Politics & Government

Concord Discussing Plans to Revamp Downtown

By Dan McMenamin

The latest plans for a proposal to revamp downtown Concord were unveiled Monday night at a meeting attended by dozens of residents. The project proposes to add a total of 5.6 million square feet of new development to the downtown area, including thousands of new housing units and retail and business space.

Several downtown streets would be redesigned to add new bike lanes and pedestrian paths between Todos Santos Plaza and the Concord BART station.

"The changes will reflect the Concord we love," said City Councilman Ron Leone, chair of the downtown steering committee overseeing the project. Some residents in attendance had concerns over adding density to the downtown area and how it could affect quieter residential streets nearby, while others encouraged it and pushed for even more bicycle improvements than currently proposed. Plans are still in their early stages, with a draft version of the project's environmental impact report expected next spring.

There was little discussion at Monday's meeting of another possible rumored development for Concord -- a new Oakland Raiders football stadium. Raiders owner Mark Davis recently toured the former Concord Naval Weapons Station, located a couple of miles north of downtown, considered a possible new stadium site for the team, but city officials said no agreement is imminent. "It was just a look-and-see," Leone said. He said the Raiders liked what they saw, but still have options in Oakland, where the team currently plays at the O.co Coliseum.

Copyright © 2013 by Bay City News, Inc. -- Republication, Rebroadcast or any other Reuse without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited.


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