A decision by federal environmental regulators could force the Navy to clean up toxic chemicals at Alameda Point and speed up the transfer of its remaining buildings to the city.
A recent ruling from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency could unstick the stalled conveyance of four properties on the former air base to the City of Alameda, the San Francisco Business Times reported.
Since 2000, the Navy has transferred ownership of 89 percent of the former Air Station Alameda.
But a batch of buildings slated to be turned over to Alameda have been stuck in limbo as the Navy and city determined who must clean the site of PFAS, synthetic chemicals used in industry and for consumer products.
Earlier this year, the EPA reclassified PFAS from a “pollutant” to a “hazardous substance,” while requiring polluters to pay to clean up their contamination.
The change makes it clear that the Navy needs to clean up the chemical before conveying four buildings to the city, according to the Business Times.
Abby Thorne Lyman, director of Base Reuse, told the Business Times she believes the ruling will ultimately expedite the conveyance of the four properties now that the Navy’s obligations are clear.
While there’s no timeline for the clean-up and turnover, she thinks there will be a plan in place by the end of the year to hand over buildings 10, 41, 400 and a building at Oriskany and Central now home to Alameda Point Storage.
DOER Marine, a submarine firm, is poised to sign an 18-month lease for 30,000 square feet in Building 41 at 650 West Tower Avenue.
Thorne Lyman said the shorter term lease allows for flexibility as the eventual conveyance of that property looms.
Alameda has worked to redevelop Alameda Point into both an economic engine and site for more than 5,000 homes. Two years ago, the city unveiled a strategy to lease some of the buildings and sell others to help pay for $700 million in needed capital improvements.
Funds from building sales would generate cash for infrastructure, while offering “very large lease credits” in exchange for facility improvements to make the buildings more attractive to prospective buyers and investors, according to the newspaper.
The city has already sold a handful of commercial buildings to generate $30 million at the former base.
— Dana Bartholomew
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