Advisory Board: Economic Development Committee
Subject: Presentation on the Northern Waterfront Priority Production Areas Project
Presenter: Joanna Jansen, Managing Principal, Placeworks
Contact: jjansen@placeworks.com
Information:
See attachment.
Referral History and Update:
The East Bay Priority Production Area (PPA) Technical Assistance project is supported by a $500,000 grant from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC). This grant is one tool for MTC to implement Plan Bay Area’s strategy to strengthen the regional economy, particularly by creating and maintaining middle-wage jobs. The PPA program highlights the need for coordinated and intentional investments in infrastructure, transportation, and workforce development, as well as the collaboration of individual jurisdictions to support the overall success of the East Bay as an industrial ecosystem.
The manufacturing sector in Contra Costa County is supported by proximity to ports, airports, rail, highways, a strong labor pool, and a concentrated customer base. At the same time, much of the County’s industrial land faces significant constraints: sea level rise, groundwater rise, earthquake faults, histories of contamination, regulations that protect adjacent frontline communities, and pressure to convert underutilized industrial land to other uses, particularly housing.
The Northern Waterfront PPA Technical Assistance project covers multiple PPAs in five jurisdictions: Contra Costa County, Concord, Pittsburg, Antioch, and Oakley. This project will provide the analysis, strategies, and technical assistance that local staff need to support the innovation and determination of individual business and property owners and implement land use policies and economic development programs to preserve industrial land, streamline industrial development, and improve infrastructure in industrial districts. It will include updates to the Northern Waterfront Economic Development Initiative Strategic Plan to reflect current and projected conditions, as well as the creation of online tools to assist City and County staff, business owners, and brokers in identifying feasible sites for industrial development in PPAs. It will also provide technical assistance to City and County staff to capitalize on the momentum of significant regional gains in manufacturing jobs and square footage, as well as on the larger national context of interest and investment in onshoring to support supply chain reliability and economic diversification.
Recommendation(s)/Next Step(s):
RECEIVE presentation on the Northern Waterfront Priority Production Areas Project