“Our goal remains simple: keep this historic theatre an arts venue for our community and future generations.” – Sharon Sobel Idul

Foundation board down to just three members

Herrera brothers also clarify matters

By Allen D. Payton

In response to concerns and accusations by the public and questions by the Herald about the sale to a church of Antioch’s historic El Campanil Theatre building in downtown Rivertown, the president of the foundation which leases most of the building and operates the theater shared details from the board’s perspective. She also said the board’s membership is now down to just three.

(See related articles here and here)

In a statement issued Aug. 20, 2026, Sharon Sobel Idul, president of the El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation Board of Directors, wrote, “We are aware of the potential sale of the property and of fundraising efforts being circulated online by a potential buyer. Those efforts are independent of ECTPF and do not reflect the mission of our organization and it is unlikely that we would be able to continue to provide theatre programming at El Campanil Theatre if they acquire the space.”

According to her LinkedIn profile, since July 2009 Sobel Idul has been the full-time Artistic Director and Founding Director of Black Diamond Ballet in Pittsburg and since 2014, she has also worked as the self-employed CEO, Choreographer and Instructor for the Pittsburg Performing Arts Academy. Her ballet company performs the Nutcracker each year at the theater.

Questions for Board President

In an email sent early Thursday afternoon, Sobel Idul was asked several questions. First, she was asked, beyond the statement, “do you and the board have anything else to say about the sale and possibly working with the new owners after escrow closes, and any response to what others have been saying about you and the board in my articles published this week?”

Sobel Idul was then asked, “When did you become board president? Why didn’t the board inform the public the building was for sale and launch a fundraising campaign for the foundation to buy it back and not just funds for operations? Did you or anyone on the board reach out to the council members to see if the City could help with the purchase?”

She was also informed, “There’s a claim that the council members tried to meet with your board last fall but there were scheduling conflicts and the meeting never happened,” and asked, “Is that correct?”

Sobel Idul was then asked, “What are the board’s long-term plans should the church outgrow the theater building and need to find larger space and sell it in the future?”

Finally, she was asked, “Who are the people currently serving on the board as of today?”

Board President Responds

In her response Friday afternoon, Sobel Idul wrote via email, “Thank you for the opportunity to respond. A few clarifications:

“Board leadership: I joined the Board and was elected President in November 2025.

“Why not purchase sooner? We were aware the property was for sale, but during a period of financial and organizational transition, our first responsibility was stabilizing operations. The seller indicated to us that he was not motivated to sell. Pursuing a $1.5 million purchase before establishing greater financial stability would not have been responsible. We began actively seeking acquisition partners in spring 2026.

“City involvement: Beginning in May, we worked with the City and property owner to explore a pathway toward acquisition. In early July, we were told there were no strong or valid offers and understood we would be kept informed if one emerged.

“On August 9, the owner informed me by phone that he had accepted an offer. Contrary to what was reported, I was not informed of this offer beforehand.

“Last fall’s City meeting: While this occurred before I joined the board, my understanding is the organization was trying to engage the city for a financial sponsorship.

“Working with the potential buyer: Based on the information currently available and public statements made by the Pastor this past Tuesday, if the sale closes, the Foundation would cease operating El Campanil Theatre. The buyer’s intended use and scheduling would directly conflict with the programming necessary for us to continue operating as a community performing arts venue. This was mentioned to the broker when we were first informed of the offer acceptance. 

“This is not the outcome we want. We continue to explore every reasonable path to preserve El Campanil. Our goal remains simple: keep this historic theatre an arts venue for our community and future generations.

“Regarding this week’s reporting: Several statements attribute decisions or motivations to me from summer 2025. I did not join the Board until November 2025 and could not have made or influenced those decisions.

“Specifically, the statement that I ‘didn’t want to scare the public’ and therefore the Board ‘didn’t want to tell the truth’ is inconsistent with the timeline. The financial circumstances being discussed occurred before my tenure. I would appreciate that being corrected or clarified.

“Current Board:
Sharon Sobel Idul  – President
Gail Kean – Vice President/Secretary
Kent Vosburg – Treasurer”

——————————-

Escrow on Sale Closes Sept. 29

As previously reported, Eli Hererra Lead Pastor of Legendary Movement Church, the buyer of the building, said, “We’re in escrow. It closes Sept. 29th. That’s the day we get the key.”

No Seller Carry-Back Financing

Herrera said, “The seller is not carrying the balance. We got a loan.”

Willing to Sell Back Building to Foundation if Church Outgrows Theater Space in Future

Asked if, in a few years, the church outgrows the theater building what are the plans Herrera said, “We’ll have to find a bigger space.” Asked would the church then be willing to sell the building back to the foundation to once again own and operate it as the theater he said, “If in the future the Lord allows that to happen it could be a possibility.”

Clarifications in Response to Social Media Comments

In response to additional questions based on comments posted on social media including that their father was also a pastor and his church bought the former Golf ‘n Games building, Herrera said, “No, our father is not a pastor. My dad did concrete for 30 years.”

His brother, Ruben Herrera, pastor of the Spanish-language church, Palabra de Dios in Antioch, said his church owned the former LaFontana Office Products building at 611 W. 3rd Street in downtown Antioch – after they battled the City which did not want them to locate there but won the right due to the previously reported RLUIPA law. Later, the church purchased and relocated to the former Golf ‘n Games building on Auto Center Drive, after it sat empty for a few years. Ruben’s church has since sold that building and bought the former CVS building on Somersville Road in the same shopping center where the Bank of America and BMO branches are located.

Ruben also said his church is not the source of the approximate $1.2 million loan for the 80% balance of the purchase of the El Campanil Theatre.

Eli said the video of him inside the theater was not AI-generated and that, “The El Campanil staff let us.”

In addition, The Pentacostals of the Bay Area purchased the building that housed the former AMC Deer Valley 16 theaters on Lone Tree Way, which as of 2022 has a Commercial Infill Housing Overlay District on the property and could have instead been another City staff-approved affordable apartment complex. That church is completely separate from and unrelated to the Herrera brothers’ churches and is currently meeting in the Pittsburg Adult Education Center after their church building on Railroad Avenue in Pittsburg was destroyed by fire in May 2022.

Live Music, Line Dancing, Beer & Wine Garden, Artisan Vendors, Food & Kid Zone

Plus, 6th Annual Delta Rotary Cornhole Tournament

By Celebrate Antioch Foundation

Celebrate Antioch Foundation proudly presents one of our signature events, The Boots & BBQ Festival, Saturday, Sept. 26 from 11 AM to 6 PM. Grab your boots, bring your family and friends, and join us for a day you won’t forget in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown!

Spend the day with us enjoying the Amateur BBQ Cook-Off Competition and Cornhole Tournament while relaxing to the live music featuring the sounds of Houston Ave and Burke.

Select from a variety of local Rivertown Restaurants and BBQ Food Trucks and unwind under our shaded Beer and Wine Garden. There will be a family-friendly Kid Zone with a special guest providing Line Dancing Instruction.

Browse unique creations from our artisan vendors, sip your favorite beer or wine, and enjoy an unforgettable afternoon of entertainment and fun.

Amateur BBQ Cook-Off Competition

Are people always telling you your ribs are the BEST around? Or maybe you are are looking to take your BBQ skills to the next level. Cook up some of your best chicken and ribs and participate in Boot & BBQ Backyard BBQ Competition! Our Boots & BBQ Amateur Backyard BBQ Cook-off Competition on Saturday Sept 26th, 2026, in Antioch’s Rivertown Business District. This amateur contest is intended for the local backyard BBQ enthusiasts, those whose friends and family tell them they create fantastic ribs and chicken at home. Participants can register as a group or as an individual and the cost to enter the contest is $100. The winners will receive a trophy, a cash prize and ultimate bragging rights!

