Navy munitions depot, the port chicago naval magazine, which was later expanded and renamed the concord naval weapons station but is now called the military ocean terminal concord. Apr 20, 2012 a tour of the concord naval weapons station duration. Concord, california throws its hat in the ring in amazon bid. Sep 25, 2016 nukes at the concord naval weapons station.
All photos are provided by the public affairs office unless stated otherwise. Concord s director of reuse planning guy bjerke, center, gives a community and city employee tour of the concord naval weapons station in concord, calif. Navy considering housing thousands of undocumented immigrants at concord naval weapons station. A total of 320 people died in the explosion, which was the biggest stateside disaster of the war and a catalyst for racial integration in the military. Bay areas largest housing development appears dead. Veteran, activist recalls losing legs to train in concord. To the east, where the concord naval weapons station was later built, there were big wheat ranches over 5,000 acres 20 km. Former military and civilian employees of naval weapons station concord california. The inland portion of the massive site, which lies between concord and pittsburg, will soon see reuse in the form of commercial and residential development, integrated with parks and open space. The wild side of seal beach naval weapons station orange.
Naval weapons station concord public group facebook. Transformation of concord naval weapons station begins to. Seal beach naval weapons station corona det, california. The concord naval weapons station in its modern form was established in 1942 near the city of concord, ca where the sacramento river turns into suisun bay. Development of the nuremberg actions at concord, ca naval weapons station cnws the concord, ca naval weapons stations is one of the largest munitions depots on the west coast of the united states. Naval magazine, port chicago, an annex to the longestablished mare island naval shipyard and mare island magazine.
Bombs in the backyard brookings institution brookings institution china lake naval air warfare center weapons division, ridgecrest, 1,122,177. Located in what is referred to as the tidal area of the cnws, the depot built up rapidly to support the heavy explosives demands of world war ii in the pacific. Naval magazine, port chicago, after the nearby town. There are dozens of naval weapons stations located all over the globe. Part of concord naval weapons station closing east bay times. Sep 25, 2018 the concord naval weapons station has roots that date back to the middle of the 19th century, when the navy built one of its first ordinance bases. Concord is located 29 miles east of san francisco, meaning that the commute through the caldecott tunnel and across the bay bridge can be done in approximately thirty minutes when traffic is light, and in less than a week when traffic is heavy. Suisun bay is connected to the pacific ocean by san francisco bay.
Now, after years of debate and planning, a large portion of the former base is poised to become a major new regional park, as well as a critical open space link and wildlife corridor stretching from the summit of mount diablo to the shores of. Contra costa county, ca the concord reuse project, located on the site of the former concord naval weapons station, continues to make positive progress, delivering on the communitys vision to. He lives in berkeley, california, where he serves as director of the nonpro fit academic publishing inc. Gomentum uses 2,100 acres that belongs to the shuttered concord naval weapons station, with more than 20 miles of paved roadways, as well as undercrossings, overcrossings, tunnels, railroad tracks and a mini city. I have been intimately involved in reuse planning for the 5100acre concord naval weapons station. The east bay regional park district will be selecting the name of the new park later this spring. Navy exchange service command, 3280 virginia beach blvd, va 234525724. Naval weapons station seal beach detachment concord foreword the agency for toxic substances and disease registry, atsdr, is an agency of the u. Concord naval weapons station airfield, concord, ca 37. Concord naval weapons station reuse plan 2012 book 2. A new regional park is coming to approximately 2,500 acres of the former concord naval weapons station. Heartening promise found in a massive east bay area. Naval weapons station navwpnsta, yorktown, virginia.
History of the concord naval weapons station concord. Naval weapons station wpnsta concord is a 12,800acre site located in the northcentral portion of contra costa county. The concord naval weapons station began in 1942 as the u. Of the major yards located in the united states, naval weapons station concord provides a west coast harbor for the pacific fleet. Western division hall, goodhue, haisley, and barker the naval weapons station concord wpnsta concord is approximately 15 miles east of richmond and san pablo bay, two miles north of mount diablo and 20 miles northeast of downtown oakland. Jul 01, 2007 yet that is precisely the challengeand the opportunitythat the city of concord faces in coming up with a plan for the concord naval weapons station. During world war ii it also had a naval outlying field at the southern edge of the base. Overview of the reuse project concord community reuse. Brian willson was maimed by a train approaching the concord naval weapons station during a protest on september 1, 1987. The agency is promoting a portion of the former concord naval weapons station as an ideal testing facility for carmakers and tech companies working on automotive technology. In 1944, the town was a little more than a mile from a u. Clark built a 700acre resort hotel complex on the site that included a lakefront casino, golf course and airport.
Abandoned concord naval weapons station airfield, concord. East bay military bases get a new lease on life diablo. Naval weapons station concord topo map in contra costa. Needless to say, once i got started reading the book it was hard for me to put the book down because i got so engrossed in the book. The concord naval weapons station cnws, contra costa county, california is a military weapons storage facility owned and operated by the u. A 2,100acre stadium will be used to test technologies like. It has been the source of deployment of military munitions during world war ii, korea, vietnam, and now central america, among other military.
The date provided at the end of each entry is the date of the accidentincident, rather than the date of death of individuals who may have died subsequently to the event. Commissioned in 1941, the naval weapons station charleston had two distinct missions. Fenced off in plain sight for decades, the concord naval weapons station is the largest piece of undeveloped, unprotected land in contra costa county. Aaa northern california acquires gomentum station san. A highstakes dispute between unions and the developer of the concord naval weapons station is threatening to derail the san francisco bay areas biggest housing project, a,000unit redevelopment of the former military base in contra costa county, reports j. Autonomous, selfdriving tech to be tested at californias. Yorktown naval weapons station in virginia accommodated 120 w800 nuclear munitions for tomahawk slcms and 160 nuclear aerial bombs for deckbased naval aviation.
Concord naval weapons station cowell historical society. This is an excellent book for anyone who lives in concord or any of the surrounding communities. Of the approximate 4700 acres, approximately acres were or will be transferred to other federal and state agencies. It was a fantastic, thrilling urban legend for 12yearold boys who darted onto the cnws property to retrieve stray baseballs during the height of the. Inside the concord naval weapons station reuse project. Navy officials as a possible site to house tens of thousands of immigrants who have entered the. Data are based on incomplete and sometimes conflicting sources. A tour of the concord naval weapons station youtube. Stop by one of our mwr snack bars on base to feed your hunger. May 23, 2018 concord s director of reuse planning guy bjerke, center, gives a community and city employee tour of the concord naval weapons station in concord, calif. Concord naval weapons station military wiki fandom. A highstakes dispute between building trade unions and the developer of the concord naval weapons station is threatening to derail the bay areas biggest housing project, a,000unit. Old concord base seen as possible site for detained immigrants. The naval weapons station has about 530 civilians and 150 activeduty military personnel.
Master plan for the naval weapons station concord, california. Gar smith is editor emeritus of earth island journal and a former editor of common ground magazine. Naval weapons station yorktown is a united states navy base in york county, james city county, and newport news in the hampton roads region of virginia. The old concord naval weapons station has reportedly been mentioned by u. Coast guard to sell housing near concord naval weapons station. Concord naval weapons station mesotheliomafromnavy. The redevelopment of the concord naval weapons station, the bay areas largest proposed housing project, appears to be dead after the concord city council declined to extend an agreement with. The department of defense placed the facility on the closure list which thrills concord city. The navy station s 45 w800 tomahawk slcms for us navy ssns were in a storage facility at concord naval weapons station near the city of concord, california, 25 km west of oakland. Make double sided rings out of coins tips for beginners duration. Wpnsta yorktown and cheatham annex have your stomach covered. Official us navy sources have been used when they are available in the collection of the navy department library. We are a public, governmental agency responsible for planning, financing and coordinating transportation for the ninecounty san francisco bay area. It provided a weapons and ammunition storage and loading facility for ships of the united states atlantic fleet, and more recently, for those from the fleet forces command.
The naval regional medical center commanded and coordinated the various naval medical facilities and programs available to the charleston and beaufort communities. Naval facilities engineering command headquarters, base realignment and closure program management o. Concord naval weapons station aka naval weapons station. If you have an interest in learning more about the concord naval weapons station you should also check.
Inside the former concord naval weapons station ccim. The station functioned as a world war ii armament storage depot, supplying ships at port chicago. The weapons station is located at the northern end of what is known as the virginia peninsula, bordered by the york river, colonial national historic park, york county, city of newport news and james city county. Its ranked fourth in number of warheads stockpiled.
Concord company concord camera corporation, a manufacturer of cameras and other digital products concord efs, inc. The east bay city is a natural fit for the tech giant, with the world class concord reuse project set to transform the 5,000acre naval weapons station into a transitoriented development with. Naval weapons station concord mesothelioma symptoms. Navy munitions depot, the port chicago naval magazine, which was later expanded and renamed the concord naval weapons station but is now called the military ocean. The tidal area of approximately 7,630 acres to the north borders suisun bay and includes a deep water port. You are reading the concord reuse project area plan book three. A view of one of the main administrative buildings is seen during a community and city employee tour of the concord naval weapons station in concord, calif. The nearest weather station for both precipitation and temperature measurements is martinez water pl which is approximately 7 miles away and has an elevation of 40 feet 127 feet lower than naval weapons station concord. Later, they read in the local newspaper, the benicia herald, that granite had to call the concord naval weapons station at least four times to remove or blow up explosives found by its contractors. Mwr snack bars, coffee shops and quick service restaurants currently serve breakfast not available at all locations, appetizers, coffee, sandwiches, pizza, grill items, salads and more. Wpnsta concord facility is comprised of two geographically separate units. In the 19th century, most people in pacheco moved to concord to get away from fires and floods. Concord naval weapons station in 1944, while loading explosives that had been stored at the base onto ships, more than 200 african american sailors were killed in the port chicago disaster.
Finally, the navy refused to come, telling granite to hold the ordnance until it. For every 15,000 people or so that enjoy the beauty of the golden gate nra in san francisco, one person decides to take in a little slice of the concord naval weapons station overlooking the relatively nondescript sacramento river. Concord cbs 5 the bay area has been the center of political and social activism for decades. Military ocean terminal concord navy base concord, ca. In 2005, the base realignment and closure commission approved closure of 5,170 acres, the upland portion of the property referred to as the inland area. The naval weapons station yorktown nwsyorktown, which is a large, complex military npl site, has insufficient data to determine sitewide human exposure control status because onsite workers, recreational users, and trespassers could come into contact with surface water, sediments and soil that are contaminated. This includes employees in public works, fire, security and other areas. Below are weather averages from 1971 to 2000 according to data gathered from the nearest official weather station.
Concord is a residential and business city located in the east bay region of the san francisco bay area in the state of california understand. Concord naval weapons station at concord, the major depot for pacific fleet. California has most nuclear warfare sites, book says. In 1942, at the beginning of world war ii, the navy built an annex to the mare island magazine, located near concord. The naval weapons station charleston newcomers guide is an unofficial publication authorized by ar 36081. The emerging vision would place,000 housing units in structures ranging from multistory apartments above shaded colonnades to singlefamily homes on snug village. This desirable area serves as an escape for people living or working in new york city and has been listed in the new yorker as one of the best places to live in the country. Catellus had accused lennar of improper lobbying and said the city made.
Open, rolling grasslands with scattered oaks typify the. Honda testing innovative automated vehicle technology at. Concord community reuse project, ca official website. Concord, california simple english wikipedia, the free. In addition to the core hospital, the command included branch clinics at the naval station, the naval shipyard, the naval weapons station, naval hospital beaufort, the marine corps. The area around concord in the ygnacio and clayton valleys was a big farming area. The concord naval weapons station was born and over the next 60 years would prove to be a critical terminal to take weapons off rail cars from around america and get them to battlefields in the. The 12,800acre concord naval weapons station was divided into two separate parts. The station was established in 1942 as an annex to naval ammunition depot, mare island, which was the first naval ordnance facility on the west coast. Concord naval weapons station fallbrook, california. Napa man who died at former concord naval weapons station id. Congress established this agency in 1980 under the comprehensive environmental response, compensation, and liability act cercla, also known as the superfund law.
Nelson chapelnws yorktown at nws yorktown is located at naval weapons station yorktown, va. Concord naval weapons station was a military base established in 1942 north of the city of concord, california at the shore of the sacramento river where it widens into suisun bay. Concord naval weapons station was a military base established in. Naval weapons station concord is located on the california coast near the confluence of two rivers, the san joaquin and the sacramento and is regarded by the united states navy as being a vital. The naval ammunition depot hawthorne was established in september 1930. As cofounder of environmentalists against war, he has posted more than 20,000 articles on the impacts of war on nature and human society. Jun 26, 2017 concord three years ago, the city jumped at the opportunity to buy the vacant military housing near the concord naval weapons station when the coast guard declared the property surplus. Concord naval weapons station profile site description the 12,800acre concord naval weapons station was divided into two separate parts. Autonomous, selfdriving tech to be tested at californias concord naval weapons station. Concord residents reject plans for ice detention camp. This is an overview of the three area plan books that present the citys plans for the future of the former concord naval weapons station. Taymaz, however, did note the transaction did not include the property where gomentum operates. Concord naval weapons station redevelopment awaits citys.
Military ocean terminal, concord port chicago naval magazine. Selfdriving shuttle, olli, tested in concord concord, ca the contra costa transportation authority is testing the 3dprinted electric shuttle at gomentum at concord naval weapons station. A bitter fight to develop the first phase of concord s former naval weapons station a barren stretch of land that the city hopes to transform into a vibrant community ended wednesday. Concord naval weapons station is located on suisun bay in california and the bases history dates to december 1942 when concord was formed as an annex to the navys mare island facility. Building trades unions want all of the projects construction work done by union members.
This page shows how each document relates to the planning area and to the city as a whole, and indicates for what. Cbsbrian willson was maimed by a train approaching the concord naval weapons station during a protest on september 1, 1987. Cnws is bordered by the city of concord on the south, and the city of martinez lies to the west. Yorktown navy exchange in newport news, va shop your navy. The town of port chicago was located on suisun bay in the estuary of the sacramento and san joaquin rivers. The site now occupied by naval weapons station seal beach detachment corona was once a playground of the rich and famous. Subscribe to notify me to receive updates and information about the reuse project. In 1944 concord naval weapons station was the site of the worst homefront casualties of world war ii with the port chicago naval magazine explosion. Military personnel who was stationed at naval weapons station concord nwsc will find the book to be an enjoyable, interesting and find it hard to to put the book down. Gomentum station is on the old concord naval weapons station, a disused second world warera facility with 20 miles of paved highways and city streets. Join us for the afternoon on thursday, april 11 as we take a bus tour of the former concord naval weapons station cnws. Naval weapons station navwpnsta, concord, california.
The potential canvas for the project, writes king, is the concord naval weapons station, a vast terrain dotted with trees and dozens of partially concealed ammunition bunkers. Operational closure of the mcas occurred in july 1999. Naval weapons station yorktown is one of the navys major east coast ordnance facilities. Editorial content is prepared, edited and provided by the public affairs office of the naval weapons station charleston. June 25, 2018 julie littman, bisnow bay area san francisco land. Concord naval weapons station, fallbrook, california. Concord naval weapons station hein natural history. Selfdriving shuttle, olli, tested at naval weapons station.
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