JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2026 Meeting Opportunities

The City is hosting district Community Sessions to kick off the 2026 year! There are four opportunities to see an intro presentation about the Waterfront and Marina Revitalization (and other City projects), ask questions, and give feedback through a survey and to City Staff. Each of these meetings will include the same presentations and information, so please come to the meetings most convenient to you.

January 15, 2026 5:30-7:30pm
Grace Episcopal Church, 130 Muir Station Road

January 28, 2026 6:30-8:30pm
John Muir Elementary School, 205 Vista Way

February 12, 2026 6-8pm
IBEW Local 302 Hall, 1875 Arnold Drive

February 25, 2026 6-8pm
Alhambra High School, 150 E Street

MORE OPPORTUNITIES

There will be more meetings, including workshops and public meeting presentations, throughout the process. Check on this page for more details as they become available; information will also be posted on City social channels.

On July 16, 2025, Tucker Sadler presented its conceptual vision to the community at a City Council meeting. At this meeting, the City Council directed staff to begin negotiating an Exclusive Negotiation Agreement (ENA) with Tucker Sadler to explore whether a public-private partnership is feasible.

On December 17, 2025, the Martinez City Council unanimously approved an Exclusive Negotiating Agreement (ENA) with Tucker Sadler Architects, marking an important milestone toward revitalization of the Martinez Waterfront and Marina. The agreement sets in motion a new phase of study and collaborative planning that will evaluate the project’s feasibility, refine design concepts, and lay the groundwork for decisions on the future of the Waterfront and Marina.

This ENA does the following:

• Outlines preliminary terms and deliverables for both the City and Tucker Sadler.
• Establishes a 24-month period for study and negotiation of a project and potential development agreement.
• States that the envisioned project will incorporate significant waterside and landside amenities and improvements. The project will not include housing.
• Includes requirements for public outreach and multiple studies as part of the project design and scoping process.
• Ensures that the project will be privately financed and self-sustaining, with no City financing or any risk to the City’s taxpayers.
• Importantly, the ENA does not obligate the City or Tucker Sadler to enter into a final development agreement.

What happens next?

With the ENA approval, the City and Tucker Sadler begin a formal 24-month period to collaboratively refine a transformative vision for the waterfront, conduct environmental review, engage the community, and negotiate a potential Development Agreement.

Under the ENA, the City and Tucker Sadler will manage and participate in a robust public engagement process that invites residents, businesses, waterfront users, and regional partners to provide input into the final vision. There will be multiple opportunities for community feedback as the project is designed and undergoes extensive studies and review processes.

Check the Outreach section of this webpage for future feedback opportunities.

The Martinez Waterfront encompasses 135 acres along the Carquinez Strait, portions of which have been held in trust by the City on behalf of the State of California since 1851.

It includes the 70-acre Marina, which currently includes a public launch ramp, fishing pier, 332 boat slips, a park, open spaces, and marine-related businesses. An additional 65 acres of trust lands held by the EBRPD and leased to the City currently offer baseball fields, bocce courts, trails, lawn area with playground and picnic facilities, skate park, and one multipurpose field. Adjacent to this, there are more EBRPD open spaces, parks, and recreational uses, all of which are available to the public.

Today, much of the Marina’s critical infrastructure has outlived its useful life and requires extensive and costly repairs or replacement. Some facilities, such as sections of docks, the bait shop, amphitheater, and restaurant have already been closed due to safety or operational issues. There is frequent flooding, extensive dredging is required, and a new breakwater needs to be constructed and raised for seawater rise. 

Over the past five years, the City has spent almost $2 million out of its General Fund to pay for urgent Marina needs. Although the Marina is supposed to be a self-supporting enterprise, costs exceed the revenue from slip licenses and other fees and require subsidy from the City of $560,00 this year, growing to $650,000 in future years. Long-range forecasts project these costs to create annual, citywide budget deficits of $1.2 million through 2030 and $1.3 million through 2035, bringing City reserves below minimum levels by 2027.

The Martinez Waterfront TLUP, approved by the California State Lands Commission in June 2024, is a long-term strategic guideline for the revitalization of the Martinez Waterfront Marina and surrounding Trust Lands. 

The TLUP was created through extensive public meetings, taking in the community's needs and priorities for the Waterfront and Marina, such as waterfront access and amenities such as restaurants and shopping, as well as the statutory requirements of the grant of the Trust Lands.

The final TLUP emphasizes the Waterfront as a vibrant destination for both locals and visitors, emphasizing sustainability, public amenities, and environmental education. Proposed improvements (among others) include upgraded facilities, an environmental center, bait shop, waterfront dining, small craft rentals and zone, dry storage, and enhanced access to parklands and wildlife areas.

The TLUP did not specify a work plan, timeline, or means for any of the visualized improvements, nor did it obligate the City to an exact plan. The TLUP identified multiple funding approaches, including grants, public-private partnership, and other public financing mechanisms.

You can access the full TLUP in the Documents section. 

Press Releases:

2025-12-18 Press Release - Martinez City Council Approves Waterfront and Marina ENA

2025-07-10 Press Release - Revitalize Martinez Marina: City Council Set to Consider Partnership to Revitalize Martinez Marina

2024-07-11 Press Release - Martinez Marina: Martinez Marina Operator Ends Management Contract, City Taking Steps to Ensure Smooth Transition

Materials from 12/17/2025 Meeting: 

 Watch the Meeting presentation, Council discussion, and public comment:

Staff Report - Waterfront and Marina

Exclusive Negotiating Agreement

What's an ENA Handout

Materials from 7/16/2025 Meeting:

Watch the presentation at the July 16, 2025 City Council Meeting.

View Tucker Sadler's Vision for the Marina and Waterfront presented to the City Council on July 16, 2024. This is a preliminary, conceptual design, and is not a final project proposal. 

Martinez Marina & Waterfront Quick Facts

Next Steps Handout

Staff Report - Martinez Marina and Waterfront Revitalization

Documents and other:

Mayor Brianne Zorn's article: "A Public-Private Partnership at the Marina is a Good Opportunity." Diablo Gazette, vol August 2025, page 15. https://www.diablogazette.com/2025/08/

Trust Lands Use Plan (TLUP): In June 2024, the State of California adopted the City of Martinez’s Trust Lands Use Plan (TLUP) for the Martinez Waterfront Marina. The TLUP outlines a long-term vision to revitalize approximately 135 acres of waterfront, including the marina, open space, recreational areas, and marine-related businesses. The Plan identifies water-related recreation, appropriate commercial uses, and public access enhancements as key components to transform the area into a regional destination while supporting the ongoing operations of the Marina.