OBRA and Oakland Army Base
The Oakland Base Reuse Authority (OBRA) was the local reuse authority charged with planning and implementing the conversion of the closed military bases in Oakland, California.
OBRA conducted the reuse planning and managed the conveyance program leading to the August 2006 transfer of the Oakland Army Base to the Oakland Redevlopment Agency.
OBRA’s start-up and early reuse planning activities were funded by Defense Adjustment grants from the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment. OBRA also received planning and implementation grants from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration.
Oakland Army Base Planning
OBRA established the West Oakland Community Advisory Group (WOCAG) in 1996 to facilitate community participation in Army Base reuse planning. Other stakeholders included the Port of Oakland, business, labor, baseworker and environmental groups, and regional and state regulatory agencies.
The planning effort involved coordination with numerous federal, state and regional regulatory agencies, as well as stakeholder groups and eventual users of the property.
In July 2002, the OBRA Board adopted a Final Reuse Plan for Oakland Army Base. On the same date, the City Planning Commission certified the Final Environmental Impact Report for the Oakland Army Base Redevelopment Area, a 1,200 acre redevelopment area that includes the Army Base.
Conveyance of the Oakland Army Base
On August 6, 2003, OBRA, took title of approximately 364 acres of Oakland Army Base property from the United States government. On August 6, 2006, this land was conveyed to the Port of Oakland and the Oakland Redevelopment Agency. Ultimately, the Port will develop approximately half of the acreage and the Oakland Redevelopment Agency will develop half. The deed transfer of the Army Base property was the culmination of complex environmental, regulatory and real estate negotiations between OBRA, the Army, City and Port and an array of state and federal regulators.
The Department of the Army transferred the property via a no-cost Economic Development Conveyance (EDC).
Under an Early Transfer agreement negotiated between OBRA, the Army and the State Department of Toxic Substances Control, the Army transferred title prior to conducting the legally-required environmental cleanup. The complicated Early Transfer agreement commits the Army to financial contributions towards environmental remediation and binds OBRA and the Port to specific cleanup tasks and timetables. The cleanup plan limits uses of the redeveloped base lands to the level of remediation agreed to.
Plans for the former Army Base include a major expansion of the Port of Oakland’s marine cargo facilities and a new commercial "Gateway" development for the City near the Bay Bridge touchdown. Together, the projects are projected to generate more than 8 thousand new jobs.