Hercules, California, located on San Pablo Bay in western Contra Costa County began as a company town for the Hercules Powder Company. While Hercules has many residential areas, there is no longer a well-defined town center. The waterfront along San Pablo Bay was historically used for industrial uses and has lain fallow for many years. The Hercules Redevelopment Agency commissioned a study for the Central Hercules District, comprised of 427 acres of prime brownfield land at the center of the City and on the shore of the Bay.

Dover, Kohl & Partners was selected to design a master redevelopment plan and code to guide the regeneration of the heart of the City. Using hands-on public participation, the planning team was able to rapidly gather ideas from and share information with the residents of Hercules. During the charrette, these ideas were tested and refined, with continual feedback from community leaders. Smaller meetings and discussions with landowners, developers, and other stakeholders were also used to begin reconciling public and private interests.

The Plan for Central Hercules illustrates the primary concept of growing upon a framework of mixed-use walkable neighborhoods. The plan focuses on simultaneously maximizing the sense of place and revenue-generating potential, sensitively developing the waterfront with public access, and interconnecting once-fragmented parts.

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