Prizes include Grand Champion Winner $500 & Trophy; 1st Place Chicken & Rib Winner $300 & Trophy; 2nd Place Chicken & Rib Winner $150 & Trophy; 3rd Place Chicken & Rib Winner $75 & Trophy; and, of course, ultimate bragging rights!

6th Annual Cornhole Tournament

This year’s event will feature the Rotary Club of the Delta’s 6th Annual Corn Hole Tournament. The $100 Cornhole Entry Fee is for a Team of 2 People! Divisions will be determined during a Round Robin Style of play that will place you in the backyard or competitive division for the single elimination bracket play.

Your donation will help us to continue to support our local youth programs, senior citizens, veterans and community projects.

Come out and have some good, old-fashioned fun with family and friends. 

Location

The Festival will be located in Antioch’s historic downtown with the bands playing in Waldie Plaza near the waterfront. Mark your calendars, grab your boots and hats, and meet us in Rivertown! See y’all there! 

Registration

Details and Registration for the BBQ Cook Off Competition – Boots & BBQ Amateur BBQ Cook-Off

Register your Cornhole Team of 2 – Rotary Club of the Delta 6th Annual Corn Hole Tournament Tickets

Sign up to be a Vendor – Boots & BBQ Festival Artisan Vendor Application

Thank you to our sponsors: ALMOST THERE TRAVEL • ANTIOCH COMMUNITY FOUNDATION • ANTIOCH HERALD • ANTIOCH ROTARY CLUB • CATHOLIC FUNERAL & CEMETARY SERVICES • CITY OF ANTIOCH • DELTA VIEW PRODUCTIONS • EAST BAY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION • FLYING DUTCHMAN TATTOO • JIM LANTER STATE FARM • WILLOW PARK MERCANTILE • REPUBLIC SERVICES

For more information about Celebrate Antioch Foundation visit our website at www.celebrateantioch.org.

Community meeting gets heated after pastor, congregants invited in; false accusations made of carrying guns; claim of a police report filed

Protest march to City Hall proposed; City staff looking for possible clause in original 2003 purchase agreement

By Allen D. Payton

Following public outcry after learning a church has purchased the 98-year-old building that houses the historic El Campanil Theatre in Antioch’s downtown Rivertown, the current owner shared his reasons for selling. In addition, a community meeting held there, Tuesday night, got heated between residents and the pastor and some members of his Legendary Movement Church who attended unexpectedly.

Sold Because Theater Was Going to Close, Then on Month-to-Month Lease

When reached with questions about his sale of the El Campanil Theatre building, current owner Tung Bui, who lives in Washington state, offered his reasons.

“I bought the theater for the purpose of the arts. I have friends who live in Danville and we go to shows nearby. I am a consultant to Rick on the business side in wireless operations,” he shared, referring to the foundation’s former executive director, Rick Carraher who led the effort to raise the funds to buy and renovate the building, and then led that effort, as well. He and his wife, Janis, were the original owners of Rick’s on Second restaurant that was located across the street from the theater. Rick Carraher served as the theater’s executive director until he resigned in 2021 when the couple moved out of state but remained on the board of directors. He is no longer has a role with the theater or board.

“Since then, they have brought in three different chairs and Sharon is the latest, and have had a lot of staff changes,” Bui said. Sharon Sobel Idul is the current president of the Board of Directors of the El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation which leases most of the building and operates the theater.

“Last year I spoke with the foundation board,” he continued. “They’re the ones who said they didn’t have the funds to operate until the end of the year.”

Last October, the theater board began another fundraising campaign to cover the costs of operations without sharing the amount they needed. The board then announced a progress report in March that they had exceeded their $50,000 goal writing, “As of March 25, 2026, a total of $65,190 has been raised from 411 gifts.” They kept going with a “City of Stars – A Dance Gala to Keep the Arts Thriving in Antioch,” in collaboration with Black Diamond Ballet on April 18th. They’re still raising funds through the theater’s website, today.

But the board never informed the public the building was for sale nor held a fundraising campaign to purchase it, to the dismay of members of the public who expressed it during Tuesday night’s meeting and on social media.

“We’re on a month-to-month lease. I don’t want to own a property where the theater isn’t going to be,” Bui stated. “Who runs a commercial building on a month-to-month basis?”

“I gave them free rent for the first year and then gave them a sweetheart deal because I wanted them to recover,” he shared. “I didn’t raise rents for a certain period of time.”

“They told me they were going to shut down by the end of the year,” Bui reiterated.

Asked about the church buying the building he said, “We had several buyers. I turned down a ton of buyers. I didn’t want someone to buy it and tear it down. I wanted a buyer to have a consistent use of the property. The church wanted to keep it the way it is. They’re going to use it for Sunday mornings and Wednesday night Bible study.”

“As a matter of courtesy, I discussed this with Sharon before I accepted the offer. She knew about it,” said Bui.

“I put it on the market with an agent, Michael Temby. I don’t want to own it,” Bui shared. “My agent approached the City early on.”

“Then they (the board) came back to me at the end (of the fundraising effort) and said they can operate it and asked if I would go on a month-to-month. That’s a death sentence,” he stated. “Even if I could back out (of offering it for sale), I couldn’t because I had a contract with a listing for a certain duration.”

Asked if he owned other commercial properties, Bui said, “Not at all. This would be the first and only property I own. I’m not a commercial guy. I only bought it because of my relationship with Rick. I’m an electrical engineer.” 

He then suggested this reporter speak with Temby. However, in response to efforts to speak with the Discovery Bay-based Realtor, he said, “I have no comments at this time while we’re in escrow. Happy to answer any questions after escrow closes.” According to Herrera, that will be on Sept. 29th.

El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation Shares Community Update on Potential Sale

UPDATE 2: On August 20th, Sobel Idul emailed a press release about the potential sale of the theater building (which the Herald unfortunately missed until Thursday, Sept. 3rd).

She wrote, “The El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation (ECTPF) would like to provide some clarity to our community regarding recent conversations about the future of the El Campanil Theatre property.

“ECTPF is a tenant of the theatre property, which is owned by an out-of-state landlord. We are aware of the potential sale of the property and of fundraising efforts being circulated online by a potential buyer. Those efforts are independent of ECTPF and do not reflect the mission of our organization and it is unlikely that we would be able to continue to provide theatre programming at El Campanil Theatre if they acquire the space. 

“El Campanil Theatre has been part of this community for nearly a century and we understand how deeply people care about its future. We share that commitment. El Campanil Theatre is a historic gem that should remain as an arts and cultural hub. We hope the city, our community, and artists alike can come together to help maintain our mission, if not we will no longer be able to continue our arts management in this space.  

“For now, our focus remains on operating the theatre, welcoming audiences and community organizations, supporting the artists and renters who bring this stage to life, and continuing to be a gathering place for Antioch and the surrounding region.

“Please view a list of our upcoming events here: www.ElCampanilTheatre.com.”

Community Conversation Becomes Confrontation with Congregation

After Tuesday night’s “Save our Stage: A Community Conversation”, Rivertown business owner Mike Gabrielson, a former Board President of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, shared a comment about the meeting on the Antioch Herald’s Facebook page, below the post of Tuesday’s article that broke the news the building had sold. He wrote, “I was at the meeting tonight put on by the El Campanil and and it was going great. People were sharing old stories, how much the El Campanil meant to them, sharing how we need to keep the arts alive in our city. Suddenly when the news crew left, the Pastor Eli Herrera from Legendary Church showed up with about 50 people. They barged in and he shared his vision for the El Campanil Theatre which didn’t really include current El Campanil Programing or as he put it ” Legendary plans on putting on it’s own shows and performances and hopes that the El Campanil will stay on as a tenant as long as they can work around their programming…. it’s pretty clear what that means. This is super sad for our community and a final nail in the coffin to our Downtown Economy. Please join us Tuesday Sept 8th 6pm for a friendly protest in front of El Campanil Theatre and a March to City Hall to ask our Council and Mayor to support Saving the El Campanil.. Save Our Stage!”

