Former Naval Air Station Alameda

Base Property and Historical Use
The former Naval Air Station (NAS) Alameda is located in the City of Alameda, California and is now commonly referred to as Alameda Point.  Situated immediately southwest of the central business district of Oakland, Alameda Point is bordered on the north by the Oakland Inner Harbor, on the west and south by the San Francisco Bay, and on the east by the City of Alameda. The former NAS Alameda consisted of approximately 2,806 acres of land, including submerged acreage.  The south and west portions of Alameda Point provide beautiful panoramic vistas of the Bay Bridge and the City of San Francisco.

In June 1936, Congress approved establishment of a naval air station along the San Francisco Bay.  Public Resolution Number 19 authorized President Franklin Roosevelt to purchase approximately 929 acres from the City of Alameda on behalf of the United States.

NAS Alameda was commissioned in 1940 and played a critical role in the Navy’s defense mission following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.  NAS Alameda’s primary wartime mission was simplified -- “keep ‘em flying” from airfields and carriers.  The base piped massive quantities of men, machinery, and supplies across the Pacific.  Station records document 230,000 man hours logged in December 1941; at peak production in July 1945, this figure would exceed 2,000,000 man-hours in around the clock operations.

From World War II through the Korean Conflict and Vietnam, NAS Alameda supported the Department of the Navy's defense mission until operational closure in 1997.   Christmas 1994 represented the last time two aircraft carriers and a cruiser—USS CARL VINSON (CVN-70), USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN-72) AND USS ARKANSAS (CGN-41) - were home ported together at the air station’s piers.

In January 2013, the Naval Air Station Alameda Historic District was placed on the United States National Register of Historic Places.

*Portions of text cited directly from “Naval Air Station Alameda 1940-1997”, Disestablishment Handbook, 25 April 1997, Alameda C  Edited and designed by Rochelle Kelly.

Closure History
The 1993 Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission recommended closure of NAS Alameda and operational closure occurred on 30 April 1997.  The Alameda Reuse and Redevelopment Authority (ARRA) was designated as the officially recognized Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA).  In 2000, the Department of the Navy (DON) and ARRA executed a No-Cost Economic Development Conveyance Memorandum of Agreement (EDC MOA) which provided a framework for the transfer and conveyance of the majority of the property by the Navy to the ARRA.  Also in 2000, the DON and ARRA entered into a Lease in Furtherance of Conveyance, which allowed the ARRA to control and maintain the property prior to deed transfer. The ARRA was dissolved in 2012, and the City of Alameda became the officially recognized Local Reuse Authority.  

Property Transfer Summary
To date, the Navy has transferred approximately 89% of the former installation to the City of Alameda and other entities, as summarized below.  Please note all acreages are approximate. 

Remaining Property to be Transferred
Approximately 266 acres additional acres will be transferred over the next several years to the City of Alameda as No- Cost EDC Phases, pending completion of environmental remediation. 

The remaining acreage (approximately 35-acres) consists of the former North Housing area which will be conveyed via a combination of mechanisms including Public Benefit, Homeless Assistance, and Public Sale.
(Updated January 2017)

Alameda NAS Conveyance Status
For a larger image please click on the chart below.