RICHMOND — The former West County Health Center, which has sat vacant since it was replaced in 2012 with a new $45 million facility in San Pablo, will once again support residents’ well-being — this time in the form of affordable housing options for low-income renters and families.
The 2.84-acre property at 100 38th St., which Contra Costa County owns, will be redeveloped into a 135-unit, 100% affordable apartment complex, scheduled to open by spring 2026.
The proposal includes 59 permanent supportive housing apartments, where renters making 20% to 40% of the median income in Contra Costa County can access rental assistance and other services — around $28,000 to $57,000 for a family of four. Additionally, 76 apartments will be specifically reserved for families earning less than $85,000 annually. Section 8 vouchers will be accepted for at least 26 of the apartments, and building management will research acquiring similar state subsidies for the remaining renters.
The Richmond City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved amending the city’s general plan to allow the medium-intensity mixed-use building on the land, which previously was zoned only for public and educational uses, such as libraries and hospitals.
The property — located near the Contra Costa County Superior Courthouse, the RYSE Youth Center and a 1.3-mile walk to the El Cerrito BART Station — will be rezoned to permit residences after the council takes a final vote on the project in the coming weeks.
Proposed by regional nonprofit Eden Housing and Richmond-based Community Housing Development Corporation, the project would boost Richmond’s current stock of affordable housing to 3,923 units. All 135 units will count toward the city’s Regional Housing Needs Allocation goals, since the new construction will renovate the existing commercial building into residential space.
Donald Gilmore, Community Housing Development Corporation’s executive director, said Richmond residents would be given priority preference to move into the complex.
Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia, who helped support the project’s development, highlighted the YMCA Learning Center proposed to be built on-site — taking up 4,500 of the 10,000 square feet of ground floor commercial space — that will be capable of supporting up to 80 youth living under the federal poverty line with mental health services.
“I know the city’s been very committed to finding a long-term solution to the unhoused,” Gioia said during Tuesday’s council meeting. “Building more of these units is exactly what we all need to be doing.”
While the development qualifies for waivers to build only 123 off-street parking spaces — 30% lower than state requirements because of the housing project’s density — Lina Velasco, the city’s community development director, said city staff will be looking into expanding public transportation options in the area through grants and conversations with AC Transit, which already operates a bus line along Macdonald Avenue’s commercial corridor.
Aside from a nearby grocery store’s concerns about the negative impacts on traffic and parking, feedback on the project from the Richmond City Council and residents was supportive.
“This proposal is on the border of my neighborhood, I used to work for Contra Costa Health Services — that health center desperately needed help — and it was wonderful when the West County Health Center opened,” said Julie Freestone, who has lived in Richmond for 32 years. “It’s delightful to see an incredible partnership among all of these agencies to bring a new vision to that building and area.”
