Discussions for a proposed USL East Bay stadium could move forward Tuesday, if the Concord, CA City Council approves a negotiating agreement with Mark Hall.
Hall–a Walnut Creek-based developer–has been making plans for an East Bay squad that could begin play in Division II USL Championship by 2021. As part of that process, he is pitching an 18,000-seat stadium for downtown Concord, to be located near an existing BART Station and anchor a larger mixed-use development.
A portion of the stadium’s site is currently controlled by the city, and officials are weighing whether to enter into an initial exclusive negotiating agreement with an entity owned by Hall. The proposal will go before the city council on Tuesday, and a vote of approval would move the discussions forward by triggering a study process on the project. More from KTVU.com:
The City Council initially was to consider on Jan. 8 whether to sign an “initial exclusive negotiating agreement” with Walnut Creek-based Hall Equities Group LLC for the proposed mixed-use site with a stadium, hotels, a convention center apartments, and retail/commercial space. The proposal calls for transforming a vacant lot at the intersection of Galindo and Laguna Streets.
However, the item was continued to Tuesday after the developer requested modifications to the proposed agreement. City staff wrote in a report that the modifications were acceptable “because they are either minor changes or are not critical at the IENA stage.”
Hall Equities Group is owned by Mark Hall, who has acquired the rights for a United Soccer League team.
“It’s right in the heart of the downtown corridor,” said Hall. “It’s two blocks from Todos Santos Plaza with all the restaurants and retail. It’s a very nice environment.”
The targeted site for the project includes land owned by the city and BART, so Hall will have to gain approval from both entities before moving forward with the proposal. His effort was at one point attached to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum site, where he pitched a proposal that could include a new soccer-specific stadium as part of a larger development concept. Now, however, Hall is focused on Concord and MLB’s A’s are proposing a redevelopment of the Coliseum site as part of an overall plan that includes a new Howard Terminal ballpark.
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