Concord again seeks Master Developer for Weapons Station

CONCORD, CA (May 18, 2023) — The city of Concord needs to complete a Specific Plan and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) to create entitlements for the approximately 2,300 acres of the Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS) it expects to obtain from the Navy after agreeing to terms and a price.

To complete the negotiations, the Navy has requested that the city select a Master Developer to help prepare a financial analysis of the approved project. The Master Developer will pay for the costs of the Specific Plan, environmental studies, the property purchase and invest significant resources to bring required infrastructure (roads, water, sewer, electricity) to the CNWS site. The Master Developer will be required to spend tens of millions of dollars on project and land use planning and hundreds of millions of dollars on critical infrastructure and related improvements over the course of the 30- to 40-year project.

The city has twice sought a Master Developer and did not come to a successful conclusion for different reasons. We want an experienced Master Developer who can incorporate lessons learned from the previous efforts and prepare a responsive and financially feasible strategy for development of the CNWS Reuse Project. At our May 9 public meeting, the City Council unanimously directed staff to use lessons learned from the two earlier attempts into this process through a new Request for Qualification (RFQ).

The RFQ will allow us to select whom we identify as the most qualified to undertake preparation of a Specific Plan and environmental studies, and to design and install infrastructure needed for the planned development and undertake future development. It does not involve the preparation of future plan drawings – that would be at the later Specific Plan stage.

The city has an approved general Community Area Plan as the starting point for the next step of planning. We did the Community Area Plan done 10 years ago, and updates may be needed that would include public input sessions by the future Master Developer as they prepare a Specific Plan.

The RFQ seeks a Master Developer for the entire area assuming negotiated performance milestones are met. It provides extensive background information on the Reuse Project and its history, establishes our expectations for a successful project, identifies the qualifications we seek in a Master Developer and asks them to answer key questions about their approach to the project.

The Council reviewed the RFQ document, made some modifications and unanimously directed staff to move forward with the following tentative timeline:
May 15 issuance of the RFQ.

July 14 deadline for Master Developer candidate submittals.

Mid-late August public meeting for the City Council to review developers submittals (with confidential information removed). Council will select developers to interview, which could be all or some.

Late August/early September public meeting for developer interviews with City Council and final selection.

The goal is to select a Master Developer before the end of 2023. This will allow them the ability to start the Specific Plan and EIR in early 2024, leading to land-use entitlements, a Disposition & Development Agreement and an Economic Development Conveyance Agreement with the U.S. Navy in 2026.

More information can be found at https://www.concordreuseproject.org/DocumentCenter/Index/481.

Direct your questions and comments to the mayor at 925-671-3158 or Laura.Hoffmeister@cityofconcord.org.