Concord inches closer to building master-planned community on old Navy base

Concord inches closer to building master-planned community on old Navy base

 Concord city leaders took a major step late Tuesday night toward transforming a massive piece of land into an entirely new section of the city.

CONCORD, Calif. - Concord city leaders took a major step late Tuesday night toward transforming a massive piece of land into an entirely new section of the city.

$628 million 

What we know:

The Concord City Council voted unanimously to approve a financial agreement with the U.S. Navy, clearing the way for developer Brookfield Properties to build a master-planned community at the site of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station.

Visible from Highway 4, the sprawling property has been vacant since the Navy closed it in 2009, though the military branch still owns the land. 

For years, the city of Concord has attempted to negotiate with both the Navy and various developers to revitalize the area. 

Under the newly approved agreement, the property developer will pay the Navy $628 million over a 30-year period to develop the land.

The ambitious initial proposal calls for the construction of 12,000 new homes, businesses, schools, fire stations, and approximately 800 acres of parkland. 

Old Concord Naval weapons station along Highway 4. 

Significant hurdles

Big picture view:

However, significant hurdles remain before construction can begin.

The site, which was used to store weapons during World War II, has been designated a "Superfund" site due to the presence of toxic heavy metals, including lead and arsenic. 

The Navy must fully clean up the contaminated land before any building can commence.

"The Navy fully understands we're going to be paying closer attention going forward," said Guy Bjerke, Concord's director of economic development and base reuse. "Because, frankly, we would like to see progress made on Bunker City, the cleanup of those 500 acres sooner rather than later, because we want to make sure if we develop momentum in this project, it's not stopped because we didn't get Bunker City cleaned soon enough."

What's next:

If the cleanup stays on track, construction on the first 1,600 homes is slated to begin in 2030. 

Still, local officials emphasize that the project is in its infancy. 

Council members who spoke ahead of the vote warned that a lot can change over the next few years, noting that Tuesday night's vote was merely the very first step in a long process.

The Concord City Council voted unanimously to approve a financial agreement with the U.S. Navy, clearing the way for developer Brookfield Properties to build a master-planned community at the site of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. May 26,

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