June 3, 2025
Community Development
DATE: June 3, 2025
TO: Mayor Martinez and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Lina Velasco, Director of Community Development
Subject:
Revised Resolution for Affordable Housing and
Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC) Grant for
Metrowalk Phase 2
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The City and Pacific West Communities were awarded ~$43 million for the Metrowalk Phase 2 Project.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
March 19, 2024
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
The City of Richmond and Pacific West Communities
were awarded approximately $43 million from the State
Department of Housing and Community Development’s
(HCD) Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities
Program (AHSC) for the Metrowalk Phase 2 Project. The
City Council adopted Resolution No. 18-24 on March 19,
2024, accepting the grant funds and authorizing the City Manager to execute grant related documents. HCD is
requesting a minor revision to the previously adopted
resolution prior to distribution of grant funds.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
ADOPT a revised resolution accepting and appropriating
the State Department of Housing and Community
Development (HCD) Affordable Housing and Sustainable
Communities Program (AHSC) funds for the Metrowalk
Phase 2 Project and designating the city manager or
designee to execute the necessary agreements with
HCD, BART, AC Transit, and Trust for Public Land to
complete the project components using awarded grant
AGENDA
REPORT
June 3, 2025
funds – Community Development Department (Lina
Velasco 510-620-6841).
DISCUSSION:
Community Development staff and Joint Applicant, Pacific West Communities, were awarded $42,908,528 from the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities Program (AHSC) program for the purpose of delivering the Metrowalk Phase 2 Project (Attachment 1). The project includes the 150-unit Metrowalk Phase 2 housing project; BART’s New Train Car Project and Next Generation Fare Gates to be implemented by the Richmond BART Station; and improvements to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and transit service and amenities to be implemented by the City of Richmond and AC Transit.
The AHSC program furthers the purposes of AB 32 (Chapter 488, Statues of 2006), SB 375 (Chapter 728, Statutes of 2008), and SB 32 (Chapter 249, Statutes of 2016) in that the purpose of the AHSC program is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through projects implementing land-use, housing, transportation, and agricultural land preservation practices to support infill and compact development, while supporting related and coordinated public policy objectives. Funding for the AHSC program is provided from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), an account established to receive Cap-and-Trade auction proceeds.
The proposed Metrowalk Phase 2 Project is a collaboration between the City of Richmond and Pacific West Communities. The Metrowalk Phase 2 will build 150 affordable rental units on the eastside of the Richmond BART station, south of Nevin Avenue. The ASHC-funded Metrowalk Phase 2 project will include BART station improvements, including the installation of upgraded fare gates that enhance passenger throughput and maintainability. The funded project includes funding for the Richmond Wellness Trail Phase 2, which would create approximately one mile of Class IV bikeway and pedestrian improvements including street trees and wayfinding in the vicinity, connecting the Richmond BART Station to the Richmond Ferry Terminal and waterfront.
The project also includes other enhancements including but not limited to pedestrian scale lighting, Transit Priority Signaling on Macdonald Avenue, bust stop improvements, and an upgraded traffic signal at Barrett Avenue and Marina Way.
The City Council previously adopted Resolution No. 18-24 accepting the grant funds and authorizing the City Manager to execute grant related documents (Attachment 2).
HCD, the granting agency, is asking for a revised version of the Resolution prior to distribution of grant funds adopted by the City Council (Attachment 3). The revised resolution will authorize the City Manager or their designee to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) District for transportation-related improvements to be funded by the AHSC grant. Through the MOU with BART, the City would serve as a conduit for the AHSC funds for the New
June 3, 2025
Train Car Project and Next Generation Fare Gates.
A secondary agreement with AC Transit may also be necessary to implement the Transit Priority signaling on Macdonald Avenue and make certain bus stop improvements. The revised resolution would also allow the City Manager or their designee to enter an agreement with AC Transit for these improvements.
Lastly, the revised resolution also authorizes City staff to modify or to execute a new contract with Trust for Public Land for the improvements related to the Richmond Wellness Trail Phase 2.
The revised resolution is consistent with the language recommended by HCD and must be submitted in order for the City and Pacific West Communities to be disbursed grant funds.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
Attachment 1 – AHSC Award Information
Attachment 2 – Resolution No. 18-24
Attachment 3 – Revised Resolution