City Council Greenlights Concord Soccer Stadium Feasibility Study

CONCORD, CA — The Concord City Council authorized city staff this week to explore the feasibility and marketability of a professional soccer stadium near the Concord BART station as part of a master-planned mixed-use development by Hall Equities Group LLC.

If completed, the project would feature an 18,000-seat sports venue, a convention center, hotels, housing, parking and commercial space, according to a report by the city's economic development manager John Montagh.

The developer has agreed to cover all of the city's costs, including staff time and consulting fees, and offered up a $100,000 deposit to pay those costs in advance as part of an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement, according to Montagh.

City council and staff were careful to make clear during their meeting Tuesday night that no funding would be coming from the city, and that signing the ENA does not in any way obligate the city to go forward with the project.

Even if city officials decided to move forward with the developer, some of the land in question belongs to BART, and would require that agency's cooperation before the developer could break ground.

Walnut Creek-based Hall Equities Group is owned by Mark Hall, who has acquired the rights for a United Soccer League team.

The staff report, including maps of the site, is available online courtesy of city officials at https://bit.ly/2B4boEk.

By Bay City News Service

Image via city of Concord