Oakland, CA developer retained by SunCal on Alameda Point project

Phil Tagami in front of The Fox Theater 

Phil Tagami, the locally famous Oakland, California developer (and friend of this blogger) known for his firm California Capital Group's renovations of the Oakland Rotunda and Oakland Fox Theater landmark buildings, and his current effort to build a new industrial park development using the land that was once the Oakland Army Base, has been retained to help Southern California-based developer SunCal in its attempt to see the redevelopment of the former Alameda Naval Air Station into what is called "Alameda Point."

Alameda Point has morphed from a desired Alameda redevelopment objective to a name associated with a city planning direction deemed undesirable by a vast majority of Alamedans. In a recent poll, 59 percent of Alamedans' polled said they did not want Measure B, which would approved the Alamaeda Point Revitalization Initiative and have granted SunCal an exemption from the one-new-dwelling-uhit-per-2,000-square feet prohibition that has governed the city's growth since 1973.

The reason for the failure of Measure B at the polls was the overwhelming feeling that SunCal was trying to get around the city's planning process. This even with the developers efforts to work with community leaders and even agreeing to pay for the time Alameda planning staffers spent on the project.

SunCal has reportedly considered a number of efforts to improve their prospects of retaining exclusive negotiating power with Alameda; hiring Phil Tagami as a consultant is SunCal's latest effort and perhaps its best chance at success according to observers who do not wish to be named.

Phil Tagami and Alameda's City Manager Problem

One issue facing Phil Tagami is what observers claim is a problem in the form of Alameda's Interim City Manager Ann Marie Gallant, who's had an interesting past pattern of employment, and some current practices that leave some who do not wish to be named uncomfortable. But the greatest concern expressed by those who want a consistent process is that Gallant is trying to push SunCal out of the picture in favor of a master developer of her selection.

The best outcome for Phil Tagami is to engineer an extension of the Exclusive Negotiating Agreement with SunCal, enjoy Gallant's full support, and have SunCal's involvement in the Oakland Army Base.

Pulling off that hat trick would give Tagami some logical level of control over development in Alameda Point, which is right across the mouth of the Oakland Estuary from The Oakland Army Base.

Stay tuned.