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ALAMEDA, Calif. -- Today will be one the biggest days in the recent history of the city of Alameda, as the city will finally regain control of 1,380 acres of land on Alameda Point that formerly was used for the Alameda Naval Air Station.

The Naval base was closed in 1997 due to budget cuts but the city has struggled for 16 years since then to get the land back and come up with a plan to develop it.

"This has been a long time coming and we're incredibly excited that we can finally move forward with the development of Alameda Point," Mayor Marie Gilmore said today.

The U.S. Navy had originally asked for $108 million to convey the land, which makes up about one-third of Alameda. But in September 2011 it agreed to transfer the site back to the city at no cost.

The Alameda City Council voted unanimously on May 21 to formally accept the land, which it ceded to the U.S. government in 1936, from the Navy.

Today, City Manager John Russo will sign documents accepting the land. The property is broken down into 66 parcels of land that will be handed over on 44 separate deeds.