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County staff propose relocating Eden Township substation to county‑owned site; project estimated at $154M for 69,000 sq ft building
Summary
General Services staff presented a plan to replace the aging Eden Township substation with a roughly 69,000‑square‑foot facility (construction estimated at about $154 million, excludes land). Staff recommended studying a 5‑acre county‑owned site near the existing dispatch center, and supervisors asked for community outreach and design work that includes buffering and opportunities for community space.
Alameda County General Services on June 26 outlined a preliminary plan to replace the outdated Eden Township substation with a modern, consolidated facility and asked the Unincorporated Services Committee to endorse continued design work and community outreach.
Kimberly Casaway of the GSA described a 2019 facilities assessment concluding the current substation is beyond its useful life and that programming work with the sheriff indicated a need for approximately 69,000 square feet of space. Preliminary construction and tenant improvement cost estimates are about $154 million, excluding any property acquisition. Staff reviewed multiple candidate locations — a privately owned corner parcel (not for sale without eminent domain), a county‑owned Mission Boulevard parcel tied to an expired exclusive negotiating agreement, a Hart‑owned parcel that their owner declined to convert, and a county‑owned area behind the existing ETS substation that includes about five acres of county property and ancillary uses.
Casaway said the five‑acre county parcel behind the existing dispatch appears promising because it is county‑owned, offers space for buffering from nearby residences, and can accommodate communications and support needs; it also may let the county retain the current ETS site for housing once the substation moves. Staff will reengage the architect and bring preliminary design concepts to local municipal advisory councils for community input before returning to the committee.
Supervisors emphasized rapid progress to limit construction cost inflation and asked staff to coordinate with the County Administrator, County Administrator's long‑range capital financing plan and the Community Development Agency on potential housing tradeoffs. GSA said it was reengaging the architect and would incorporate community‑policing and public engagement ideas into the design, including potential community meeting space and other public‑facing amenities.
What happens next: GSA will reengage the architect, produce preliminary design concepts for the recommended county site, conduct outreach with the Castro Valley MAC and other local bodies, and return with refined cost estimates and a procurement plan. No construction funding was requested or approved at this meeting.