One person who attended said Jose Cordón, Antioch’s poet laureate tried to prevent the pastor and church members from entering the meeting and they pushed past him and the pastor was acting like he was going to be the savior of Rivertown. Another person who owns a business in Antioch and attended but chose not to be identified said, Cordón was being interviewed by the media outside and invited the pastor into the meeting. That person also said someone came at the pastor and another person in attendance complained that one of the pastor’s men had a gun, that Cordón ended up taking over the meeting and tried to de-escalate things.

In a post on the page of the Facebook group Antioch Rants and Raves, another Rivertown business owner, Erin Green-Astone wrote, “I don’t have any words right now. I’m angry that it evolved the way it did. The church members and pastor showed up late to the meeting and shifted the tone greatly. We have passionate folks in Antioch. I hate that it devolved into what it did. I hate more that they brought concealed weapons into the theater and potentially put others at risk. I’m not sure how to heal this community after seeing that.”

Pastor Responds

However, the pastor and the leader of the Downtown Antioch Association who attended Tuesday night’s meeting refuted most of that information, while Cordón confirmed some of it.

Herrera, who said on Tuesday he wasn’t going to attend the community meeting, said Wednesday morning in an audio file sent by text to the Herald, “I’m sure you’re seeing all the news buzzing all over Facebook and online in regards to me and…well, our church goes and prays every Tuesday outside (the theater). I got basically asked and begged to go into that meeting and I said I would do it in a peaceful way. I go in there and it wasn’t peaceful. A guy, named Mr. Cordón, turns the whole audience on me. Very, very misleading. Then in the middle of that, a woman tries to come forward and come at me, physically. Then another man that I found out, named Frank Sterling, comes at me trying to attack me from my back and my men that I had with me. Not only men. I had families, my wife and children were there, all of our families were there. We were there praying outside, and my men stepped up and guarded me. There was no guns. There was no weapons. We have everything recorded.”

“So, I just wanted to share that with you because you’re going to see a lot of stuff buzzing all over the Antioch Rants and all this stuff, which is all lies,” Herrera continued.

“I heard they made a police report after we left. Not sure why they did that. They’re the ones who were attacking us,” he said with a chuckle.

“This is getting out of hand. I wanted to work with the theater operations people. They just, they don’t seem friendly enough to work with,” Herrera stated. “And so, this is very sad.”

Asked about the claims that he and his church members “barged in” and about someone coming at him and that one of his men had a gun, Herrera said, “It was a gentleman who stormed at me. But I just seen he did an apology on Facebook. Frank Sterling.”

“Nobody had a gun,” he emphasized. “We didn’t barge in. We were outside praying and they said, ‘hey, we would love for you to speak.’ So, I got invited into the building. And the 50 people were – we didn’t barge in – it was families. We had kids, mothers, strollers. So, it wasn’t like we barged in to fight. We walked in as family and as a church. It was unfortunate, the whole thing.”

The pastor then reiterated, “For the record, we were invited in by, I believe his name is Jose Cordón, he is a poet, I believe for the city. He is the one that invited us in and said he would love for me to talk and address the crowd and that’s exactly what I did. And then I got attacked and so, then we walked out. We left. We weren’t there to fight. We have footage to prove it. The gentleman came at me, and all our people did was protect their pastor.”

Downtown Antioch Association Leader Offers Her Perspective on Meeting

Asked her perspective on what occurred, Debbie Blaisure, leader of the Downtown Antioch Association, who attended the community meeting at the theater said, “Jose was de-escalating and the pastor came in with members of his congregation. He had his wife and children with him. He was very articulate and very respectful. He was not cocky. He said I am a businessman and a man of God. As a tenant if I have church on Sunday and a performance is on Sunday the church will have priority.”

“I was right there in the front row,” she continued. “He was standing in front of the stage. There was a woman from the audience who said she hadn’t been in the building for 45 years who came at him. That’s what started the whole thing. Some of the pastor’s men from the church stepped in to protect him and then Frank Sterling came from the other side. The congregation circled the pastor. Frank was on the other side. The pastor was the one who was almost attacked. There’s an entire video of the whole thing.”

Asked about others who attended Blaisure shared, “It was a lot of longtime residents telling stories of their experiences with the theater. Someone asked, ‘are they going to shoot old people?’ It was asinine. There was no one with any guns.” 

About the proposed protest march she said, “The City has nothing to do with this.”

Regarding the foundation board’s efforts to raise funds for operations that began last year Blaisure said, “I tried to help them. The DAA gave them $3,000 from the fashion show and I told them I could use it to challenge the other businesses to help raise the rest. The theater needed $350,000. The Historical Society raised $150,000 for the (Unity) Bell. So, we could have raised the money. “ Actually, the amount raised in cash was $85,000 and the total, including in-kind donations, was about $106,000.

“But Sharon didn’t want to scare the public, so the board didn’t want to tell the truth. That would have been an opportunity for fundraising and they didn’t use it,” she stated.

“I’m hoping that the theater and the downtown businesses can work with the new owner and, in collaboration, be included in our new efforts for downtown Rivertown restoration. The pastor said he was going to,” Blaisure added.

Antioch’s Poet Laureate Confirms He Invited in Pastor, “Just a Few” Church Members, Tried to De-Escalate

When reached to verify the information said about him, Cordón said, “I did invite the pastor in for the Community Conversation. I think people should hear his story and what to do. But I also said is I didn’t think all of his members there should have come in. Just a few members. I also did try to de-escalate it.”

“Unfortunately, it became confrontational rather than productive, a conversation and an open dialogue,” he added.

Asked if he thought anything good came out of last night Cordón said, “I think that it can. I think if we sit down and get past it for the benefit of Antioch. If we can demonstrate we can still work together, I think that’s positive. I’m open to continue the conversation to make Antioch.”

“One of the first things that Sharon did was apologize. She recognizes the theater made mistakes. Having some recognition of that is good,” he continued. “What I would love to do is to continue the conversation and figure out how to work together. Whatever is best for Rivertown and Antioch.”

He hosted two shows at the theater, “completely free to the public,” Cordón shared. “I flew in people from out of town. I got them hotel stays at the hotel by Auto Center Drive. ‘Poetic Experience’ was the name of the show.”

Regular Council Commenter Apologizes for Behavior

In a post on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Sterling, who regularly speaks during public comments at city council meetings, wrote, “I lost my cool at the meeting last night.. My apologies to everyone. That is not how we should all interact. Whatever/However you see the situation leading up to this moment. It is not the way to handle it. My apologies again.”

Other Comments from Community Members Who Attended Meeting

When reached for comment, former councilwoman and current District 1 council candidate Joy Motts who also attended Tuesday night’s meeting said, “I would have been screaming from the rafters if I knew it was for sale. How did we get here? Why did we not know? Why didn’t the Council talk about this to let us know what was happening here? Nobody knew.”

“There were people crying,” she said about some of those in attendance.

“This is a tragedy for downtown,” Motts continued. “I have nothing against this church. There are so many other vacant, empty buildings in town, than to take away this arts and cultural venue that means so much to so many.”

“People are upset that they didn’t know. I’m upset that I didn’t know,” she stated.

Regarding the building’s seller notifying the foundation’s board chair, Motts asked rhetorically, “Did he give her a chance? Let them know he had an offer to give them the opportunity?”

