On Tuesday, the Antioch City Council voted to direct staff to submit a grant application for City Park over the Beede Lumber Yard.
While the council heard from many residents who supported the grant to be applied for the Beede Lumber Yard, citing it would be a town square, drive economic development, the council opted for the project they felt would be a better application that would receive an award.
The council voted 4-1 in favor of city park with Councilmember Rocha dissenting.
Under Proposition 4, approved in 2024, the funding is used for the expansion of recreational activities, construction and renovation of local parks, repairing existing state parks, addressing deferred maintenance backlogs and enhancing public access to nature.
To be eligible, the grant requires that there be less than 3 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents and/or residents are below median income within a ½ mile radius of a selected point within the project site. Although the city has multiple locations that would qualify for the grant, the city has narrowed it down to the Beede Lumber Yard, which would add a burden to the city each year of $200k to $250k, or refurbish City Park which was last significantly updated 20-years ago.
Council Commentary:
Councilmember Louie Rocha said both projects were meaningful to the community and are important, but if he had to pick one to submit an application on, he would select the Beede Lumber Yard based off the engagement its bringing from the community.
Councilmember Monica Wilson called both projects were good, but wanted to support the most competitive application to ensure they get picked.
Townsend Public Affairs said it came down to what application the city would want to submit and it would be a lengthy process of approximately 6-months. He said between both projects, the city was looking at a difference of 5 to 6 points.
Councilmember Tamisha Torres-Walker hoped they could submit two applications advocating for both parks, but they needed to be as competitive as possible and not split points.
She also pointed out the City missed out on the opportunity with state funding for HomeKey+ because of the city deficit and they turned down the funding – while business owners want downtown security and issues around homelessness and blight.
“I definitely want to support any development that is going to bring revenue to the city of Antioch. I’ve heard that this park could bring revenue. It could also generate its own maintenance costs and it will also provide a space for families to enjoy,” said Torres-Walker.
According to Shahad Wright, Parks and Recreation Director, he said after award, the city would have up to four years to complete the project.
Meanwhile, Mayor Pro Tem Don Freitas provided historical context going back to 1978-79 when he was the Antioch Chamber of Commerce manager – projecting when the County East Mall was built, it would devastate the downtown businesses and it did over a 5 year period.
“The direction to from the board then and what I advocated strongly was the downtown could survive if we had more residents moving into the downtown area and true economic development. Economic development meaning sustained development on a long-term basis. Now, the Beede Lumber Yard was one of the most important pieces, you know, for economic development,” explained Freitas noting at that time that A St. ended at 6th Street.
“I had heard for basically 20 years that we needed to improve the circulation pattern in the downtown area. And back then as mayor of the city of Antioch from 2000-2008, I basically negotiated with a company called Calpine for $5 million to be devoted specifically to community projects in the city of Antioch. And the number one project, which was over two $2.5 million dollars, was to finally connect a street to second street,” explained Freitas. That’s probably one of my greatest achievements uh as being mayor because finally downtown had circulation which was a very big problem for all of us who lived here and came down either G Street or through the community.”
Freitas continued by stating the Beede Lumber yard has been an issue for 40-years where his position as a candidate in 1998 and as mayor 2000-2008, his vision for the Beede Lumber Yard was they needed to make downtown a destination and generate revenue.
“I have never, even though I have seen many people on social media say well Freitas wants to build apartments. Freitas never wanted to build apartments. But that lie just keeps on repeating and repeating and repeating,” said Freitas. “So, my position of more than 30 years ago was something similar to the Concord Sheridan Inn.”
He urged the city to own the property and a reach out to builders of hotels which architectural it would be 2-3 stories and a rooftop garden and lounge so people could see the view.
“There are people around the Beede Lumber Yard who blasted me and have continued to blast me. How dare I say that because we live around that property and it would ruin our view,” said Freitas. “Well, I was a little bit more expansive. I wanted to have a situation that we would do a 35-year lease. I did never wanted to sell that property ever because they didn’t really trust any city council. Once they got the money, they were going to spend it in a year, maybe two if we were lucky. But with a 35-year lease, each and every year we would generate revenue and each and for second every year we would escalate based on the consumer price index. So for a revenue stream, the city of Antioch would continue to own the property. It would be a long-term lease. We would build a hotel.”
Freitas continued stating with 118,000 people in Antioch, they have no hotel for the city to offer seminars, training or anything else.
“That is a very sad commentary for a city of over 118,000 that we don’t have a facility that we can use. So, part of my argument was let’s build one. And if you’re there for two or three days, what are you going to do at the training? You’re going to walk out the door. You’re going to go up 2nd Street. And then we would be able to maybe have a jazz lounge, use the El Campanil as a entertainment. We would have restaurants located there. It would become very much a destination point.”
