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1. Is the Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS) closed?

The base is divided into two areas: the Inland Area and the Tidal Area. The Inland Area is located in the northeast section of the City of Concord and contains bunkers and limited administrative and testing facilities. The Tidal Area fronts on Suisun Bay and contains a port and industrial buildings used by the Army as the Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO). The Inland Area was included on the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list, and the Navy has ceased operations there. Although it is officially closed, the Inland Area will remain under Navy ownership until various Federal regulatory requirements are completed and the property is deemed suitable for transfer. The Tidal Area is not under consideration for closure and remains in operation today, having been transferred from the Navy to the Army.

2. How big is the Concord Naval Weapons Station?

The former CNWS covers nearly 12,800 acres, or approximately 20 square miles. An acre is about the size of a football field.

The Inland Area is approximately 5,028 acres, or approximately 8 square miles.

The Tidal Area is approximately 7,630 acres, or approximately 12 square miles.

This property has been transferred from the Navy to the Army along with 115 acres in the Inland Area. It is currently operated by the Army as the Military Ocean Terminal Concord (MOTCO).

This map shows the Tidal and Inland Areas in the context of Concord. Tidal and Inland Areas map.

3. Are munitions still stored in the bunkers located in the Inland Area?

No, the munitions have all been removed and the bunkers have been cleared by military munitions experts.

4. Who is currently maintaining the site?

The former CNWS is owned and maintained by the Navy.

5. What activities are currently occurring on the site?

Although the Navy has vacated the former CNWS and access to the site is controlled, a variety of activities are taking place before land begins to transfer from the Navy to the City. Some activities are related to preparing the site for transfer, such as environmental monitoring, remediation and clean-up. Other activities include cattle grazing and, in parts, autonomous vehicle testing.

6. Who currently owns the former CNWS?

The U.S. Navy owns the Inland Area of the former CNWS. The Tidal Area, plus a small parcel of land adjacent to the Navy’s property, is owned by the U.S. Army.

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1. Who will decide what happens to the land?

The U.S. Navy currently owns the land, but the City Council, serving as the Local Reuse Authority (LRA), worked with residents and interested regional stakeholders to prepare the Reuse Plan. The City of Concord subsequently created the Concord Reuse Project Area Plan to incorporate the vision of the Reuse Plan into the Concord General Plan.

2. What is the Local Reuse Authority (LRA)?

The Local Reuse Authority (LRA) is the one point of contact for negotiating with the Department of Defense and the single community point of contact for all matters relating to closure of the Naval Weapons Station. The Concord City Council has been designated as the LRA. The LRA was also the entity responsible for preparing the Reuse Plan, which established the vision for base reuse by determining:
- Community goals that will guide the planning process,
- Economically and environmentally feasible land uses,
- Community facilities that will be provided through base reuse and,
- The manner in which homeless needs will be balanced with community reuse objectives.

3. How was the Reuse Plan prepared?

The Reuse Plan is the primary planning document that establishes the community's vision for the conversion of the CNWS Inland Area from military to civilian use. The Reuse Plan was prepared by the City Council, serving as the Local Reuse Authority (LRA).

The Concord City Council and City staff committed to a collaborative and inclusive community-wide outreach and planning process to develop the Reuse Plan. The City held a series of community workshops in its role as the LRA. In the fall of 2006, a 21-member Community Advisory Committee was appointed by the LRA to assist in soliciting community perspectives and to advise the LRA on the development of the Reuse Plan. Residents had the opportunity to comment on the plan at multiple public meetings, workshops and forums as well as through letters, surveys and emails.

The Reuse Plan considered a number of alternative concepts for the development of the Inland Area. The alternatives were evaluated through the planning process and the environmental review process, and ultimately a Preferred Alternative was selected to provide a framework for the Area Plan. More information on the Reuse Plan can be found on the Reuse Plan Page.

4. What is the Concord Reuse Project (CRP) Area Plan?

The CRP Area Plan is part of the City of Concord’s General Plan, the policy document guiding the long-range development and conservation of the city. Specifically, the CRP Area Plan translates the vision, policies, and standards established by the Reuse Plan into the language and policies required by California law. The Area Plan consists of three books.

The Area Plan diagram included in Book One carries forward the essential qualities of the adopted Reuse Plan, including the location of various development types and the total quantity of housing and employment-generating development on the site. It does reflect some refinement of the Reuse Plan concepts, as described here on the Area Plan page.