In a post on her Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon, Rivertown business owner and Antioch Historical Society member, Carla Baker Marymee wrote, “I generally don’t rant on Facebook. This time is an exception.

“Last night’s ‘Community Conversation’ at El Campanil Theatre was supposed to be about saving one of Antioch’s most cherished historic landmarks — a nearly 100‑year‑old symbol of culture, community, and riverfront pride. Instead, it became something none of us expected.

“The Antioch Herald reported that a church has already raised $306.500 toward the $1.5 million purchase price, and that the sale is in escrow, closing Sept. 29, 2026. That alone shocked many of us. But what happened inside the theatre was worse.

“Patrons, artists, renters, business owners, and neighbors showed up to ask questions and stand together for the arts in Antioch. We came in good faith. We came to protect a landmark that belongs to the community.

“Then the discussion was interrupted.

“The pastor — the reported buyer — arrived with roughly two dozen members of his congregation. The atmosphere shifted instantly. Tension rose. A confrontation broke out in front of the stage between the pastor, several congregants, and residents. It was chaotic, frightening, and deeply upsetting. I left because I felt unsafe.

“This theatre never should have been sold in the first place.

“El Campanil was purchased in 2003 by the El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation with a $500,000 Calpine grant, $750,000 in City redevelopment funds, and $1 million raised under the leadership of Rick Carraher. It was a community triumph — a promise that this building would remain a cultural anchor for Antioch.

“But after COVID, financial struggles led to a quiet sale to an out‑of‑state buyer. Almost no one knew. And now we’re watching a second sale unfold that feels rushed, opaque, and completely out of alignment with what the community wants.

“Let’s be clear: This is not about being ‘against churches’. It’s about protecting a historic cultural space that has served Antioch for nearly a century. There are countless other locations for a church to thrive. This theatre is unique, irreplaceable, and central to Rivertown’s identity.

“A $1.5 million price tag for a building of this significance? That’s not an opportunity — it’s a giveaway.

“If the buyer truly ‘loved Antioch,’ he would understand that forcing this sale through — especially after last night’s confrontation — will leave a permanent scar. The community will not forget what happened. And the building will never be embraced as a church. Because this isn’t about faith. It’s about a real‑estate investment.

“I am praying — truly praying — that local investors step in immediately to save El Campanil and return it to the community that built it, funded it, and loves it.

“Antioch deserves better. Our history deserves better. And this theatre deserves to remain what it has always been: the cultural heart of Rivertown.”

No Seller Carry-Back Financing

While the church has raised the necessary 20 percent downpayment of $306,500, it was reported by the Antioch business owner in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting that someone expressed the belief that the sale can be stopped because it includes seller carry-back financing for the balance of the approximate $1.5 million purchase price.  However, when asked about that, Herrera said, “The seller is not carrying the balance. We got a loan.”

Willing to Sell Back Building to Foundation if Church Outgrows Theater Space in Future

Asked if, in a few years, the church outgrows the theater building what are the plans Herrera said, “We’ll have to find a bigger space.”

Asked would the church then be willing to sell the building back to the foundation to once again own and operate it as the theater he said, “If in the future the Lord allows that to happen it could be a possibility.”

City’s Role

While some people in the community would like the City to somehow step in and prevent the sale, as previously reported, the City can’t stop the church from buying the building or locating there based on federal law, known as RLUIPA, the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000. That protects “individuals, houses of worship, and other religious institutions from discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws.”

Yet, since Antioch’s current Mayor Pro Tem and District 3 Councilman Don Freitas was instrumental in securing the $500,000 donation from the Calpine energy company to purchase the building back in 2003 when he was mayor, as well as the $750,000 from the City’s redevelopment agency to help renovate the theater, he was asked about the agreement with the foundation’s board. Some people are looking to that as a possible way to nullify the sale, as they, like Marymee, claim the foundation shouldn’t have sold the building to a private party three years ago.

On the History page of the theater’s website it shows, “In July 2002, El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation was incorporated as a charitable, non-profit 501(c)3 organization. In early 2003, Calpine Corporation and the City of Antioch entered into an agreement whereby the Foundation received a grant to acquire the Theatre.”

Freitas was asked if he remembers if in that agreement there was a clause that required the foundation to sell the building to the City in some kind of right-of-first-refusal?

“I don’t recall that specific detail (but it certainly would be like me to require it in the agreement),” he responded. “Acting City Manager Ana Cortez told me she understands that may be correct and has been endeavoring to ascertain if it is true. I would suggest you directly contact her regarding this matter.”

Questions were emailed Wednesday night to both Cortez and City Attorney Lori Asuncion asking if such a clause in the agreement exists or if there was anything else in the agreement that gave some form of rights to the City since redevelopment funds were used for the building’s renovation after it was purchased.

Yet, whether or not such a clause exists or rights were retained, the sale of the building by the foundation to a private owner in 2023 might have severed that portion of the agreement.

Efforts to reach Board Chair Sobel Idul for a response to what Bui and others said, were unsuccessful prior to publication time. A call to one member of the Board of Directors, Ron Yarolimek, was also unsuccessful. A voicemail message was left for him requesting a return call, for Sobel Idul’s phone number or for him to pass on this reporter’s phone number to her to call.

UPDATE 1: Yarolimek responded Thursday morning with, “I passed on the information to Sharon. She’s making all public comments for El Campanil” and provided her theater foundation email address.

An email was sent late Wednesday morning to Sobel Idul asking for comment and with questions.

Please check back later for any additional updates to this report.

Raised enough funds for down payment

“It’s in escrow. It closes Sept. 29th. That’s the day we get the key. We don’t want to be another church in the city. We want to be a church for the city.” – Pastor Eli Herrera

Willing to work with foundation that operates theater

By Allen D. Payton

A church currently based in Pittsburg, whose lead pastor is an Antioch resident, has raised the needed funds to purchase the historic El Campanil Theatre building in the city’s downtown Rivertown. It’s in escrow and closes Sept. 29th, Lead Pastor Eli Herrera shared on Tuesday.

The fundraising effort has had board members and staff of the foundation that operates the theater, as well as Antioch residents, business owners and council members concerned that it will mean the loss of an arts and cultural center in the community.

However, Herrera said he’s willing to work with the El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation to continue using it for arts and entertainment.

Recent History

El Campanil was listed for sale with an asking price of $1.5 million, but it’s no longer on either Realtor.com or LoopNet.

The 98-year-old theater building, which also houses two retail tenants on W. 2nd Street, was purchased by the non-profit organization, El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation, in 2003, with a grant of $500,000 from Calpine Corporation, an energy company with operations in Antioch and Pittsburg, which then-Mayor and now-Mayor Pro Tem Don Freitas secured. It was improved with $750,000 in City redevelopment funds and an additional $1 million raised under the leadership of then-foundation chairman Rick Carraher. But after running into financial difficulties following COVID, the building was sold a few years ago to an out-of-state buyer who continued to lease it to the foundation to operate as a theater.

New Buyer

Legendary Movement Church, led by Herrera, currently holding services on Sundays at noon inside the Light the Bay Church building at 1210 Stoneman Avenue in Pittsburg.

Posts on the Legendary church’s Instagram and Facebook pages on August 18th read, “ANTIOCH, WE BELIEVE IN YOU. We believe God has given Legendary Movement an opportunity to plant roots right in the heart of the Rivertown District at 602 West 2nd Street, Antioch, California.

“But this is bigger than a building. We see a place that will bless families. A place that will serve those in need. A place that will help the homeless find hope and restoration. A place where children and young people can dream again. A place that will pour life back into our community. A place that will help bring vision, hope, and purpose back to Rivertown. We believe Rivertown can come back to life.

