Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 328, a law aimed at speeding up one of the largest housing projects in Northern California: the redevelopment of the former Concord Naval Weapons Station. Newsom signed the bill on Sept. 29, according to the state's official bill record.
The bill was written by state Sen. Tim Grayson, a Democrat from Concord, with Assemblymembers Anamarie Ávila Farías and Buffy Wicks as co-authors, California Construction News reported.
What the law does
SB 328 changes two state rules for this one site. First, it treats the base as exempt surplus land, which takes it out of the usual Surplus Land Act process that local governments must follow when they sell public property. Second, it lets the city rely on environmental documents it already completed for the reuse plan, so projects that stay within the plan's approved land uses and totals don't have to start a new review under the California Environmental Quality Act.
There's a condition attached. Before the land is handed off, the city or reuse authority has to sign a development agreement promising that at least 25% of the homes will be restricted to lower-income households, for at least 55 years for rentals and 45 years for homes that are sold, according to the bill text.
"SB 328 will leverage already completed environmental reviews to help get shovels in the ground sooner," Grayson said in the governor's announcement.
How big this project is
The city's plan calls for 12,272 homes, about 6 million square feet of commercial space that could support up to 26,500 jobs, and more than 800 acres of parks and trails, according to a city release. The governor's office describes it as at least 10,000 homes.
The site covers about 2,422 acres. The law follows the U.S. Navy's approval of a term sheet that sets the price and payment terms for transferring that land, California Construction News reported. Brookfield is the city's master developer.
"Passage of SB 328 gives the City of Concord, Brookfield, and Concord residents certainty to move from vision to reality," Concord Mayor Laura Nakamura said in the city's statement.
What's next
Don't expect move-in dates soon. The project now enters detailed planning and entitlements. The next big step is a Specific Plan worked out with Brookfield, which will lock in land uses, infrastructure and how the affordable homes are mixed in.