5. How was the CRP Area Plan developed?

Following the adoption of the Reuse Plan, the City developed the Area Plan by adapting the community’s vision for the site into policies and standards for land use, transportation, environmental protection, labor agreements, affordable housing, and public safety. These, along with the same development program and general land use pattern as the Reuse Plan, form the basis of the Area Plan. The Area Plan was adopted by the City Council into the General Plan. For more information on the Area Plan see the Area Plan page.

6. What is the Area Plan's role in the CRP?

The Area Plan was developed to supplement the Reuse Plan's vision and overall development program with standards, technical standards, and a climate action plan for the CNWS, adding the necessary regulatory material to be adopted as part of the City's General Plan. As part of the General Plan, the policies and standards it establishes will govern future development on the former CNWS.

As the site is developed, the master developer(s) will be responsible for following the vision and standards described in the Area Plan. The Master Developer will prepare a Specific Plan to carry out the Area Plan and its standards, refining conceptual plans and adding detail and specificity.

7. What is the difference between the Reuse Plan and the CRP Area Plan?

The Reuse Plan is a Federal document that has no bearing under California land law. To create a platform to allow the City's General Plan to be amended to reflect the community's vision, the City prepared and adopted the CRP Area Plan. It sets policies and standards for land use, transportation, environmental protection, labor agreements, affordable housing, and public safety.

8. How much housing will be built under the Area Plan? Will there be affordable housing?

The Area Plan establishes a site-wide maximum of 12,270 housing units. Following the goal set by the Area Plan, Concord City Council passed a resolution requiring that 25% of units be affordable. See the 

9. How many jobs will be generated under the Area Plan?

The Area Plan expects that the project will generate approximately 26,000 permanent jobs. In addition to permanent jobs, thousands of jobs will be created during the multi-decade construction process. The City aims for a significant portion of the construction workforce to be local, first from Concord and then from elsewhere in Contra Costa County.

10. What is the Specific Plan and how will it be used?

A Specific Plan is intended to implement the City's General Plan. Since the Area Plan was adopted into the City's General Plan in 2012, in this case the Specific Plan will create a detailed plan to implement the Area Plan. It will provide detail for the Phase One Development area and the rest of the development area. The Specific Plan is necessary because the Area Plan does not provide sufficient detail to specify the detailed design of the development—how it will look and feel. The Specific Plan will guide the development's urban design, such as mix and intensity of development, block and district layout, public spaces, community facilities, transportation network, and more. It will provide a clear picture for how the development will complement and contribute to the surrounding neighborhoods. The plan will be completed by the Master Developer, with input and guidance from the City and will clearly reflect the vision, goals, and commitments of the Area Plan.

11. What is the Infrastructure Master Plan and how will it be used?

Part of the Specific Plan, the Infrastructure Master Plan will establish a plan for infrastructure for the entire development site at build-out. The plan will be prepared by the Phase One Master Developer, in conjunction with the City, to ensure that infrastructure is designed to support subsequent development phases. The plan will specify and size sufficient infrastructure to serve the entire site at build-out, thus ensuring that no "rebuilding" of infrastructure will be necessary.

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1. What is the status of the investigation and cleanup of environmental contamination at the Inland Area of CNWS?

A comprehensive program is currently underway to systematically investigate, clean up, and monitor environmental contamination that may have resulted from past operations at the base. This program began in 1983, and is being carried out by the Navy through its Installation Restoration Program (IRP) and Military Munitions Response Program (MMRP).

The Navy issued a report known as the “Environmental Conditions of Property” report. This report summarizes the historical, cultural, and environmental conditions of the property and contains a summary of the current status of the IRP and MMRP programs. The report indicates that known or suspected areas of environmental contamination are present on less than 1,200 acres of the 5,170 acre site. These areas consist of approximately 60 specific locations where past releases of hazardous substances to soil and groundwater are either suspected or are known to have occurred. These locations are currently in various stages of study, cleanup and monitoring.

A local information repository has been established by the Navy to facilitate community access to reports prepared to date on environmental conditions and cleanup activities at the Concord Naval Weapons Station. The information repository is located at the Concord Public Library, located at 2900 Salvio Street in Concord, CA. The entire Administrative Record File for the Concord Naval Weapons Station is maintained at the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, 1220 Pacific Highway, San Diego, CA 92132.

2. Who is responsible for the environmental cleanup?

The Navy is responsible for investigating and cleaning up the site pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA, 1986), the National Contingency Plan (NCP), and other federal and state laws and regulations.

