Plans for Vallejo waterfront restaurant and cultural center canned after 4 years

VALLEJO — A plan by the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation to build a two-story, glass-faced restaurant and cultural center on a prime piece of Vallejo waterfront property and to assist the city with the development of an adjacent park has been abandoned.

The tribe acquired the lease of the old dentist office near the ferry terminal at 285 Mare Island Way in December 2019, and entered into a new 35-year lease with the city in December 2022. The agreement included a rent offset of up to $10 million for the tribe’s investment in the design and development of Independence Park.

But the tribe terminated the lease after a series of extensions granted by the city for them to perform “due diligence,” during which they were entitled to conduct studies of the physical and environmental conditions of the site to determine its suitability for development.

Over the last few months, some councilmembers were reluctant to grant repeated extensions. “For those that remember, we had a developer that kind of took 20 years to do nothing on Mare Island Way,”Vice Mayor Mina Loera-Diaz said during a meeting in February.

Yocha Dehe Winton Director of Government Affairs Omar Carrillo said that COVID-19 and economic disruptions had contributed to delays dating back to 2019. He emphasized the tribe’s deep connections to the community, their work in Glen Cove and funding of programs like First 5, a county program which provides early childhood resources.

But during  another City Council meeting on May 14, the Wintun Nation chose to withdraw from the project, citing the risks of sea level rise. 

“There are geotechnical issues at the site including the need for an upgraded sea wall to protect the site from future sea level rise, which contributed to their decision,” Assistant City Manager Gillian Haen told the Vallejo Sun in an email. “The Yocha Dehe Tribal Council has communicated their desire to continue looking for a suitable site/location for a future project collaboration with the City.”

Tribe Chairman Anthony Roberts said in a statement, “Yocha Dehe is dedicated to exploring new opportunities for the Tribe and the City of Vallejo to work together to contribute to the region’s economy and to positively impact the quality of life for the City’s residents, including funding scholarships for high school students attending local universities and other programs like the Vallejo First 5 Center.” 

The Wintun Nation’s withdrawal from the project comes as it has sought to block a separate development project by another tribe, a casino proposed by the Scotts Valley Band of Pomo Indians, arguing that the Wintun Nation has a much greater historical claim to the land, and that the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs has cut them out of the decision-making process.

With the Wintun Nation’s withdrawal from the waterfront development, funding for the revival of Independence Park directly south of the site is now in limbo.

Plans to to develop Independence Park date back to December 2015, when Vallejo residents voted to spend $395,000 of participatory budgeting funds for a Waterfront History Arts Park and “transform the barren, dirt lot on the Waterfront into a relaxing, fun, eco-friendly, family-friendly gathering spot for special celebrations, community arts, and creative educational offerings.”

The City Council postponed expending the funds to explore a proposal from artist Mario Chiodo and PGADesign architect Chris Kent. Chiodo’s proposal included development of the park to the north of the Ferry Building, now named the Barbara Kondylis Waterfront Green.

The community’s initial reception of Chiodo’s plan was divided, with many in favor, but several people from the local arts community objected to his plans to fill the park with his own imposing 19^th century-style statues that they said excluded the vision of the public and didn’t represent the local arts community.

Chiodo and Kent came back to the City Council in September of 2016 with a revised master plan that satisfied most of their former critics. It preserved the open space on the northern park area for recreation, and made accommodations to include art by local artists. 

The Vallejo Design Review Board approved the general concept of the plan in December 2016, with a condition that the artwork design details would be presented for approval.

According to the city of Vallejo website, Chiodo and Kent began a fundraising campaign to raise an additional $2.5 million to supplement the $395,000 in participatory budgeting funds. 

On Sept. 9 2018, Vallejo city staff presented the Vallejo Design Review Board with a request to accept an amended plan to construct a fitness court and labyrinth in Independence Park.

But several members of the board expressed annoyance at being excluded from the design process and felt they were asked to approve a project with little information, and voted to deny the project, seeking a more comprehensive update.

A month later, the city of Vallejo entered into $750,000 agreement with Gates & Associates, Inc., stating that fundraising for Chiodo’s design had stalled due to “natural disasters, humanitarian priorities, etc.” 

 The city estimated that roughly $6-8 million would be needed for the park’s design and construction.

By December 2022, the city reached an agreement with the  Wintun Nation to fund up to $10 million for the development of Independence Park. Now that it has been withdrawn, the city is once again scrambling for resources.

The city has applied for an Inflation Reduction Act: Urban and Community Forestry Grant for up to $1,734,070, which Haen said will help with the landscaping portion of both the Barbara Kondylis Waterfront Green and Independence Park. 

“The City has held the responsibility of park development but did not have the funding to fully design and construct,” Haen, the assistant city manager, told the Vallejo Sun. “We are back to that place again now.” 

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the date of the agreement with the Wintun Nation and to clarify where Gillian Haen commented on the reason for the project withdrawal.