The city and the Contra Costa Building Trades Council have been at loggerheads with Lennar for several months over how much union labor the developer would use on the $5 billion project.

SF Business Times

It is unclear what the path forward will be after this vote.

By refusing to extend an exclusive negotiating agreement with Lennar that expires next week and rejecting demands the developer made in January, the council effectively sent the project back to the drawing board.

EastBayTimes.com

The City is going to review the impact of COVID-19 on the city’s finances and also on the Bay Area economy.

Help Decide the New Regional Park Name

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As part of the Concord Naval Weapons Station redevelopment, a new park is being formed. The City of Concord and East Bay Regional Park District is seeking input on the new name for the park. It is currently being called the Concord Hills Regional Park.

Concord Residents can take the survey here that will help the Park District determine the permanent name for the park. Voting is open until March 9, 2020.

About the Concord Hills Regional Park

The new park, will encompass approximately 2,540 acres when completed. It will include future amenities such as a visitor center, staging areas, public access points, and miles of recreational trails for hiking, biking, and nature viewing.

In July of 2019 a ceremony for the transfer of 2,216 acres from the Navy to the Park Service occurred. Currently, the park is in land bank status and not available to the public.

The East Bay Regional Park District has made a brochure on the draft plan for the park available.

The full EIR plan is also available from the East Bay Regional Park District.

Update – Concord Naval Weapons Station News 1/9/2020

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We wrote earlier this week that the stalled negotiations between Lennar and the Building Trades Council were going before the Concord City Council regarding the amount of union labor to be used on the Concord Naval Weapons Station.

According to the East Bay Times, the City Council approved a motion to have the two sides return to the negotiating table. The issue remains unresolved and it remains to be seen whether Lennar will stay involved in the project or will decide to withdraw.

According to the East Bay Times article:

Lennar has already stopped work on it, having halted in October the $37,000 per month it was paying city staff for the redevelopment planning.

In an earlier article, the East Bay Times had reported that the City of Concord is having to pay out of pocket the staffing costs that were associated with the development of this project.

Because Lennar in October refused to continue paying for city staff to work on the project’s draft specific plan and environmental impact report until the project labor agreement issue is settled, the city staff who was working on the project have been redirected to work on other city things, where possible. But the city has to pay the $37,000 per month to sustain them while Lennar has halted funds.

Additionally, the city has to bear the cost to respond to three requests that the Building Trades Council made under the public records act for information about the project’s financial feasibility model and other documents and communications. So far, the city has spent about $50,000 to search, review and produce documents for the public records act requests.

If you were on the City Council, how would you have responded? Enter your comments below.

Having a knowledgeable and experienced real estate broker on your side helps protect your interests and ensure you make the best possible decisions. We are dedicated to keeping on top of the real estate market and keeping you informed of changes. You can rest easily knowing you made a well-informed decision based on experience and insight into the Concord California market.

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Concord Naval Weapons Station News – 01/06/2020

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Concord Naval Weapons Station News

The Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS) is back in the news and on the agenda for the Concord City Council.

The main issue is the negotiation of a labor agreement between the developer, Lennar Concord, and the Contra Costa Building Trades Council.

The Problem

According to SFGate.com:

With the lead developer for the Concord Naval Weapon Station re-use project at an impasse with a labor consortium over construction labor agreements, the Concord City Council will soon have to decide whether that developer is living up to terms to have those agreements in place.

SFGate.com

Developer’s Perspective

According to a report written by City of Concord staff:

Lennar believes that it cannot afford the level of union labor sought by the Building Trades Council for the first phase of the project, while the labor representatives insist that previous city councils committed to including all the trades in a project labor agreement and that Concord would benefit economically from an agreement that commits the developer to hire locally and to provide training for veterans.

Eastbaytimes.com

Lennar may decide to resign as the master developer if the expected costs exceed any potential profit. Which could cause delays:

Creating a new development plan, which would likely have to happen if there is a new developer, would cost “significant” additional time and more tax dollars, according to report prepared by Guy Bjerke, the city’s director of community reuse planning. It also could complicate the transfer of the land from the Navy for the redevelopment.

