Alameda Sun: VA Project, Refuge Moving Forward, May 3, 2012

Excerpt:

Plans are moving forward on constructing a new Veterans Affairs (VA) complex at Alameda Point and creating a management system for the entire wildlife refuge.

But talks between the city and the East Bay Regional Park District came to a standstill over the terms under which the park district would acquire land to develop and manage a 140-acre regional park on the Northwest Territories. The city had wanted to receive seed money from the park district for city sports fields from the deal. The park district withdrew its plans for a regional park for now.

The VA plans include conveyance of the entire 549-acre wildlife refuge property, which will be managed by the park district, and part of the 220-acre Northwest Territories from the Navy to the VA. The clinic and most of the columbarium will be located on the Northwest Territories. Under the new plans, the city will agree to to amend its conveyance agreement to allow the Navy to transfer land on the Northwest Territories directly to the VA.