Future of Massive S.F. Bay Area Housing Project Uncertain Due to Labor Dispute

The $6 billion redevelopment project at the Concord Naval Weapons Station has stalled over labor issues.

1 minute read

January 22, 2020, 8:00 AM PST

By Camille Fink


Concord Naval Weapons Station

Greenbelt Alliance / Flickr

"A high-stakes dispute between unions and the developer of the Concord Naval Weapons Station is threatening to derail the [San Francisco] Bay Area’s biggest housing project, a 13,000-unit redevelopment of the former military base in Contra Costa County," reports J.K. Dineen.

Building trades unions want all of the project’s construction work done by union members. "The developers said that agreeing to an all-union job site would make the project infeasible, raising construction costs by $542 million and cutting profits from 17% to a loss," reports Dineen.

The planned labor agreement issue was not resolved during public hearings earlier this month, and the Concord City Council ordered the two sides to return to the negotiating table.

"At the heart of the debate was whether the developers had promised a comprehensive agreement in 2016 when they were picked for the development. Labor representatives said that [Kofi] Bonner [of FivePoint] seemed to agree to an all-union project at that time," notes Dineen.

Wednesday, January 8, 2020 in San Francisco Chronicle

Sweeping view of Portland, Oregon with Mt. Hood in background against sunset sky.

Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary

Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.

March 12, 2024 - Housing Wire

Aerial view of green roofs with plants in Sydney, Australia.

Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024

A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.

March 10, 2024 - Daily Journal of Commerce

Cobblestone street with streetcar line, row of vintage streetlights on left, and colorful restaurant and shop awnings on right on River Street in Savannah, Georgia.

Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts

From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.

March 12, 2024 - Strong Towns

Aerial View of Chuckanut Drive and the Blanchard Bridge in the Skagit Valley.

Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding

The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.

March 18 - The Seattle Times

Historic buildings in downtown Los Angeles with large "Pan American Lofts" sign on side of building.

Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly

The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.

March 18 - Beverly Press

View from above of swan-shaped paddleboats with lights on around artesian fountain in Echo Park Lake with downtown Los Angeles skylien in background at twilight.

LA's Top Parks, Ranked

TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.

March 18 - TimeOut

News from HUD User

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Call for Speakers

Mpact Transit + Community

New Updates on PD&R Edge

HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.