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

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

2 hours ago - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

4 hours ago - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation