Much of the former military base is in poor physical condition—dilapidated, substandard residential and industrial facilities that do not meet building codes. Facilities are not in a condition to attract top-quality industries with high-paying, career-track jobs. Substandard sewage, water, and electrical infrastructure need to be replaced. As important, Alamedans want top-notch recreational amenities, including: multi-sport complex for youths; waterfront paths with stunning views of San Francisco; open space such as mini-parks throughout the Point. The San Francisco Chronicle captured local sentiment as early as April, 1997 in an editorial on the former military base: “Above all, expectations should be high, standards unyielding. If Alameda succeeds, it can be justly sentimental about its Navy days, but even more grateful about the day when the chain- link fences came down.”

It takes money, time, and active involvement of the People of Alameda to implement needed change. New housing is critical : property taxes generated by new homes at the Point will pay for the new infrastructure and recreational amenities. Annual fees on new homes at the Point will pay for public services. Thus, new housing is essential to create the tax base to get Alameda Point going. As Mayor, I will take the lead in hiring the right private developer(s),
and I will keep them on track. I championed Bayport but now I want a mix of homes including stylish lofts, townhouses at the Point: as Mayor, I will make the case to the public to modify Measure A. Let's develop the Point as a well-planned area—recreational amenities, senior housing, open space, housing for families with school-age children, and stylish lofts and townhouses for young adults. Let's attract quality, high-paying industries.

Below is my step-by-step approach to getting Alameda Point going. [....]

Alameda Point
In my first year in office, each month starting in February, as Mayor of Alameda, I will hold public meetings where I invite experts in a number of fields: climate change/global warming, traffic/transportation planning, home builders and developers, historic preservation, alternative residential community planners such as co-housing experts, open space/wildlife managers, structural engineers knowledgeable about infrastructure, transit-oriented development developers, developers of stylish multi-family residential such as Patrick Kennedy from downtown Berkeley . . . and we will engage the public on pros and cons, questions and answers about transit-oriented development, with an eye toward building common set of understanding, knowledge and, above all, citywide consensus as to how we can modify Measure A for Alameda Pointand Webster Street north of Buena Vista Avenue.

Starting in June 2011, I will ask for volunteers to help me craft language pertaining to modifying Measure A for Alameda Point. This period will occur between June and August. In late August, after public deliberation, we will identify what I call “consensus” language to be used to modifying Measure A for Alameda and parts of Webster Street. In September, I will ask volunteers to help me get signatures so as to place the consensus verbiage for modifying Measure A for Alameda Point onto the ballot, most likely for the presidential primaries in March 2012 or June 2012 primary election.

The ballot measure will pass in 2012 because we will have involved everyone in the community, although I will always being clear as to the goals of the measure: modify Measure A for Alameda Point and parts of Webster Street north of Buena Vista Avenue.

In January 2011, I will nominate members of the reconstituted BRAG, with the clear understanding of what this mayor (ME) says needs to be done. Task One of the reconstituted BRAG is to get redevelopment back on track and, to this end, it will give recommendations to the Mayor and Council on approaches to a developer selection process: master developer? Series of developers simultaneously? Series of developers one after the other? The BRAG will solicit input from the community and from existing City Commissions/Committees. The BRAG’s work will occur between January 2011 and Fall 2011, with an eye toward synchronizing as much as possible with (although remaining independent from) the ballot initiative sought by me as Mayor of Alameda.

In Winter 2011/2012, City Council will go out with a Request for Qualifications or RFP (depending on recommendation from BRAG and ultimate decision by Council). I hope to have narrowed the developer selection by April, with a decision in June 2012 as to the next developer/developers. Between June 2012 and June 2013, the Mayor and City Council will negotiate with the developers as to the terms of the agreement. In terms of broad brushstroke expectations of prospective developers (to name a few):

(a) developer(s) must bring equity into the project, so that they have “skin” in this matter;

(b) property tax increment dollars would be available for the developer(s), but it must be clearly understood that we, the City of Alameda, must have enough set-aside to address what we want out of the Point, for world-class recreational facility complex, waterfront paths with stunning views of San Francisco, rehabilitation of historic structures, and passive and active open space with great views;

(c) developer(s) must have plan for industrial/commercial areas, i.e. cannot simply cherry pick the high-value residential side;

(d) developer must clearly understand interest in new commercial/light industrial, as well as adaptive re-use of existing commercial/industrial facilities

(e) developer must have plan and strategy for attracting value-adding industries, such as R&D, light manufacturing, that generate career-track jobs and occupations with increasing and high pay: we do not want low-rent, low-pay warehouse, distribution industries that pollute

(e) developer(s) must also have plan or a partner for creating lively public waterfront space

(f) residential components must reflect character and density of historic Alameda, including densities of high-density transit corridors such as Santa Clara Avenue in Central Alameda, as well as lower-density areas such as the Gold Coast, East End and other prime residential areas.

(g) With respect to higher-density housing, as Mayor, I will insist on stylish designs akin to designs of Patrick Kennedy’s projects in downtown Berkeley (although perhaps not as high)—not box-like high-density housing such as Oakland’s Jack London Square

(h) developer(s) must clearly understand that they cannot simply sit on land (i.e. land bank) and do nothing: there will be clear “take down” schedules with respect to redeveloping different sub-areas within Alameda Point

(i) developer must have a credible traffic solutions that deals with single-occupancy vehicle impacts, as well as provides Alameda Point specific and Alameda citywide mass transit solutions

(j) developer must understand that a number of interim uses, such as winery, Antique/Auctions by the Bay, solar panel establishment, distillery, Bladium, Hornet, the museum, etc., are of value with respect to long-term redevelopment

(k) the City of Alameda is the lead in any discussions with the Navy

In Spring 2014, Alameda and developer(s) will break ground on new residential communities at Alameda Point. The property taxes generated by this use, as well as the Mello-Roos fees (in conjunction with developer equity dollars), will then be put toward redeveloping the rest of Alameda Point in an organized and strategic manner. We must start with the residential because this use generates more value (i.e. property taxes) than industrial/commercial uses.