Are Alameda Point Commercial Buildings “Surplus”?

Are nine commercial buildings containing 841,000 square feet on Alameda Point surplus property or are they considered an economic benefit to Alameda?

That’s what the city of Alameda will decide Sept. 6 in considering whether they can be sold or leased long-term to commercial developers at the former naval air station, the San Francisco Business Times reported.

The city must decide whether the properties are exempt from a state surplus land law, which requires that cities offer excess public land to affordable housing developers first.

The city believes land at Alameda Point, given to the city by the U.S. Navy, may be exempt from the law because the Navy’s transfer told the city to prioritize economic development.

If the City Council does offer the land to affordable housing developers, it may not have any takers, as the cost of infrastructure improvements at Alameda Point essentially makes affordable housing unfeasible.

Five sites listed as surplus land this year received no inquiries from affordable developers, according to the city.

Resolving the surplus land issue would allow the city to lease the nine buildings long-term, or sell them to interested developers and tenants, spurring welcomed investment in Alameda Point. The city has been working to redevelop the 2,800-acre site since 1997.

Major projects, including 1,500 homes, are expected to be completed in the next decade at the former East Bay naval air station.

The buildings under consideration by the city next month include Building 2, a 214,439-square-foot commercial building across the street from Alameda City Hall West, of which 66,000 square feet is available for use, with the rest of the building considered uninhabitable.

Building 22 is a 65,547-square-foot former hangar in Spirits Alley partially leased to Proximo Spirits and Faction Brewing. Building 24 is a 63,000-square-foot former hangar in Spirits Alley leased by Rockwall Winery, now closed and in need of a roof replacement.

Building 41 is a 118,041-square-foot former hangar on West Tower Avenue leased by electric powertrain manufacturer Wrightspeed. Building 44 is a 5,073-square-foot commercial kitchen leased by Wonky Kitchen.

Building 114 isa 78,895-square-foot, uninhabitable commercial building next to Alameda City Hall West. Building 168 is a 117,419-square-foot warehouse located near the Seaplane Lagoon Ferry Terminal leased by Kai Concepts, a marine equipment maker.

Building 169 is an 86,710-square-foot warehouse in the Enterprise District leased to Williams Sonoma and Pacific Pinball Museum.

Building 170 is a 91,790-square-foot warehouse in the Enterprise District leased by Shimmick, a construction company.

Alameda has not decided whether it should eventually sell the properties it owns at Alameda Point or lease them.

— Dana Bartholomew