EastBayTimes.com

Labor’s Perspective

Aram Hodess, retired business manager for Business Manager at Plumbers and Steamfitters 159 who has been working with the Building Trades Council on negotiations, said Lennar is going back on its promises to hire union labor for as much of the project as it previously said.

“If an enormous project like this is built non-union, it will result in lowering of wages in Contra Costa of organized workers,” Hodess said. “It couldn’t help but do that.”

EastBayTimes.com

Ramifications

It appears have already caused delays with the Navy’s transfer of the property to the City of Concord:

The Navy is awaiting a resolution of the project labor agreement issue, and progress on a draft specific plan on the former weapons station land, to resume negotiations with the city of Concord for formal transfer of the land to the city.

SFGate.com

The City Council will be tasked to try to resolve the impasse:

At its Tuesday Jan. 7 meeting, the City Council is scheduled to address this impasse between the Contra Costa County Building and Construction Trades Council and Lennar Concord, LLC, the chosen lead developer of the Concord Community Reuse Project.

Patch.com

News Sources:

We would love to hear your comments below. What do you think the City Council should do?

Is Concord Naval Weapons Station a Prospective CSU Campus Site?

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According to a recent CBS report, the former Concord Naval Weapons Station is currently under consideration to be the newest campus location for California State University. Concord was announced on Tuesday as one of five potential CSU locations by California Assemblymember Timothy Grayson (D-Concord) and state Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Orinda).

Concord has been granted $2 million by the state of California to conduct a feasibility study for the proposed location. The city has already established 120 acres in the northeast corner of the base for public higher education, making the CSU campus an ideal geographical fit for the location. Locations competing with Concord for the CSU bid include San Mateo, Stockton, Chula Vista and Palm Desert.

Want to stay in the loop? Follow our Concord Real Estate blog for updates on the Concord Naval Weapons Station and other local real estate news.

Concord Real Estate News – August 22, 2018

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concord real estate news for 08/21/2018

News Related to Concord Real Estate

Developers Sue the U.S. Navy over Naval Weapons Station

Well this is interesting. According to the SF Business Times, the U.S. Navy, current owner of the Concord Naval Weapons Station, is being sued by multiple developers on the grounds that they violated the Environmental Protection Act.

A group of developers and property owners filed a lawsuit to challenge the U.S. Navy’s environmental clearance to transfer nearly 5,000 acres of land at the former Concord Naval Weapons Station.

San Francisco Business Times

Homeowners with Lots of Equity

The Sacramento Bee reports that California homeowners have lots of equity in their homes because of the recent growth in prices. 

Boosted by soaring home prices, California homeowners are now sitting on the richest vein of home equity in the nation, hundreds of thousands of dollars per home in most cases, an analysis shows.

The Sacramento Bee

Home Remodeling is up 30% in 5 Years

According to a HousingWire.com article remodeling has surged 30% in the last 5 years. 

Home remodeling continues to increase in frequency as more Baby Boomers are electing to age in place and even Gen Xers opt to improve their current homes rather than trading up to newer ones.

HousingWire.com

Having a knowledgeable and experienced real estate broker on your side helps protect your interests and ensure you make the best possible decisions. We are dedicated to keeping on top of the real estate market and keeping you informed of changes. You can rest easily knowing you made a well-informed decision based on experience and insight into the Concord California market.

homes for sale in concord ca
Concord CA Real Estate Map Search

Concord District Elections

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The first elections after Concord was forced to convert to district voting instead of citywide voting is coming up. The Dana Estates Neighborhood is located in Concord’s District 1. According to the Concord Pioneer, there will be three candidates running for the District 1 Council seat.

The issue of city council is important as much of the Concord Naval Weapons Station and the Reuse Plan falls within the borders of district 1.

Residents of Dana Estates will need to have a city council member that understands the concerns of Dana Estates, but that can also make a difference on those issues with their vote.  Read more about the candidates via the Pioneer below.

Trouble on The Naval Weapons Station’s CAC?

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Proposed Phase 1 of Concord Naval Weapons Station Reuse

Trouble on The Naval Weapons Station’s CAC?

The East Bay Times is reporting that a former City Council Member and chairman of the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) resigned from the committee this week.

Former councilman Dan Helix abruptly resigned last week from the committee advising the city on plans for the first phase of development of the Concord Naval Weapons Station.

