Excerpt:

The creation of a master plan and an environmental impact report for the former Alameda Naval Air Station, which closed in April 1997, has received broad community support, Russo said. That public support, he said, underscored how Alameda residents can be civil to one another when faced with challenges.

"As long as we do that, there's really nothing we can't do," Russo said.

The land-swap agreement with the Alameda Unified School District that Russo highlighted will pay for upgrades of the swim center at Encinal High School and will set aside 20 acres at Alameda Point for the district, which in turn will make available the former Island High School campus for affordable housing.