What To Do With A 181-Year-Old Adobe? Concord Special Meeting Announced

CONCORD, CA — Concord officials have called a special meeting Dec. 1 to consider plans by an organization for one of Concord's oldest structures.

Concord's Recreation, Cultural Affairs and Community Services Committee will hear an early plan for reviving the nearly 200-year-old Don Fernando Pacheco Adobe.

Built in 1844, the Pacheco Adobe is listed as a historic resource on the National Register of Historic Places, by the California Office of Historic Preservation, and locally as a historic city landmark.
But the building next to Hillcrest Park needs "significant stabilizing and preservation work" to address long-term structural deterioration and to support future public use, according to a report to the Recreation, Cultural Affairs and Community Services Committee.

The sole proposal came from an umbrella organization, IGBO Union, that represents the Ndi Igbo diaspora in Northern California. The Igbo have origins in West Africa, primarily in what is now Nigeria, Cameroon, and nearby.

The Igbo Union proposal includes a two-part project: rehabilitation of the Adobe and development of a new multigenerational community facility on the adjacent land. The Adobe would be restored for use as a museum, interpretive center, cultural facility, and community gathering space. The second part is a 10,000-square-foot building with space for classrooms, an auditorium, meeting rooms, child care, food service, and outdoor gathering.

Financing for the project would come from private debt, community fundraising, and a $2 million state grant, according to a report from the city manager's office.

The next step includes a detailed written description from the Igbo Union of the proposed uses and zoning details. If the proposal moves forward, the city will hold a neighborhood meeting facilitated by the organization to present the proposal and gather community feedback.

The Recreation, Cultural Affairs and Community Services Committee will meet Dec. 1 at 1 p.m. in the Garden Conference Room, 1950 Parkside Drive, Wing A, Concord.