“Right now, we are raising funds for the down payment on what we believe will become the future home of Legendary Movement. Would you consider sowing a seed into this vision? Whether it is $10, $100, $1,000, or whatever God places on your heart, every seed matters. Every gift moves us one step closer. And every person who gives becomes part of what God is building in Antioch.

“We’re not just raising money for a building. We’re sowing into a city. We’re investing in people. We’re believing for Rivertown. We’re believing for Antioch. Let’s see Antioch Rivertown come back to life.”

In addition, a video shows Herrera standing and sitting inside the theater saying he’s an Antioch resident and, “The owner of El Campanil Theatre has been a man who’s so gracious towards us. He’s allowed us time to go ahead and raise the funds necessary for our down payment. Currently what we’re facing is having to raise $306,500.” But Herrera didn’t say by when.

Pastor Shares Plans, Vision

Asked about the sale, Herrera said, “I think it’s been for sale for about eight months. I began looking at it three weeks ago. We’re in escrow. It closes Sept. 29th. That’s the day we get the key.”

Asked if that’s when the church needs the down payment he responded, “We have it, the twenty percent. That’s been raised really through our ministry, not any donors. The members of our church have been very generous.”

“I heard there were two offers for the building. One was Sean McCauley and another was a ministry from Discovery Bay that serves the unhoused,” he explained. “We came with an offer the seller was looking for and he said, ‘yes.’”

“I’ve seen a lot of the comments and the criticism,” Herrera stated. “I do see the concerns and I hear the concerns. I’m a very good friend of Ron Bernal, before he was mayor. I served at Cornerstone Christian Center for about a year for their school and youth ministry.”

Herrera is also the younger brother of Pastor Ruben Herrera of Palabra de Dios Church in Antioch.

“We know it’s an historic building. But it’s not technically recorded as an historical landmark. We want to make it better. Soma paint and TLC. But changing the style and look of the theater, no,” he shared.

Asked about continuing to allow entertainment and other uses Herrera said, “I already have spoken to a few people who do Christian concerts. That’s part of our vision. We have lots of Christian artists who want to come down, whether it be country, hip-hop. A lot of them have been texting me excited about the opportunity.”

“We want to continue to open it up for graduations. My daughter has performed for Melody’s Dance Studio there. We want to have the recitals,” he added.

Asked about the use of other parts of the building he said, “The offices upstairs, we plan on making those the children’s rooms. I’ve spoken to the barber shop and Ana of Farmer’s Insurance, we are going to continue to lease to them.”

Asked if the church is willing to work with the foundation to rent it for entertainment, such as concerts and other events, Herrera said, “We have a schedule that they would have to work around. I’m not going in there and say, ‘you have to get out.’ As long as it fits around our schedule, I’m willing to.”

“I haven’t been able to have conversations with the foundation,” he continued. “One of the gentlemen there completely refuses to have a conversation with us. Another, I believe is Sharon, who put out a statement and basically said, if we buy it, they are out of business. Now, I can’t control that. The reality is we have a schedule. We have things like rehearsals, youth group, men’s breakfasts, women’s ministries.”

About its impact on the downtown, Herrera shared, “We have a church of 500 people. It’s a full English ministry. They’re talking about foot traffic. We’ll bring foot traffic to Rivertown. I shop local. I eat local at Monica’s, at Guadalajara Taqueria.”

“I’m from Antioch. I love Antioch. So many people from our church are for Antioch. The city is named Antioch after the biblical Antioch. It’s a town that’s dedicated to the Lord,” Herrera exclaimed.

“We don’t want to be another church in the city. We want to be a church for the city,” Herrera stated. “We really have a vision for Rivertown.”

In his video about the theater he said, “Our eyes see what it could become. I believe we will see families gathering, businesses thriving, homeless coming off the streets and that is what we want to do. We don’t want to just be a people in a building we want to be a people that can be outside of the four walls. Legendary Movement Church wants to give back to our community.”

“That’s the vision that we have. That’s our vision for Rivertown,” said Herrera.

“We’re willing to work with anyone in Rivertown, business owners, property owners and the community,” he added.

Residents, Business Owners Opposed – Don’t want Another Church in Antioch or Rivertown

Several residents and business owners have also been complaining in their comments on social media that neither Antioch nor Rivertown need another church. Rivertown is currently home to at least three other churches, one inside another historic former theater building.

The Restored Life Church – Iglesia Vida Restaurada occupies the former Stamm Theater on the corner of G and W. 10th Streets on the southern edge of what is considered the City’s Rivertown District. Although, technically, it only includes the area north of W. 6th Street. In 1996, when the church bought that historic theater, twenty years younger than El Campanil, some of the alfresco-style murals that lined the walls inside the building, depicting Portuguese fishing men and women, were painted over. It was named for the Stamm family, who were also partners of El Campanil with the Beede family. (That’s the same family whose member, Henry Beede owned the Antioch Lumber Company, building and the empty lot across W. 2nd Street, known as The Yard, where the Rivertown Square is proposed).

Another church, RR Ministries – Ministerios Rey de Reyes (meaning King of Kings), which had 40 laptops stolen from their RR Transitional Housing Learning Center during a June break-in, is located in one of the store fronts on W. 2nd Street between F and G Streets.

A second church, The Ship, holds services inside the Quonset hut-style building at 611 W. 3rd Street, across from the City Hall parking lot, where LaFontana Office Products was once located.

Another building, that originally housed a bank, then most recently occupied by The Worship Center church and is listed for sale at $1.295 million is located at 315 G Street on the corner of W. 4th Street.

In response to the concerns, El Campanil Theatre is hosting a community meeting entitled, “Save Our Stage: A Community Conversation” tonight at 7:00 p.m. Herrera said he does not plan to attend. (See related article)

Federal Law Protects Houses of Worship in Land Use Zoning & Regulation

Some residents were wanting the City government to step in and somehow stop the sale. However, according to the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, “The land use provisions of the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 (RLUIPA)…protect individuals, houses of worship, and other religious institutions from discrimination in zoning and landmarking laws. RLUIPA prohibits zoning and landmarking laws that substantially burden the religious exercise of churches or other religious assemblies or institutions absent the least restrictive means of furthering a compelling governmental interest.”

The law reads, “No government shall impose or implement a land use regulation in a manner that imposes a substantial burden on the religious exercise of a person, including a religious assembly or institution, unless the government demonstrates that imposition of the burden on that person, assembly, or institution (A) is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest; and (B) is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling governmental interest.”

“RLUIPA prohibits zoning and landmarking laws that:

(1) treat churches or other religious assemblies or institutions on less than equal terms with nonreligious assemblies or institutions;
(2)  discriminate against any assemblies or institutions on the basis of religion or religious denomination;

(3)  totally exclude religious assemblies from a jurisdiction; or

(4) unreasonably limit religious assemblies, institutions, or structures within a jurisdiction.”

The U.S.D.O.J. Civil Rights Division explains further, “RLUIPA provides a number of important protections for the religious freedom of persons, places of worship, religious schools, and other religious assemblies and institutions, including:

• Protection against substantial burdens on religious exercise:

RLUIPA prohibits the implementation of any land use regulation that imposes a “substantial burden” on the religious exercise of a person or religious assembly or institution except where justified by a “compelling governmental interest” that the government pursues in the least restrictive way possible.  42 U.S.C. § 2000cc(a);

• Protection against unequal treatment for religious assemblies and institutions:

RLUIPA provides that religious assemblies and institutions must be treated at least as well as nonreligious assemblies and institutions.  42 U.S.C. § 2000cc(b)(1);

• Protection against religious or denominational discrimination:

RLUIPA prohibits discrimination “against any assembly or institution on the basis of religion or religious denomination.”  42 U.S.C. § 2000cc(b)(2);

• Protection against total exclusion of religious assemblies:

RLUIPA provides that governments must not totally exclude religious assemblies from a jurisdiction. 42 U.S.C. § 2000cc(b)(3)(A); or

• Protection against unreasonable limitation of religious assemblies:

RLUIPA states that governments must not unreasonably limit “religious assemblies, institutions, or structures within a jurisdiction.”

