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4/21/2026 - 10:00 AM
MISSION: We seek to provide timely, informative updates on regional topics relevant to our members.
Recap:
CITY OF MONTEREY
The Monterey County Business Roundtable welcomed new City Manager Dante Hall to the meeting.
The Monterey City Council today (April 21, 2026) will receive a presentation from our wastewater recycling agency Monterey One Water (M1W) about proposed rate increases for construction projects and other expenses.
The Monterey City Council will also discussion recommendations for Lower Presidio Historic Park lease operations.
- The Lower Presidio has been described by historians and commentators as one of the most historically significant sites on the West Coast.
- In 1996, the City of Monterey entered into a 50-year lease with the U.S. Army for approximately 26 acres of the Lower Presidio of Monterey.
- The U.S. Army had considered the Lower Presidio for housing construction when the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission (BRAC) selected Fort Ord in 1991 for closure and then in 1993 considered also closing the Presidio of Monterey.
- While the park is currently managed by the City of Monterey, there is a vision of one day having it under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service (NPS).
Also, the Monterey City Council will discuss a proposal for new polling of city residents to determine voter support for additional proposed tax increases on the November 2026 ballot, such as a tax on parking lots.
The Monterey City Council has placed Measure D on the June 2026 ballot to maintain and also increase the city’s sales tax. The city council has also approved an upcoming new stormwater fee, for which property owners can file a protest.
CITIES OF MARINA AND SEASIDE
Numerous construction projects are underway or planned to start soon in the City of Marina and City of Seaside, a dramatic change from the past. Notably, yhe transformation of the former Fort Ord (which closed in 1994) from blight to residential and commercial development has accelerated in the past few years.
Projects include the following in the City of Marina: the new Marina Station housing development, continued expansion of The Dunes substantial residential housing development and improvements for new tenants at The Dunes Promenade, mixed-used development next to the Walmart, the 15-unit Hillcrest Avenue Project, two new hotels adjacent to Imjin Parkway, demolition of the former Fort Ord Main Garrison Sewer Treatment Plant, overhaul and recommissioning of the Marina Coast Water District small desalination plant, rehabilitation of the Marina Arts Village (former Fort Ord warehouses), expansion of Joby Aviation facilities at the Marina Airport, the Monterey-Salinas Transit SURF! Bus Rapid Transit corridor and Fifth Street Station, and new segment of the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) Fort Ord Trail and Greenway (FORTAG), public art and landscaping for the Imjin Parkway widening and roundabout project, renovation of Gavilan Hall (Building 201) at California State University, Monterey Bay into student housing, a new Mercedes-Benz dealership, and a new Kaiser Permanente facility.
Projects include the following in the City of Seaside: the Campus Town mixed-use development, a new county courthouse at Main Gate, later phases of the Enclave housing development adjacent to the Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Course, the Broadway Avenue Complete Street Corridor Project, a new city fire station, a new facility for Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula, and the Grand Hyatt Seaside Resort.
HEALTH CARE
The major health care systems in Monterey County face significant challenges in physician recruitment. Montage Health reports notable success in the past 15 months in its recruitment program. Under the direction of the CEO, Montage recruited 17 new physicians to the system in 2025 and has already recruited 10 new physicians in 2026. It costs about $1 million per physician recruitment, and the Montage Health Foundation is helping to pay for that expense.
NEW GAS STATION UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN MARINA
Chamber members have been asking about the prominent construction project at the intersection of Imjin Boulevard and 2nd Avenue near Highway 1, across from The Dunes Shopping Center. This will be a new Chevron gas station, a convenience store with a quick-serve drive-thru restaurant, and a carwash, all located within Opportunity Area 1A within Phase 2 North of the Dunes Development. That parcel is being developed by the Dadwal Group, which recently built the SpringHill Suites by Marriott and the Home2 Suites by Hilton at The Dunes in Marina. A representative of Dadwal Group says the project is scheduled to be completed in September 2026. Dadwal Group will also be building two hotels at the site, with the first one starting vertical construction in 2027.
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