Yes. The approved plan provides 1,358-1,448 total public parking spaces (not including parking for the residential units, which is provided underground), including:

• Replacement of run-down asphalt and gravel parking areas with surface parking and a parking garage;
• Public parking spaces distributed in a new garage at South L Street, a ground level expansion of the existing garage at I Street, and underground parking for the hotel;
• Two new drop-off areas, on the east and west sides of the Bankhead Theater;
• Significant expansion of accessible parking (ADA), from 3 spaces to 16-18 spaces, adjacent to the Bankhead Theater and the two new drop-off areas; and
• Diagonal parking spaces provided along the length of the new east/west street, slowing vehicle traffic, providing an inviting pedestrian experience, and giving visitors and residents convenient access to the park and nearby retail businesses.

Here is a map displaying accessible parking, drop off areas, and delivery zones planned for Downtown.

• A new street will wrap around the hotel and provide a drop-off area for the Bankhead Theater and adjacent businesses with 24 parking spaces, 10 of which will be accessible (ADA).
• A new parking area with 6-8 accessible (ADA) parking spaces will be provided on the east side of the Theater.
• A surface lot with 57 parking spaces will be provided adjacent to the existing parking structure (referred to as the I Street parking expansion) on land currently owned by the City.
• The hotel will provide 100 underground spaces, open to the public on a fee basis.

• A new east/west street with diagonal parking allows efficient vehicle circulation through the site, while providing convenient access to nearby businesses, housing, and Stockmen’s Park.
• Delivery and service access is provided behind existing First Street businesses.
• Delivery, service access, and a drop-off area is provided wrapping around the hotel for adjacent businesses and the Bankhead Theater.
• Delivery, service access, and a drop-off for the cultural facilities, new retail, and Stockmen’s Park is provided via a north/south extension of K Street

The approved plan provides 3.5 acres of publicly accessible open space, which is 44% of the site. Included in the open space is Stockmen’s Park, which is approximately 1.5 acres (roughly the same size as the 1.65 acre Carnegie Park).

Yes. A Request for Proposals (RFP) has been issued for a landscape architect to design all of the open space areas, which includes the overall design of Stockmen’s Park, the tree-lined path that stretches from South L to South Livermore, and the park-like green space connection through the housing from South L to South Livermore.

There was considerable discussion regarding the best location for a downtown hotel. The Council decision accomplished the competing interests of the protection of Blacksmith Square and the wide support for a hotel presence on South Livermore Avenue. Ultimately, based on feedback from hotel experts and community comments, the Council chose the parcel next to the Bankhead Theater, on the east side of South Livermore Avenue. This site provides the best opportunity for synergy between the hotel, surrounding restaurants, and the Bankhead Theater. The Council concluded that it is important to have a hotel at this very visible site, rather than housing or a parking garage.

Experts studied our market and found that the market will support a 125-135 room hotel. Studies show that 1,000-1,500 square feet of meeting space would best match a 125 room hotel. The terms sheet between the hotel builder and the City, approved by Council in February 2018, includes a meeting space of 1,500-2,000 square feet within the hotel.

The affordable housing obligations for the site originate from the funding sources used to purchase various parcels on the site, as well as the state’s determination that the site is a housing asset.

The Downtown Specific Plan (DSP) developed in 2004 included housing on this site as part of the overall revitalization strategy. Beginning in 2005, the City’s former Redevelopment Agency used a total $14.5 Million of affordable housing funds from both City and State sources to acquire the site.

During the process to dissolve the former Redevelopment Agency of the City of Livermore, both the California Department of Finance and the California Secretary of State allowed most of the parcels to be transferred to the City as housing assets.

A portion of the housing obligation originating with the City’s Inclusionary Housing Fund will be satisfied by the affordable housing opportunity on the Civic Center campus that was made possible by the Livermore Stockmen’s Rodeo Association.

The State loan programs used for a part of the total funding requires that affordable housing be placed on the site. Those obligations were reinforced by the State’s determination during the RDA dissolution process that the parcels are housing assets.

For more information please see the press release dated 9/21/2018

Yes, both the number of affordable housing units and the financial obligations originating from the funding sources used to purchase the site are fully satisfied by the combination of 130 affordable workforce housing units on the downtown site and at least 75 units of affordable senior and veterans housing on the Civic Center site enabled by the Stockmen’s deal.

In 2005 plans for the site included over 400 housing units. In 2016 the City issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) for up to 260 units.

The approved plan provides a net average unit size of 650 square feet. This average size allows for a variety of unit types, including studios, one and two bedroom units. This mix will implement Council direction that the units be affordable workforce rental units (as opposed to senior units, which would be a mix of studios and one bedroom units).

Overall, housing comprises less than 9% of the site (open space is the most dominant use, at 44% of the site area). The housing is located at the northwest corner of the site, at South L Street and Railroad Avenue. Housing in this location will allow for a transition from the four story residential units planned on the west side of South L Street, on the former Groth site, with four stories at South L Street and then three stories adjacent to Stockmen’s Park.

Housing is distributed among four buildings with appropriate setbacks from the sidewalk and a wide community green space connection through the middle, from South L Street to Stockmen’s Park and ultimately out to South Livermore Avenue.

The City currently has not chosen a developer for the new rental housing project. For other Affordable Housing Opportunities please click below.

Affordable Housing Opportunities

Studies show that retail is most successful when located next to busy streets and next to other businesses. The approved plan provides new single-story retail uses connected to retail uses in Blacksmith Square and Stockmen’s Park.

If no private funding is secured, the area planned for the Science and Society Center would be a surface parking lot, and the area planned for the Black Box Theater would be incorporated into Stockmen’s Park as green space.

The Senior Housing will be located at the end of Pacific Avenue, next to the skate park. Senior Housing Location Map