Freitas further took issue with people saying they have been disappointed with the Barbara price Park being taken away 12 years ago, because he has been disappointed for 60-years that downtown Antioch needs economic development that is sustained.
“When I heard speaker after speaker say, “Well, this is going to be great for economic development.” Really? To do that, you would have to be using this facility every day to generate necessary revenue. And that’s not going to happen. We need to be realistic. That’s not going to happen. And everybody believes it. Oh, we can do this and we can do that. Well, we’ve had attempts to do that over the years. Celebrate Antioch was extraordinary. They kept on having event after event after event. Excluding the Fourth of July, you might get several hundred people, but pretty much all the same people. Now, I hate the fact that the city of Antioch has districts even though I represent district three because back then before district people said what is in the best interest of our community and that was how we guided our votes and our participation. I can tell you district three very few people come out of district three to the downtown because there’s nothing there for them. So, you know, what do we have? We have Williamson. And what is the problem with Williamson? There’s no parking. And the people go crazy every time we have a major event. They go crazy. We hear it all the time as the elected representatives. Parking is going to be a major issue if Beede Lumber Yard is developed. And for some of the people who live here, if this happens, I hope I don’t hear from you complaining about the parking in the downtown area. People are blocking my driveway. I can’t get in. There’s too many people. Where’s the police department? Why aren’t they ticketing? Because that will happen.”
Freitas said he was listening to the Parks and Recreation Director Shahad Wright, to Townsend Public Affairs and that when it comes to money, you put your best bet forward.
“The best bet is not Beede, the best bet in my opinion is city park, but I am a realist,” said Fretias.
He then challenged the community.
“I’m going to challenge every single one of you here because if we do either one of these media or city park, there’s going to be community meetings. So, I want you to be accountable for everybody who has said, “Well, you know, we could raise money through nonprofits. We can raise money through foundations. We can raise money through other financing mechanisms.” stated Freitas. “Don’t wait. Don’t just say it and then never do it because that has been the practice of this city forever. Make lots of promises, pie in the sky. And when we go to the people who advocate ah you know I’m just too busy. So, if you’re really serious and I believe that you’re really serious if Beede is chosen then I challenge you. Start figuring out how to pay for this on a long-term basis. We are in a deficit. When the three of us came, you know, and were sworn in on December 10th, w e had a $54 million budget. Now, you all want to know how much we spend usually annually? A little over a hundred million. That we’ve done an extraordinary job. We have reduced it dramatically. But our finance director has told us, yeah, next year you’re going to be probably anywhere from $15 million back in in deficit. So I’ve heard the answer. Your organization is great, but if it is voted on, you have another part of the job. Don’t abandon us. Stay with us. I challenge you. Where are all these monies that are going to come in because the city doesn’t have it. So don’t abandon us.”
Mayor Ron Bernal said they removed the Beede Lumber Yard from the CIP during the budget process because they couldn’t afford it to build or the maintenance – they have millions at the water park, roofs to repair, $3.2 million being spent on parks they cannot maintain now because they are running a $15 million structural deficit.
“We do not have $250k to spend to maintain this park,” said Bernal noting if they do, every other park is going to get a lower level of service. “There isn’t magickly going to be $250k available to spend on this park.”
He continued saying he knows its difficult to hear, but they have deferred maintenance all over the city.
“If we don’t get this money for city park, that place is just going to deteriorate because we don’t have any money to fix the restrooms, fix the sports fields, a 5-acre neighborhood park,” stated Bernal. “So, I am not in favor of adding another expense. Just like we had the opportunity to have $35 million in grant money, the biggest grant opportunity in the state of California for homelessness to purchase a hotel, we did not have the $1.2 million a year to spend to pay our part of operating that over 15 years. And we don’t have $250,000 a year to spend.”
Bernal called it a reality while acknowledge he grant process is so competitive, that 1-point can be the difference in receiving funding and did not want to squander a chance for grant funding.
He continued.
“If we do go with the Beede Lumber Yard project and we don’t get the award, we could have done it at the jeopardy of having $8 million to spend on our downtown city park. And that’s just that’s just the reality of it. And that park won’t be improved and will be the way it is with restrooms broken down and sports fields that are overrun. And we won’t have a park at Beede Lumber,” said Bernal.
Bernal added he was coming at this decision from a financial standpoint that the city is in a tough place financially nor do they have the wiggle room to take a chance not going after city park – citing his favor for City Park.
Torres-Walker then asked if the council would be in favor of submitting two applications – Freitas said he would be opposed and Townsen made the case against it.
Freitas then motioned to apply for a grant for City Park. Bernal made the second. It passed in a 4-1 vote with Rocha dissenting.
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Aug 9, 2026 – Showdown: Antioch Set to Discuss Beede Lumber Yard vs. City Park
