Advisory Board: Economic Development Committee
Subject: RECEIVE report from and/or PROVIDE direction to staff regarding County economic development work program
Presenter: Alyson Greenlee, Economic Development Manager
Contact: 925-655-2783
Information:
Since the last meeting of the Economic Development Committee on February 20, 2025, various elements of the economic development work program have proceeded. This report includes updates on multiple efforts.
Referral History and Update:
Since the February 20, 2025, meeting of the Economic Development Committee, various elements of the economic development work program have proceeded. This includes:
- Economic development staff from the County received information from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 9’s Brownfields and Land Revitalization Program that the County’s application for an Assessment Coalition Grant was selected for funding. EPA anticipates that it will award Contra Costa County a cooperative agreement in the amount of $1,200,000 pending completion of all administrative and legal requirements, to cover the cost of environmental assessment activities at sites in the Contra Costa Brownfields Assessment Coalition’s application. Costa County Department of Conservation and Development is the lead member and the non-lead Coalition members are the cities of Antioch, Pinole, and Martinez, and the nonprofit community-based organization Sustainable Contra Costa (Sustainable CoCo). The Coalition plans to use the grant money to assess the Sites for environmental contamination concerns and potential future cleanup. The grant will support the preparation of up to fourteen Phase I and up to seven Phase II Environmental Site Assessments as well as the development of a brownfield inventory for further priority site selection. The funding will meet the pressing needs of struggling communities along Contra Costa County’s Northern Waterfront area by supporting the redevelopment of brownfield sites in five target areas. County staff will attend the upcoming 2025 National Brownfields Training Conference in Chicago from August 5-8, 2025 (See Conference Flyer Attachment).
- Economic development staff from the County participated-along with economic development staff from the City of Oakley-in the Board Meeting for TeamCalifornia on May 7, 2025, at the California Association for Local Economic Development (CALED) Conference in Ontario, California. County staff are coordinating with TeamCalifornia members Cities of Antioch, Brentwood, Concord, Pittsburg, and Oakley to host the TeamCalifornia Meet the Consultants Site Selectors’ Conference (<https://teamca.org/meet-the-consultants-25/>) at the Concord Hilton from November 5-7, 2025. County staff will initiate regular planning meetings with TeamCalifornia starting in June 2025.
- Economic development staff from the County are coordinating with East Bay Economic Development Alliance (East Bay EDA) who will sponsor a pre-conference Bus Tour for site selectors before the start of the TeamCalifornia Site Selectors’ Conference on November 5, 2025.
- Economic development staff from the County, in alignment with our recent adoption of the Bludot Business Engagement “CRM” (Customer Relationship Management), sent a business survey to all 4,373 licensed and active businesses in the unincorporated communities as part of our continued effort to strengthen economic development and enhance our business planning strategies. This survey will be conducted to collect as many responses as possible.
- Economic development staff from the County have assisted over 80 unique businesses since February 20, 2025, that are interested in locating in or expanding in unincorporated Contra Costa County. This includes aiding with permitting, questions about zoning, contracting, and business license/permits. Economic development staff continue to assist businesses.
- Economic development staff from the County participated in a site visit with East Bay Economic Development Alliance, the County Airports, District III, to Birdstop. Inc. at Buchanan Airfield. The County will continue to conduct site visits of a similar nature.
- Economic development staff from the County submitted two responses to prospective Requests for Information (RFIs) from the Governor’s Office of Business & Economic Development since February 20, 2025. County staff will continue to monitor prospective RFIs and report on the outcomes of these activities.
- Economic development staff from the County conducted its Countywide Economic Development Meetings with the economic development staff from the 19 cities and the Workforce Development Board on February 26, and 21, May 2025. The County will continue to convene these quarterly meetings for countywide economic development staff to have opportunities for information sharing and collaboration.
- Economic development staff from the County conducted a site visit with District III Supervisor’s Staff, County Airports Director, and East Bay EDA to Birdstop. Inc. at Buchanan Airfield. The County will continue to conduct site visits of a similar nature.
- Economic development staff from the County presented to four Community Advisory Panels in April 2025 and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce in May 2025.
- Economic development staff from the County continue to participate in regular project meetings for implementation of the two-year Northern Waterfront Technical Assistance Project funded by a $500,000 Pilot Grant from Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Priority Production Areas (PPAs) Program for technical assistance for the planning and infrastructure for multiple PPAs in the Northern Waterfront namely the two PPAs within unincorporated Contra Costa County-Pacheco Manufacturing Zone and Bay Point Industrial Center-and those in the Cities of Concord, Pittsburg, Antioch, and Oakley. The County is the lead on this project, and coordinates with the Cities and with MTC-ABAG’s Technical Assistance Provider Placeworks. On May 2025, Placeworks delivered a revised scope of work based on changes to the scope and schedule with MTC-ABAG and an update on the development of a GIS inventory of industrially zoned land.
The economic development activities are funded by a General Fund allocation of $432,000 dating from 2023-24. There is an estimated total cost of $976,144.46 for these activities in FY 24/25.