The cleanup process is overseen by several federal and state environmental regulatory agencies. To facilitate this oversight, investigation and cleanup activities are discussed at monthly Remedial Project Managers meetings comprised of representatives from the Navy, the City, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), the Regional Water Quality Control Board (Water Board), and other federal and state agencies.

The Navy always retains liability for any discovery of additional contamination at an identified site or at an unknown site.

3. How can the community be kept informed and participate in the environmental cleanup process?

A community-based Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) was established in 1995 to review progress, provide input, and participate in the decision-making process concerning the investigation and cleanup work at the Concord Naval Weapons Station. The RAB is primarily made up of volunteer community members, but also includes representatives from the Navy, regulatory agencies, and other stakeholders who reflect the diverse interests of those living and working near the base. The group meets quarterly to review technical documents and discuss cleanup activities. The meetings are open to the public.

Materials from RAB meetings can be found online.

4. How was the environmental cleanup and the preparation of the base reuse plan coordinated?

The environmental cleanup being performed by the Navy, and the base reuse plan developed by the City of Concord as the LRA was closely coordinated and integrated into the Concord Community Reuse Plan and the CRP Area Plan. The cleanup levels established for the site considered and reflected the planned future land uses established by the CRP Area Plan.

5. How will the Navy ensure that the land is adequately cleaned up before or after it is transferred?

The Navy is required to ensure that the base is investigated and cleaned up to a level that is protective of public health and the environment. Areas of the base cannot be transferred or sold for reuse until after the investigation and clean-up of these areas is completed, and a Finding of Suitability for Transfer (FOST) is issued by the U.S. EPA.

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1. When and how will the property transfer?

The Navy still owns all of the land. Prior to transfer, the Navy and City/Local Reuse Authority (LRA) must agree to the terms of property transfer; the transfer is anticipated in 2023. Most of the regional open space area has transferred via a Public Benefit Conveyance (PBC) to the East Bay Regional Park District with their sponsor, the U.S. National Park Service. The old Navy administrative area north of Highway 4 will also transfer via a PBC to the County Sheriff/Fire District with their sponsor, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The balance of the property will transfer to the LRA through an Economic Development Conveyance (EDC). 

2. How will the transfer of property be phased?

The Navy will transfer parcels of land in phases based on their remediation schedule, through a series of Findings of Suitability for Transfer (FOSTs) and possibly Findings of Suitability for Early Transfer (FOSETs). As the regulatory agencies determine that land is suitable to transfer to the City, property will be transferred based on the planned future use. For example, the portion of the site that will become Concord Hills Regional Park will be transferred as a public benefit conveyance to East Bay Regional Parks District (EBRPD), while the portion planned for new housing and commercial uses will be transferred as an economic development conveyance.

3. What is a Disposition and Development Agreement (DDA)?

The DDA is used to facilitate the sale and transfer of City-owned property to another party (the Master Developer) for development. It details the legal agreement negotiated between the City and the Master Developer and includes the terms and conditions to which each party agrees.

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1. Who is developing the site?

The former CNWS Inland Area will be developed in phases. The City expects to hold competitive bidding processes to select the Master Developer. 

2. What is a Master Developer?

A master developer is responsible for managing the overall process of turning a site into a development project. Unlike a builder of homes or offices, a master developer is responsible for overseeing all aspects of development from start to finish, including crafting plans for the development with the community, financing the project, preparing the site and constructing infrastructure (known as "horizontal construction"), and overseeing the project through final buildout. A master developer may also construct the buildings (the "vertical construction"—homes, offices, retail, and more) once site work and improvements are complete, or may select other builders to do so.

3. Has a Master Developer been chosen for the project?

No. As of April 16, 2021, the LRA is in the process of selecting a Master Developer.  The LRA's goal is to have a Master Developer chosen by August 2021.

4. Will the developer develop the whole site? Will the site be developed in phases?

How much of the site is developed by the Master Developer is subject to future negotiation with the City Council.  The project will likely be developed in phases by either the same or different Master Developers.

Specific Plan Page.

5. How long will it take to develop the site? When will it start?

Several milestones must be reached before site development begins, including transfer of the property from the Navy. Development could begin as early as 2024 or 2025. Once development begins, full build-out of the site will take 30 to 35 years.

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1. I have additional questions. Whom can I contact?

If you have additional questions about the Concord Reuse Project, please contact us.