City Council to consider amended development deal
On March 6, the Alameda City Council will consider a change to the stalled development deal for Site A, the mixed-use project at Alameda Point. The proposed change would remove a restrictive condition governing the order in which construction happens.
Alameda Point Partners (APP), the developer for Site A, is requesting an amendment to its Development and Disposition Agreement. The amendment would remove a provision that allows the city to withhold building permits for market rate units if the affordable housing subcontractor, Eden Housing, is unable to secure all of its financing. The purpose of the current provision, called a Metering Provision, was to ensure that the affordable housing units would be built in a timely manner. The city has approved the designs for Eden’s 70-unit family affordable complex and 60-unit senior affordable complex.
According to the city staff report, “APP asserts that the Metering Provision inhibits their ability to sell the market rate development blocks at sufficient value to cover the costs of the Phase 1 project, as the provision restricts one property owner based on the timing of another property owner out of their control. Further, APP believes that these reduced proceeds from the sale of these blocks would then be insufficient to cover the costs associated with the required backbone infrastructure and other amenities.”
“In other words,” the report continues, “the third-party vertical developers will not purchase the market rate blocks at all or will pay significantly less for them, if the City has the ability to stop them from developing their project due to the Metering Provision. APP contends that if the Metering Provision is removed, they will be able to close by April 9, 2018, deliver the $10 million Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal contribution, and start construction on backbone infrastructure within 30 days. Without this third amendment, the Developer will not be able to continue with the Site A Project.”
Without the developer moving forward, the Eden Housing projects will be in limbo because the projects will lack the surrounding infrastructure that is supposed to be provided by APP. If the affordable housing construction is delayed beyond December 2018, the affordable projects could lose $9.4 million in housing vouchers for veterans from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Site A is a 68-acre parcel adjacent to the Seaplane Lagoon. The development plan for the site was approved in 2015, allowing for 800 housing units with 25 percent being affordable. Part of the affordable housing is to be constructed by Eden housing in the form of a 70-unit family affordable project and the 60-unit senior affordable project. Site A is part of the larger Town Center and Waterfront planning area that was approved in 2014.
Since being selected as developer in 2015, APP has spent $15 million designing and gaining approval for all six blocks of the site, as well as Phase 1 of the waterfront park, a neighborhood park, a reconfigured West Atlantic Avenue, and the site plan for the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal.
Additional benefits of commencing work on Site A include:
1) Construction of the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal.
2) Construction of a new sanitary sewer line from Site A to the pumping station on the north side of Alameda Point, which will serve properties in the adaptive reuse area.
3) New infrastructure at Site A will serve adjacent Main Street Neighborhood directly to the north that has an approved development plan.
Staff is recommending that the Metering Provision be removed, provided that APP purchases the property from the city by April 9, 2018, and they begin infrastructure construction within 30 days. Failure to commence work in 30 days would be considered a default on the development deal.
The City Council meeting begins at 7:30 PM at City Hall and is viewable on cable government channels and on the city’s website. The agenda item is here. Background material on Site A is here.
Also on March 6, staff will be asking the council to approve a $1.6 million contract for design and engineering services for the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal. The agenda item is here.
Alameda Point Environmental Report 
Given that the last time I checked, WETA Had no provisions plans or funding to operate service at a new ferry terminal at site A, proceeding with building it seems rather ridiculous.
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