Pittsburg inches toward redeveloping waterfront with proposed hotel, banquet room

Pittsburg edged a step closer toward revitalizing its waterfront with a developer who wants to build a hotel and banquet room on two city-owned properties.

The City Council on Tuesday approved an exclusive negotiating agreement with Global Resources Trading LLC for two waterfront parcels that have been vacant for decades. One is a tidelands property the state granted to the city, with restrictions on its use.

City leaders hope the project will inspire more commercial development and recreational use of the waterfront.

“We’re excited,” Mayor Merl Craft told the Bay Area News Group on Wednesday. “That would make it a destination and that would encourage more businesses to come because some wouldn’t want to be the lone wolf down there.”

Peter Nguyen, who also owns a fresh fish market and bait shop nearby, plans to open a banquet hall and three-story hotel and eventually outdoor dining at the waterfront on the San Joaquin River’s New York Slough in a spot referred to as the “berm.” He has also purchased a long-empty building on Fourth Street and Railroad Avenue where he plans another fresh fish market and sit-down restaurant, according to City Manager Garrett Evans.

“I think it’s a win for our city,” Craft said, noting the developer plans to build in phases. “We haven’t had a sit-down restaurant down there (at the waterfront) for a long time and this will be a great addition to the area. Part of his (Nguyen’s) dream and our wish list is that we get a restaurant. We are hoping he continues to develop because he is a good partner with our city.”

Based in Discovery Bay, Peter Nguyen’s Global Resources is a premier wholesaler of seafood, selling to major chains such as Whole Foods.

In December, Nguyen opened the Fishermen’s Catch fish market and food stand at 31 Marina Blvd., right next to his Catch Bait & Tackle shop, which he has operated since 2018. In addition, the company operated a successful commercial fishing vessel from 1985 to 1995 and the Hong Kong Restaurant in Union City from 1995 to 2001.

The company first approached the city in 2018 for exclusive negotiating rights to the “berm” waterfront area, said Laura Wright, the city’s environmental affairs manager, adding that “there’s incredible potential for this site.” Since then, the company also purchased the Railroad Avenue/Fourth Street site for future development.

Under the agreement, the 120-day negotiating period begins Feb. 21.  If a lease and development agreement are negotiated, environmental reviews will be conducted before the proposal returns to council for approval.