Mar 7 2013
SunCal and the U.S. Army Reserve broke ground today on the first of six major projects that the land developer is building at Camp Parks Reserve Forces Training Area in Dublin, Calif., under the largest-ever Reserve Property Exchange Agreement executed by the Department of Defense.
The agreement involves SunCal constructing $66 million of new military facilities in phases in exchange for 180 acres of land.
On the land it receives, SunCal will develop Dublin Crossing, a pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use community that will connect the east and west sides of town currently separated by Camp Parks.
The ground-breaking of Project 1 for the Army launches construction work for a new Access Control Point (ACP) on the west side of Camp Parks off Dougherty Avenue. The ACP includes a new Main Gate, an Administration/Police Department Building covering 4,300 square feet and a 1,200-square-foot Visitor Center and Mail Room, along with other related components. These facilities are planned to be completed and operational next year.
In addition to the new main gate and administrative building in this phase, the agreement's six-step schedule also includes: a variety of road and utilities infrastructure construction and improvements; a 33,000 square-foot area maintenance support facility; a 33,000 square-foot regional medical training facility; a 42,000 square-foot Army Reserve training facility; and a 40,000 square-foot public works/logistics warehouse.
The Dublin Crossing master-planned community that SunCal will develop on the 180 acres it obtains from the agreement is planned as a centerpiece for the City of Dublin. It will be a transit-oriented development within walking distance of a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) station and will include 1,500 new homes, parks and several hundred thousand square feet of retail, office, hotel and industrial uses.
"This groundbreaking represents a major step forward in constructing new facilities for the Army and creating a new community for Dublin," said David Soyka , Senior Vice President of Public Affairs, SunCal. "As each of six projects is completed, SunCal will receive a corresponding piece of land that will comprise Dublin Crossing. We're designing this as a walkable community that will encourage residents to use the local public transit and rely less on cars."
The Army chose SunCal through a competitive selection process that began when more than 150 investors, contractors, developers and other interested parties attended an "industry day" to launch the Army's search. SunCal was selected based on its collective experience and the Army's determination that its submission was the best overall value for the Army.
The Exchange Agreement allows the base to gain much-needed new facilities with no impact to the Federal budget through the utilization of land. In the Camp Parks agreement, SunCal will receive title to a designated land parcel as it completes each of six projects, with the result being a total of 180 contiguous acres it will own after the sixth and final project is completed in the years ahead.