My first visit to the abandoned Alameda Naval Air Base, now named Alameda Point, I fell in love with the old deteriorating buildings and decided to make a series of those oddly charming facades. A second visit revealed that Alameda Point offered more than neglected buildings. Old hangers were occupied by distilled liquor companies, beer breweries and wineries. A road sign now directs visitors to “Spirits Ally”. A newly constructed skate park was actively attended. I realized that the pertinent story was not the dilapidated buildings, but the redevelopment of the old base into a rejuvenated, popular and prosperous destination.
Today, Alameda Point is in a period of transition. The base was commissioned in 1936 and decommissioned in 1997. During its prime, it was one of the largest naval air bases in the world. A top priority in the redevelopment plan is to replace the approximately 18,000 jobs that were lost when the base closed.
To complicate and delay redevelopment, voter’s anti-rebuilding rules, a requirement for affordable housing and traffic congestion concerns buried a proposed development in 2010. Alameda is a 6 mile long, 1 mile wide island with limited access. A second redevelopment plan failed during the Great Recession due to lack of financing.
With magnificent San Francisco Bay Views, ports and close proximity to Oakland, Alameda Point, is prime for development. Although far from complete, businesses have leased abandoned buildings now owned by the city and turn them into thriving concerns: wineries, breweries, distilleries, a caterer, a bike shop, a gym, sports fields, a sport club, food venues, an event center, green energy companies, an auction house and a skate park, to name a few. In 2017, the city of Alameda sold three buildings to businesses.
Alameda Point is a weekend destination that is bustling with activity the first Sunday of the month when the Alameda Point Antiques Faire draws a large crowd. USS Hornet, a National and State Historic Landmark, is now a sea, air and space museum open to the public. The City of Alameda heads the redevelopment of the former base. The city’s plan includes housing, parks, office and commercial space, and is expected to be completed by 2035.