According to the article, Mr. Helix is concerned that the members of the CAC was not properly educated and informed by the staff as to the process and the zoning uses.

“I hope out of this that someone will say we need to slow down, we need to schedule more small group study sessions, we need to make sure everyone is understanding, then we can
forge ahead,” Helix said.

Local politics are never without their excitement.

It looks like the developer is still trying to push a road through Dana Estates at Beechwood Dr. (see page 58 of the plan as indicated by a black arrow). The designation says “Pedestrian & Other Possible Connections” (emphasis added). The Concord Reuse Project Website has agendas and other items available online.

Dana Estates Residents should reach out to the Concord City Council with your thoughts on the CNWS project.

City Council citycouncil@cityofconcord.org

 

 

DENA Neighborhood Meeting Notes from October 23, 2017

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One of the things that makes Dana Estates Real Estate and the Dana Estates Neighborhood so special is the Dana Estates Neighborhood Alliance (DENA). DENA holds two meetings a year, one in the Spring and one in the Fall. The 2017 Fall Meeting was held on October 23, 2017 at the First Lutheran Church in Concord. The meeting was attended by neighbors and some of the Concord City Council attended as well. Here is a summary of the meeting.

Dana Estates Neighborhood Meeting Edited

DENA Neighborhood Meeting Notes

The meeting started with a few business items, including a welcome from DENA Chair, a thank you to all the volunteers that make DENA possible, a donation update, and information on the election of the DENA board. Check the DENA website for voting information in mid-November.

Next, there was a small update on Neighborhood Watch. It only takes about 10 neighbors to start a neighborhood watch. In general an organizer is needed and a place to meet. Contact the DENA neighborhood watch coordinator through the DENA website.

Concord Naval Weapons Station

An update on the Concord Naval Weapons Station reuse was shared. The Naval Weapons Station was part of a bid by the City of Concord and 4 other cities in the Bay Area to lure Amazon’s HQ2. Some interesting reports and information were shared about Concord.

Also in the update came a reminder that as the neighborhood immediately adjacent to the Naval Weapons Station, Dana Estates Residents need to consistently weigh in with the Concord City Council and Community Advisory Committee. The developer has proposed changes to the design, the phasing, and even the placement of some of the roads within the development. (The developer would like to connect Beechwood Drive to the development as a street with automobile traffic, not just a walking path.)

The next Community Advisory Committee Meeting is November 7th at 6:00pm. Stay tuned to the Concord City Council’s webpage for updates on when the CNWS will next be on the agenda.

Concord Connect App

The City of Concord has a great app for Apple and Google users to download on their smartphones. The Concord Connect App “allows you to connect directly with City of Concord staff in order to more effectively resolve issues in your community.”

Council members informed the meeting that it is a great way to report potholes on Concord Roads and for reporting nuisance items. Because the app is connected directly with the city, problems can get placed in a queue for resolution. While resolution isn’t immediate, submitting either online or through the app may speed the process.

Code Enforcement & Concord Police Update

Attendees at the meeting received an update from Concord Code Enforcement. Two main functions of code enforcement are dealing with 1) private property issues and 2) Neighborhood Watch.

The District Commander from the City of Concord shared some wonderful crime prevention suggestions:

  • Make areas light outside of your home.
  • Burglars are often coming in the daytime.
  • Keep garage door openers in your purse and not in your car if parked outside overnight.
  • Don’t leave valuables or anything that looks valuable (including kids’ backpacks) in the car.
  • Don’t walk with your phone in your hand.
  • Vacation checks for mail or newspaper may actually lead to theft.
  • Police VIPS will do a vacation check
  • Utilize Amazon Locker Service at local grocery store to prevent package theft during the holidays.

City of Concord’s 150th Anniversary

Next year is the City of Concord’s 150th Anniversary of its founding.

The Concord Historical Society is celebrating the upcoming 150th anniversary of Concord with a statue of Don Salvio Pacheco, Concord’s founder. The statue will be unveiled in Todo Santos Plaza on July 4th, 2018. There will be a brick patio surrounding it, and the Concord Historical Society is inviting you to become part of the city’s history by ordering a commemorative brick engraved with your name or sentiment. Check out their website for more info.

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