In addition, according to Church Law Center, RLUIPA “contains protections for a full range of religious assemblies, from churches, religious schools, cemeteries, and faith-based social services provided by religious organizations to individuals holding prayer meetings in their homes. Furthermore ‘religious exercise’ refers to any exercise of religion, whether or not it is central to a system of religious belief. As a result, religious exercise includes actual worship services and may include other religious activities, such as Bible study groups, prayers meetings, and Sunday school classes.”

Councilmembers Have Been Waiting to Learn if City Can Use Developer Fees to Purchase Theater Building

Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker, in whose District 1 El Campanil Theatre is located and is up for re-election, on Monday, Aug. 24 posted a video on her official Facebook page, claiming she and Freitas started having conversations last year about cultural centers in her district. She also said they have “spent months trying to find out what’s going on with the El Campanil Theatre and how could the City step in.”

Torres-Walker then says they had conversations with City Manager Bessie Scott, the consultant, David Storer who later became the Acting Community and Economic Development Director, and Parks and Recreation Director Shahad Wright asking, “is this something we can take on?” She then claims, “we found out the City…has been sitting on millions of development impact fees…and haven’t been used or have been underutilized and we have to spend those dollars.”

“We were informed that those…fees might also be able to be spent on community spaces,” Torres-Walker stated. They asked staff, “could these…fees be used so the City of Antioch could save the El Campanil Theatre?”

“We began to have meetings with the El Campanil Theatre and we were actually trying to create a plan to see how can the City step in,” the councilwoman continued. “Those conversations have wained, and we’re still waiting for legal advice to see if these millions of dollars of impact fees can be used to buy the El Campanil Theatre.”

State Law on Development Impact Fees & Questions for City Staff

According to the California Department of Housing and Community Development, “Local governments levy development impact fees to help fund the expansion of public facilities and infrastructure needed to support new housing development. These revenues support the construction of critical facilities, such as parks, public safety facilities, other civic and community facilities, and transportation infrastructure.” Development impact fees can also be levied on commercial development, such as the regional road fee in East County which helped pay for the Highway 4 (Bypass) extension between Antioch and Balfour Road in Brentwood. But the CDHCD’s website does not offer legal limitations under the definition of “other civic and community facilities.”

Furthermore, state law requires a direct benefit to the development that pays the impact fees, which is referred to as nexus. The CDHCD explains, “Nexus studies are meant to quantify the impact of new development on public facilities and determine the cost of this impact, establishing the maximum fee amount that can be charged on the construction of new homes. They also provide the supporting documentation and justification that is used to establish the legal authority for jurisdictions to charge these fees.”

According to a report by the Kassouni Law firm, there’s a “Two-Part Nexus Test. Under Government Code section 66001, a local agency imposing an impact fee must make two findings. First, the fee must have a reasonable relationship to the burden the development places on public facilities. Second, there must be a reasonable relationship between the fee amount and the cost of the facility attributable to the development.”

Questions were sent to City Attorney Lori Asuncion and current Acting Community and Economic Development Director Kevin Scudero asking if the development impact fees can be used by the City to purchase the El Campanil Theatre building; how much in impact fees collected does the City currently have; why are they sitting there; for what were they collected; what nexus was determined in the study; and if the City can change the use of the funds after the fact. No responses were received prior to publication time. But the matter is moot at this point.

Legendary Movement Church Holds Rivertown Restoration Day

In a demonstration of their commitment to Rivertown, last Saturday, August 29th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., the church held a Rivertown Restoration Day, described as, “A day of putting our faith into action as we serve through: Community Clean-Up, Sidewalk Washing, Feeding Those in Need, and Prayer & Outreach.”

The message in their social media posts read, “We’re going to BE ABOUT IT Antioch. So, we’re calling EVERYBODY who truly loves this city to show up for RIVERTOWN RESTORATION DAY.

“We’re hitting the streets of Rivertown to clean, serve, restore, love on people, and remind our city that Antioch’s best days are still ahead. If you really love Antioch, I’ll see you there. Don’t just talk about change. SHOW UP and be part of it. LET’S RESTORE RIVERTOWN.” (See video of the day’s event and activities)

Older Brother, Also an Antioch Pastor Supports Effort

Asked about his brother and ministry, Pastor Ruben Herrera said, “They came out of us. They are under our church covering.”

“I actually toured the theater and considered buying it as an investment,” he shared.

“Downtown needs some life,” Ruben continued. “I believe the church will help that and be a blessing for the Rivertown area. We need people like Legendary who are not just holding their services there but building downtown.”

“Rivertown will be a better area with Legendary there,” he stated. “The business owners will see. It will grow, people will shop, people will dine.”

“They will work hand-in-hand with the City to make Rivertown a better place,” Ruben added.

He and his ministry, which Ruben says is the largest Latino church in Antioch, have their own project on Somersville Road in the same shopping center as the Bank of America and BMO branches. More about that is expected to be announced later this month.

About the Church

According to the church’s website, “Legendary Movement, as we know it, was always in God’s divine plan. But before we saw a spirit filled church, our eyes saw only a spirit filled youth group. About 25 youth gathered week after week in the back of an old church building. There was a limit on space and resources, but no limit on faith and passion. After a beautiful encounter on a mountain, God spoke the name ‘Legendary’ into existence and so we adopted the name ‘Legendary Youth’ in 2018. 

“Our vision became more clear as the palpable presence of God became contagious to everyone who was present. Soon, what had been a Friday night youth group became a movement. Lives were being changed, families transformed, prodigals were coming back home. No longer could our services be restricted to only youth when it was evident that God wanted to do something greater than what we could comprehend. And so, in 2020 we changed our name to ‘Legendary Movement’, as this wave of the spirit was to exclude no one from experiencing God’s fullness. 

“Our Friday night services continued to grow but still the Lord wasn’t done, the movement was just getting started. The manifest presence of God was evident but the desire to see and experience more was on the rise. God began to pour out knowledge and strategy, as the remnant interceded for confirmation and clarity. Upon God’s divine will and in his perfect time, we then launched Legendary Movement. Legendary Movement opened its doors Sunday, February 26, 2023. The grace of God has allowed this movement to continue to develop, as we expand into new territories and remain attentive to God’s direction. 

“This legendary move is one that testifies to the faithfulness of Jesus Christ and his love for the Church!”

Now, the church will have a new home inside the historic, El Campanil Theatre building in Antioch.

For more information visit their website at legendarymvmnt.com.

SAVE OUR STAGE: A Community Conversation

In response to possible purchase by church

By Allen D. Payton

In response to the possibility of a church purchasing the historic El Campanil Theatre in Antioch’s downtown Rivertown, the theater’s board of directors and staff are holding a Community Conversation entitled “Save Our State” Tuesday night, Sept. 1, 2026, at 7:00 p.m.

This year, the 98-year-old theater building was for sale with an asking price of $1.5 million and a local church was raising $300,000 for a 20% deposit. It’s currently not listed on either Realtor.com or LoopNet.

The theater building, which also houses two retail tenants on W. 2nd Street, was purchased by the non-profit organization, El Campanil Theatre Preservation Foundation, in 2003, with a grant of $500,000 from Calpine energy, which then-Mayor and now-Mayor Pro Tem Don Freitas secured. It was improved with $750,000 in City redevelopment funds and an additional $1 million raised under the leadership of then-foundation chairman Rick Carraher. But after running into financial difficulties following COVID, the building was sold a few years ago to an out-of-state buyer.

