These 5 Former Military Bases May Help Solve Bay Area's Housing Crisis
With thousands of acres tied up in former military bases throughout the Bay Area, the region faces significant opportunities for development. After decades of planning, several master planned projects are moving forward that will create over 32,000 units of housing and millions of square feet of office and industrial.
Alameda Point - Site A
Developers: Alameda Point Partners (a partnership with srmErnst, Thompson Dorfman Partners, Madison Marquette, Trammell Crow Residential and Eden Housing)
Architects: BAR Architects, April Philips Design Works, BKF Civil Engineers
Size: 67 acres
Housing: 800 units
Commercial: 600K SF
The Alameda Naval Air Station closed in 1997. It has taken Alameda three attempts to get the redevelopment plan to move forward, according to the San Francisco Business Times. This time, the city is beginning with a key parcel and then working outward instead of taking on the entire 878-acre site. The 67-acre redevelopment project, dubbed Site A, has been approved for 800 residential units, including 200 affordable, a ferry terminal with service to San Francisco, 15 acres of public park, 600K SF of commercial and retail space, and new and upgraded streets and infrastructure. This parcel will be developed in three phases by Alameda Point Partners and financed by Tricon Capital Group.
The developer expects to complete the financing plan, loan agreement and ratify the purchase and sale agreement with a townhome builder by June 2017. Once the entire redevelopment of Alameda Point is completed, there will be 1,425 housing units, 5.5M SF of commercial space, 300 acres of open space, a new ferry terminal and a sports complex.
Concord Naval Weapons Station
Developer: Lennar/FivePoint
Size: More than 5,000 acres
Housing: 12,000 units
When construction begins for the redevelopment at the Concord Naval Base in three years, it will be among the largest projects under development in the entire Bay Area. The site will be split into 2,700 acres of open space for the East Bay Regional Parks District and 2,248 acres devoted to a mixed-use community. The initial phase will last 12 years and build 4,400 units of housing with 25% affordable and 1.7M SF of commercial on 500 acres. California Environmental Quality Act analysis is expected to begin in May, while Concord is expected to adopt a specific plan in November 2018. Initial infrastructure work is expected to start in 2019.
San Francisco Shipyard
Developer: FivePoint
Master Architect: Adjaye Associates (Phase 2)
Size: 760 acres (includes Candlestick)
Housing: 12,000 (includes Candlestick)
Commercial: 5M SF
The first phase of FivePoints’ Shipyard project includes 400 homes with another 500 planned for completion by 2020. FivePoint selected architect Adjaye Associates’ David Adjaye to lead the second phase of development, which will include 4,275 homes by 2027 and 5M SF of office, life science and R&D and space for artists. Including the nearby Candlestick Park redevelopment, a total of 760 acres will be redeveloped into 12,000 homes, 350 acres of open space, a 300-slip marina, 1M SF of retail and a hotel.
Treasure Island/Yerba Buena Island
Developer: Lennar, Stockbridge, Wilson Meany
Master Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
Size: 465 acres
Housing: 8,000 units with 7,700 to 7,850 on Treasure Island with 150 to 300 on Yerba Buena Island; 2,000 will be offered below market rate
Commercial: 200K SF retail and 300K office
Infrastructure work began in 2016 for this 20-year development, which will include 300 acres of parks. The project received LEED-ND Platinum plan certification and became the largest plan to score this level of certification. The project is expected to include a ferry terminal to improve transportation to and from the island. In May 2016, the U.S. Navy conveyed 290 acres of land on Yerba Buena and half of its land on Treasure Island to the Treasure Island Development Authority. The Navy also provided 518 acres of submerged land surrounding the islands.
Oakland Army Base (Logistics Center)
Developers: Prologis, Port of Oakland
Size: 160 acres
Industrial: 1M SF
The massive Oakland Global Trade and Logistics Center will add significant industrial supply to the East Bay. Prologis began construction on its three-phase project in November 2016 and is expected to deliver its first building, a 256K SF facility, by mid-2017. The following phases will add 410K SF of industrial. The Port of Oakland is working on a 370K SF refrigerated warehouse and distribution facility as well. Once completed the former Army base will have about 1M SF of warehouse and distribution, about 400K SF of indoor recycling facilities and seven acres of truck parking, the East Bay Times reports.
