Last updated: March 2025

Central Assembly of Richmond: Clearing the Way for Affordable Housing in El Sobrante 

Assessment work being conducted inside the Strip Mall/High School

Central Assembly of Richmond, an Assemblies of God church, purchased an abandoned strip mall and converted it to the El Sobrante Christian High School in 1996. The high ceiling supermarket was retrofitted to assembly and gymnasium spaces. The side buildings formerly containing other retail — including dry cleaners and a laundromat — were recently used for the school’s lockers, offices, and classrooms. The high school closed due to low enrollment. When Central Assembly tried to sell the property in 2021, Phase I and II Environmental Site Assessments showed chemicals of concern underground from the former shopping center and adjacent gas station uses. Assessment and remediation of underground contamination is essential for the site to be redeveloped.

Central Assembly was at risk of default if it could not secure outside resources to investigate and remediate the site. Central Assembly received a $2.2-million Department of Toxic Substances Control ECRG Round 2 Site-specific Investigation Grant to delineate the 2-acre site’s contamination and support community outreach efforts. Currently, this grant is being used to assess the extent of contamination and to prepare a feasibility study and remedial action plan with approaches to allow property development. To date, soil, soil gas, and groundwater have been sampled, and a geophysical survey has been performed in accordance with the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board-approved Site Investigation Work Plan.

 Community Outreach/Education on environmental investigation work

Central Assembly has also conducted a series of outreach efforts including presenting at the El Sobrante Municipal Advisory Council, tabling at various community events and briefing key community organizations on the environmental investigation work. Next steps include sharing investigation results with the community in spring/summer 2025. Ultimately, Central Assembly of Richmond hopes to partner with an affordable housing developer to provide much needed housing at price points accessible to the community.