A post on the theaters’ Facebook page over the weekend reads: “El Campanil Theatre belongs in the heart of this community and we know many of you have questions about what comes next.

“We invite our patrons, supporters, artists, renters, business owners, and neighbors to join us for a short community gathering at the theatre.

“Come:
• Hear an update and ask questions

• Share your El Campanil memories and stories

• Learn how you can support the theatre moving forward

• Connect with others who believe in keeping the arts alive in Antioch

“This is a time to come together, get informed, and talk about what the future of this historic stage could look like.

“Our story here isn’t over.”

The theater is located at 602 W 2nd Street.

Learn more at www.elcampaniltheatre.com.

Willow Park Mercantile is located at 205 G Street in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown. For more information visit Willow Park Mercantile or call 925-732-3877.

^{Paid advertisement.}

Postpones, will study resuming security services for downtown

“This is one thing that unites people that don’t usually get together.” – resident Frank Sterling about support for the proposed downtown park

“We do not have $250,000 to spend to maintain this park. If we do, every other park is going to have a reduced level of maintenance.” – Mayor Ron Bernal

Freitas envisions a hotel with conference center on the former Beede Lumber Yard site

By Allen D. Payton

In spite of impassioned comments from a broad spectrum of residents in favor of using state funds for a new park on the site of the former Beede Lumber Yard in downtown, to their chagrin, during the regular meeting on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, the Antioch City Council voted 4-1 to apply for the grant to benefit City Park. Only District 2 Councilman Louie Rocha voted against the motion. Most of the public speakers spoke in favor of the proposed, new downtown park, including representatives of two groups of residents, one wearing blue shirts with the message, “Rivertown Square Yes!” printed on them and the other from Rising Juntos wearing green shirts, and others who aren’t usually allied on the same side of major issues. (See related article)

During Council deliberations on the matter, both Councilmembers Tamisha Torres-Walker, in whose District 1 both sites are located, and Don Freitas hemmed and hawed in their willingness to support the Rivertown Square project before ultimately voting to pursue the funds for City Park, instead.

Public Comments

Before the vote on item #8 on the agenda, members of the public spoke mainly in favor of using the state grant funds for the Rivertown Square.

“I’ve watched cities that have grown their downtowns…and I think, ‘why not us? Why not Antioch?’” said one downtown resident. “Downtown once had a green space at Barbara Price Marina Park and we were promised a replacement.”

“Please choose the Yard,” she added.

“This is our neighborhood. I have been fighting for The Yard…this is one of the longest fights I’ve been doing,” said resident Frank Sterling. “This is one thing that unites people that don’t usually get together. I feel like you all should be bold. I’m in favor of The Yard being our downtown…community space.”

Resident Michael Simpson, wearing one of the blue shirts compared it to Concord’s Todos Santos Plaza, Oakley’s Civic Center and Brentwood’s downtown City Park, as well as Pittsburg’s Old Town park.

“We should…create something for future generations,” he stated.

Barbara Price Marina Park was six acres, and the Beede Lumber Lot is just under two acres, one third the size, so, the maintenance costs will be less, another resident pointed out.

“We have waited long enough. This community has spoken. Please don’t let maintenance be the issue. Please honor the commitment. Please apply for the grant to be at the Rivertown Square,” she concluded.

“Antioch shouldn’t be the city people drive through but the city people drive to,” another resident wearing one of the blue shirts in support of the Rivertown Square stated.  

Former Planning Commissioner Kerry Motts, also wearing a blue shirt in support of the project for which his sister, former councilwoman and current District 1 council candidate, Joy Motts has helped lead the effort, said, it “would provide for enhanced economic vitality of Rivertown. This has been a stated goal…for 40 years.”

A leader of Rising Juntos East spoke “in support of developing the Beed Lumber Yard park.”

“Please vote yes for the families of north Antioch,” she added.

“Children and families need safe spaces to thrive,” another representative of Rising Juntos said in support of the Rivertown Square. “We envision not just a park but a cultural hub.”

“Why is it taking so long?” she asked. “Making the lot a park would make the downtown more walkable and enjoyable. It’s right across the street from the Senior Center. They could enjoy it.”

Another member of Rising Juntos said, “City Park needs investment and our community absolutely needs to see it improved. But one park should not be sacrificed at the expense of another.”

Alexander Broom, Vice Chair of the Antioch Parks and Recreation Commission, said, “I think it should be Beede Lumber Yard or bust. I believe we should put all of our eggs in this basket.

District 4 Council candidate and local homeless advocate Andrew Becker spoke last with a completely different idea saying, “My concern is that the intent of Prop. 4 is to…preserve or create open space for individuals and I keep hearing, tonight it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. In the 1940’s, homes were built along Cavallo (Road). There’s still no parks within a-half a mile.”

Council Discussion & Decision for City Park

During council discussion Acting Community Development Director Steve Scudero was asked by Mayor Ron Bernal about the vacant downtown lot, “How is that property zoned?”

“Mixed use which allows for commercial residential and public spaces,” Scudero responded.

“If we wanted to sell that property as a surplus property…” Bernal began.

“We would have to make it available to an affordable housing builder…giving a sixty-day notice of availability… before selling the property,” Scudero stated.

District 2 Councilman Louie Rocha spoke next saying, “Both parks are important. I believe City Park does need investment. But we have a downtown area that many of us…for enrichment would see where people could come together and bring some economic development.”

“It’s unfortunate we have to pick just one. It looks like both projects meet the criteria for the process,” he continued. “Whatever we decide tonight won’t determine what would happen to the other.”

“Probably the one thing I’ve been most impressed with…over the years I’ve heard about The Yard, the Town Square,” Rocha stated. “I’m inclined to support The Yard because of the engagement that’s bringing people together. This may be four years down the road even if we get the funding.”

“I understand the value of bringing people together. I could support both. But I’m going to support the Beede Lumber Yard because of all the engagement,” he added. “I don’t think there’ll be a problem with getting the people behind you.”

District 4 Councilwoman Monica Wilson said, “Both are good. But I want to put one in that’s most competitive and going to get the dollars.”

Alex Gibbs, Grants Director of Townsend Public Affairs, the City’s consultant on the grant process, said, “There will be a lengthy process…that will include site visits from the state…most likely in April next year. You’re looking at really a difference of five or six points. There are fewer people living near the Yard…given the location of the lot near the river. But the state takes that into consideration. That’s the reality we’re living in. I’m confident that either case…we can write a very competitive application. The only thing you’re going to lose out on is the number of people living in poverty and nearby park land.”

Wilson asked about the Cavallo Road area saying, “That space we don’t own. It’s not a park,” referring to an empty, privately-owned lot on the southeast corner of Cavallo Road and E. 18th Street.

“I’m not aware of any land we own in that area,” Scudero stated.

District 1 Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker, participating remotely from a resort and spa in Santa Cruz, then said, “I keep saying, don’t put housing there. I also don’t agree that housing should be the priority for this site.” She then said, “I keep hearing, it’s been 15 years they’ve had the commitment to replace the Barbara Price park that they lost. That seems to be a theme I continue to hear…that people have been waiting…for something.”

“I definitely want us to award whatever can bring revenue to the City of Antioch and I’m hearing the Beede Lumber Yard could bring revenue and even cover its maintenance costs,” Torres-Walker continued. “This is potentially an $8 million grant. We could submit one application or two applications.”

“Anything is possible,” said Recreation Department Director Shahad Wright. “Whatever money we have…we’ll make sure the contingency fund will be enough to cover.”

“It will be a city park not a neighborhood park so it would include restrooms,” Torres-Walker stated.

