Over 200 People Attend Union City Open House

Press release from the City of Union City:

UNION CITY, CA — Bright visuals, engineers, housing developers, senior City staff, over 200 community members, and plenty of hot cocoa! All were on hand this past Saturday, December 2, for Union City’s Station District Community Open House, giving residents opportunities to learn about the City’s vision for a vibrant, walkable, transit-oriented neighborhood centered around the Union City BART Station.

Resembling a lively and dynamic science fair, several informative project boards covering key affordable and mixed-use housing and infrastructure projects within the Station District area were prominently displayed. City staff, project engineers, and developers were also present to directly answer questions from the public.

“Union City has grown and evolved in many ways throughout the decades,” said Mayor Carol Dutra-Vernaci. “What’s envisioned for the future of the Station District will meet both the needs of current and future residents of Union City. There are a range of opportunities here – from new retail to public amenities, affordable housing, and more, all linked to a comprehensive network of trails, bikeways, and pedestrian-friendly streets.”

Attendees were first introduced to the guiding principles of the Station District Specific Plan, which were shaped through stakeholder and community input back in 2020 and 2021. These guiding principles directed the overall strategy and design for the Station District, prioritizing connectivity and sustainable building and landscape design for the neighborhood. Residents were presented with a clear vision of the future neighborhood, with renderings of proposed future housing and retail development projects, all of which have been identified in the City’s previous and current General Plans and Housing Elements.

Information was also provided about the planned Quarry Lakes Parkway, a critical multimodal local road needed support the build-out of the Station District area, and namely for critical public safety access to and from local schools, homes, and businesses. Distinguishing characteristics of this local “complete street” include a 20-foot-wide Class I multi-use trail, increased tree canopy, enhanced lighting, buffered bike lanes, and additional pedestrian safety, and traffic calming measures. Quarry Lakes Parkway also provides additional opportunities to revitalize Old Alameda Creek through stormwater capture, groundwater recharge, and habitat restoration to name a few.

The Station District today is anchored around the Union City Intermodal Station, which functions as a multi-modal transit hub connecting the services of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), Union City Transit (UC Transit), Alameda-Contra Costa Transit (AC Transit), and the Dumbarton Express. Soon, a proposed BART Pedestrian At-Grade Crossing, would open a two-sided BART Station. In addition, plans were unveiled for the hub to become home to a future Intercity Rail Station as identified in the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) Southern Alameda County Integrated Regional Rail Study, Phase 2. The proposed connection to the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) rail will connect the East Bay to Sacramento, the Central Valley, and eventually high-speed rail, and further emphasizes Union City as a transit-rich destination with options for connectivity to the entire region.

As Mayor Dutra-Vernaci stated, “the Station District is at an exciting and pivotal point in its development. What started as a local vision to revitalize underutilized land has since then become a stunning example of transit-oriented development, with higher-density, mixed-use housing near BART and multiple transit options. This is smart growth that will be supported by numerous infrastructure improvements, all for the betterment of Union City.”

Members of the public are encouraged to directly contact the City to learn more about these various projects, and to stay tuned for future opportunities for public engagement. For more information, please visit: www.unioncity.org/qlp.

This press release was produced by the City of Union City. The views expressed here are the author’s own.