From Mega Theater Dreams to Measure C: Has El Cerrito Learned From Its Costly Development Mistakes?

Influenced by Social Media Posts from a Concerned Citizen

Some longtime residents still remember when city hall proposed the big multi-screen mega theater complex near Del Norte BART, the $14 million redevelopment deal involving Dayton-Hudson and Target, and the eventual conversion of that site into a Safeway after Target left for Richmond.

That history matters because many residents remember that Target did not remain in El Cerrito long-term. After significant public investment and redevelopment effort, the store eventually relocated to Richmond, leaving El Cerrito with the long-term consequences of the project while the retailer moved on to a larger regional location. For many residents, that became a cautionary example of the risks associated with large, high-stakes economic development ventures in a smaller city.

El Cerrito is a city of roughly 25,000 people with a relatively small budget. Large redevelopment bets carry real financial risks when the planning assumptions are wrong or market conditions change. When projects underperform, residents often end up facing higher taxes, service reductions, or ongoing fiscal pressure to close the gap.

Many residents see the proposed 20,000-square-foot library as another example of the same pattern. The proposal would create a facility roughly three times the size of the existing library in a city this small, despite broader trends showing declining physical library foot traffic and changing usage patterns as more services move online. Contra Costa County library usage statistics and national library trend reports have shown long-term pressure on traditional in-person circulation and visitation patterns.

Reasonable people can disagree about growth and development, but many residents believe El Cerrito’s history shows that flashy or overly ambitious projects are not always sound economic development policy for a smaller community. That history is part of why some residents are skeptical of major new financial commitments today.