Historical Advisory Board Study Session on Main Street Neighborhood North Redevelopment - June 4, 2026
Historical Advisory Board Study Session on Main Street Neighborhood North Redevelopment - June 4, 2026
The Historical Advisory Board (HAB) met on June 4, 2026, to discuss the future development of the Main Street Neighborhood North at Alameda Point, including historic preservation priorities. The board heard a presentation from Nicole Franklin, Base Reuse Manager, and Abby Thorne Lyman, Director of Base Reuse and Economic Development, and provided feedback on trade-offs and priorities for the approximately 70-acre study area.
Consent Calendar
- The board unanimously approved the draft meeting minutes from the March 5, 2026 meeting.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made, either in person or online.
Discussion Items
- Presentation on Main Street Neighborhood North: Nicole Franklin presented an overview of the study area, which includes the north portion of Main Street Neighborhood North (red) and an area west of Pan Am Avenue (blue). Key challenges include sea level rise adaptation, shoreline stabilization, major infrastructure improvements, and a $34,000 per unit fee owed to the Navy for market-rate housing exceeding 2,011 units. The presentation highlighted the need for external funding and the potential for infill development in the "big whites" neighborhood, adaptive reuse of historic structures (e.g., Building 17, chapel, theater, officers club), and possible demolition of some bungalows to achieve critical mass for townhome development.
- Board Questions and Discussion: Board members asked about the selection of historic structures for preservation, financial feasibility, water capacity issues with East Bay MUD, and the status of Building 17 (owned by Alameda Unified School District). Board Member Crowdy emphasized the need for flexibility and not letting zoning or policies hinder the project. Board Member Bevan stressed the importance of maintaining the historic district's integrity and consistency. Board Member Brito inquired about consultant expertise and community engagement plans. Chair Hernandez expressed urgency and support for moving forward expeditiously.
- Board Feedback on Historic Preservation Priorities: The board provided the following feedback for a future two-page statement to guide developers:
- Strong support for development and openness to creative ideas and flexibility.
- Any proposed alterations to the historic district must be part of a holistic vision that reinforces contributing elements rather than working against them.
- Explore improvements that leverage historic tax credits and the Mills Act.
- Consider relocation of homes (e.g., bungalows) as an alternative to demolition.
- Invite external expertise (e.g., Urban Land Institute TAP) to help assess potential.
- Maintain the integrity of the historic district as a whole, with careful consideration of cumulative changes.
Key Outcomes
- The board expressed strong support for the redevelopment of Main Street Neighborhood North and encouraged staff to move forward with flexibility and urgency.
- Staff will incorporate the board's feedback into a two-page statement of priorities to be vetted with the community and presented to the Planning Board and City Council.
- The next steps include community engagement in summer 2026, with a potential decision to issue an RFQ in late 2026 or early 2027, contingent on feasibility and funding.
- No formal votes were taken beyond the consent calendar approval.
Meeting Transcript
7 o'clock. Let's do this. Are we on the Zoom? Everything's happening. Call to order this Thursday, June 4th meeting of the historical advisory board. Take the way roll call. Yes, for roll call. Board member Crowdy. Yes. Board Member Brito. Present. Board Member Bevan. Present. And Chair Hernandez. Present. We have a quorum. Okay, first order of business. Before non-agenda public comments, I just want to read a little excerpt from the California Penal Code. This is section 403, which states that it is a criminal offense for any person to, without authority of law, willfully disturb or break up any assembly or meeting that is not unlawful in character, other than assembly or meeting referred to in the penal code section 302 or elections code 18340. First violations will receive a warning and continued violations will require additional action, which could include police intervention. And with that being said, non-agenda public comments. There do not appear to be any non-agendized public comments. Okay. Let's move right along to item three or minutes. We'll be looking at the draft meeting minutes from the March 5th, 2026 meeting. I'll move to approve the minutes in March. Seconds. Second. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Eyes have it. The motion carries. A regular agenda item. We're just trucking right along. 4A, which is a study session on the future development of the Main Street neighborhood. I believe we have a presentation. Welcome. Thank you. Good evening. Good evening. My name is Nicole Franklin. I'm one of the base reuse managers for Alameda Point. And I am here this evening to kind of give you an update on the planning of the Main Street Neighborhood North redevelopment, and to also give you an overview of the preliminary feasibility results and get your input on historical preservation priorities for the area. First again, I want to start off while we're here today. We're here to evaluate the next steps for new residential development north of West Midway at Alameda Point. And then also to get your feedback on historical preservation priorities. And we've already either built our entitled a little bit over 2,000 units. And our next area that we're looking to advance again is Main Street Neighborhood North. Here is a map of the study area.
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