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The opening of a campus of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the former Alameda Naval Air Station would generate jobs and serve as a catalyst for the redevelopment of the former base, city officials say.

The Island is one of several East Bay cities vying to become an additional site for the laboratory, which is located in the Berkeley hills and managed by the University of California.

Alameda officials say they will suggest the waterfront along the southern portion of the former Navy base as the best location for the campus.

"We think that's the land that would be most attractive to them -- those areas that have waterfront views," Deputy City Manager Jennifer Ott said.

Other cities that may be in the running for the campus are Oakland, Berkeley and Richmond, where the university already owns the 90-acre "Richmond Field Station."

The new campus must be located within a 25-minute commute from the Berkeley hills, according to the university. The site also must have the potential for a build-out of up to two million square feet in order to meet the laboratory's anticipated expansion over the next 30-50 years.

University officials will choose a location in June.