Richmond in negotiations over Craneway Pavilion future

City officials say a deal may be close with the current leaseholder of the historic Craneway Pavilion after months of private negotiations.

City Councilmember Sue Wilson informed residents at the November 12 Marina Bay Neighborhood Council meeting that negotiations are ongoing, but they remain confidential due to legal requirements for real estate deals.

“We’re close. We’re close, I promise you,” Wilson said. “We’ll have something to say publicly soon.”

The lack of public information has frustrated community members. One resident noted that Wilson had mentioned negotiations two months earlier with no updates since.

“The city has lost a tremendous amount of money because of this messing around with the Craneway,” the resident said, citing lost tax revenue.

Wilson acknowledged the financial impact and pledged to push for a faster resolution so details can be shared publicly. Wilson explained that real estate negotiations must remain confidential to preserve the city’s bargaining position.

“If they can see our hands, then it’s not much of a negotiation,” Wilson said.

Deputy Director of Public Works Tawfic Halaby highlighted the concrete actions the city has taken, noting that Richmond recently issued a request for proposals for a condition assessment of the pavilion. The city received bids from inspection firms before the October 27 deadline, including from Bureau Veritas Technical Assessments LLC, RDH Building Science Inc., and Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.

The assessment is intended to document the building’s condition “prior to turnover,” according to city documents, though officials have not disclosed who would take control of the property or under what terms.

Halaby suggested the assessment indicates progress. “That, to me, triggers some thoughts that things are going to happen in the future,” Halaby said.

Community members said that any deal should benefit the entire city, rather than favoring a single group. Residents pointed to the pickleball facility that recently operated at the Craneway and closed earlier in the year, which some felt impacted the historic builings' availability to host community events.

“They left their people high and dry,” one resident said at the meeting, urging the council not to allow similar problems to occur again. “It should be open to everybody.”

Before joining the council, Wilson was an outspoken critic of the pickleball project. In March 2024, Wilson joined protests against the pavilion’s pickleball club, saying it was replacing popular public events. Dressed as Rosie the Riveter with other demonstrators, she said the space “should be used for more than just pickleball.”

The Craneway Pavilion, situated at the former Ford Assembly Plant on Richmond’s waterfront, has been a source of community concern as negotiations have stretched on. Wilson said she plans to provide more detailed updates through her newsletter once negotiations advance beyond the confidential real estate phase.

No timeline has been announced for completing the negotiations or awarding the condition assessment contract.

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