The future of a major housing development in Contra Costa County is up in the air because of a labor dispute.
Work has stopped on the redevelopment of the Concord Naval Weapons Station property, and on Tuesday, the Concord City Council will decide whether or not to side with the builder in this dispute, a decision that could effectively force the builder out and put in doubt the future of the entire project.
The city chose Lennar Concord to oversee the construction of the first phase of the redevelopment that in the end is supposed to produce 13,000 new housing units in addition to office and retail space. But as part of the deal, Lennar is supposed to use a certain amount of union labor, which according to Lennar, would cost it an additional $546 million.
The cost is too high, Lennar says, and the result is a standstill in the negotiations with the Contra Costa Building Trades Council.
Work has stopped on the project and will remain in limbo until the City Council decides if the amount of union labor Lennar wants to use is enough. If the council doesnt side with Lennar, the developer could be driven out of the project, leaving the city without a master builder for the redevelopment.