“That will be part of the design process,” Wright responded.

“If Beede Lumber lot is selected tonight, there will be a design phase, a community engagement phase, restrooms. What would be the follow up for City Park?” she asked.

“I will pivot and figure out how to fix the rest of the parks in the city,” Wright stated. “You have up to four years to spend the grant funds.”

The councilwoman then mentioned “downtown business owners” dealing with “parking issues and unhoused folks who actually live along the waterfront” and giving enough time for the City to deal with those issues.

District 3 Councilman Don Freitas said, “We’ve talked a lot about history. Some of us have intimate knowledge of history. I want to go back to 1978 and 1979. I was the Executive Director of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce and most of our members were in downtown. Because at that time it was still one of the economic hubs of the community.”

“I told them, ‘the downtown could survive if we had residents moving into the downtown and…sustained economic development,’” he continued.

“We needed to improve the circulation pattern in the downtown area. As mayor…from 2000-2008, whe number one project was to finally connect A Street to Second Street,” Freitas stated. “That was probably one of my greatest achievements as mayor. Because downtown finally had circulation.”

“So, on the issue of the Beede Lumber Yard…and this has been an issue for over 40 years, my vision for Beede Lumber was that we need to make downtown a destination, and we needed to generate revenue,” he explained. “I’ve seen many people say on social media that Freitas wants to build apartments. Freitas has never been for building apartments” on the vacant lot.

“My vision was to build a Sheraton Inn like in Concord…that Antioch would own the property and reach out to owners of hotels…two to three stories with a rooftop garden,” Freitas shared. “I wanted to have a situation where we would have a 35-year lease. I never wanted to sell that property…and each and every year we would generate revenue.”

“We have more than 118,000 people in this town. There is no hotel in this town for us to offer conferences or seminars or anything. So, part of my argument was, let’s build one,” he continued. “If you’re there for two to three days, what are you going to do? You’re going to walk up the street. We could have a jazz lounge. We would have restaurants there.”

“You say you’ve been disappointed for 15 years. I’ve been disappointed for over 50 to 60 years,” Freitas exclaimed. “You say this is going to produce revenue. To do that you’d have to be using this facility every day. That’s not going to happen. Excluding the 4th of July, you’re going to get a couple hundred people. Very few people come out of District 3 to the downtown because there’s nothing there for them.”

“We have Williamson (Park). What’s the problem? There’s no parking,” he asked and answered. “If Beede goes through, the problem is going to be parking.”

“I have seen your schematics. Very interesting. But it’s not going to sustain itself,” Freitas stated. “But you’ve done a very good job coming together and advocating. I think I can count the votes. I think we’re going to probably engage Beede. But be under no delusion. The best bet is not Beede. The best bet in my opinion is City Park.”

“But I’m going to challenge every single one of you here. There’s going to be community meetings. You’ve said, ‘we can raise money through non-profits…through other means.’ Don’t wait,” he said. “That’s been the problem with this city. I challenge you, start figuring out how to pay for this on a long-term basis.”

“We are in a deficit. We’ve reduced it dramatically,” Freitas pointed out. “Your organization is great…you have another part of the job. Don’t abandon us. Stay with us. I challenge you. Where are all these other monies going to come in? Because the city doesn’t have it.”

Mayor Ron Bernal spoke next reiterating Freitas’ last point saying, “The Council chose to remove this project from the Capital Improvement process because we didn’t have the funds for maintenance. If this goes through, we still won’t have the money for maintenance. We do not have $250,000 to spend to maintain this park. If we do, every other park is going to have a reduced level of maintenance.”

“We have deferred maintenance coming out of our ears,” he stated. “I am not in favor of adding another expense…as much as people would love to have this park built in downtown,” he continued.

“We’re talking about one point being the difference in getting this funding. We don’t have five points,” Bernal explained. “And that (City) park won’t be improved and we won’t have Beede, either.”

“The new areas are fully paying for the maintenance of their parks. The downtown area parks, the General Fund is paying for their maintenance,” he continued.

“We do need to improve our downtown…have places for people to gather. I’m for all of that,” Bernal said. “This is an example of everyone coming together. But we don’t have the…wiggle room in this process. So, I’m going to be in favor of City Park.”

Torres-Walker than said, “I didn’t hear that we only had to submit one application. I heard we could do two applications. Was that correct?”

Gibbs of Townsend said, “That is correct. There is no limit to the number of applications the City can submit.”

“Would the Council be against submitting two?” she asked.

“I would be opposed to that,” Freitas said. “I think Townsend has made the case not to do that.”

“I think there would be a staff issue in running two processes. How well would you be able to run two processes?” Bernal asked.

“It’s a heavy lift,” Director Wright said. “We’re already understaffed and two facilities down. How well can we do in this small timeframe?”

Freitas asked, “What is in the best interest of Antioch?” then said, “I’m going to move that we do apply for this grant for City Park.”

Bernal seconded the motion.

Torres-Walker than stated, “For Townsend said, ‘this takes a while to bring this process around.’ I’ve been for bringing grants to the City. Do you see there will be opportunities in the future…can there be a commitment to pursue grant funding for parks?”

“I can commit to purse the best grant application as possible…I commit to not leaving any stone unturned…be it state, federal or other,” Gibbs said.

The motion then passed on a vote of 4-1 with Rocha voting against.

In response, one member of the audience could be heard yelling out, “There are elections coming up.”

Postpones Resuming Downtown Security Services Until September to Study Issue

Two residents spoke during public comments on the item, #9 on the agenda, local homeless advocate and District 4 Council candidate Andrew Becker said, “I managed a private security company…for years. I think…the biggest question is…what’s very alarming is staff puts out the report that includes the security logs. But there’s no results. ‘We as staff are doing a good job…that the work should continue in downtown.’ It’s staff’s responsibility to monitor and maintain contracts.”

“I went through all of the security logs,” he continued. “It speaks to a high volume of emergency calls…I think you see four or five very low instances in the hundreds of logs put out. The contract is for City-owned parking lots. If that’s the case, then why are the photos…of properties the City doesn’t own in downtown? Or pictures of properties that aren’t even in downtown….a shopping center in a newer development? Where are these guards and who are we paying and what is the relationship of this company to the City?”

Keith Butler, CEO and Founder of Elite Defense Security Solutions said he had, “ties to prior law enforcement. I’m a retired law enforcement officer of 18 years.”

“Without getting into the particulars of the current company…it’s not who’s providing the security, it’s what does the security look like. You need to look at what that security can do,” he continued.

“I have to agree with the previous speaker,” Butler stated. “There were a lot of items on there that don’t look to be parking lots.”

He then offered to help the City draft a new RFQ (request for quote).

Council Discussion & Decision to Postpone After Meeting with Downtown Businesses, City Staff

During Council discussion, Freitas spoke first saying, “I think that when we initially did this, we did focus on the City-owned property. If we want to put together a work group…we didn’t receive any input from the Police Department…Code Enforcement, the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Antioch Association. We need to ask questions…be proactive rather than reactive.”

Rocha then said, “One key strategy identified…is to act as a visible deterrent…and properly report incidents to the Antioch Police Department. When you read the comments from the survey…the key strategy is to be visible when people don’t even know they’re there. Maybe this is misleading the way the key was written.”

“I think the merchants and restaurant owners are wanting to have a relationship…that didn’t happen with this particular vender,” he continued. “I do think we need to have community members meet together. I think there needs to be dialogue. I’m not prepared to approve this contract.”

Wilson then said, “We didn’t include any measurables…around patrol hours…how to communicate with the police. I think if we have this committee we figure out the performance measures. That’s the problem with the RFQ. I think we really missed it on this one.”

Finance Director Dawn Merchant, serving in the role of acting city manager for the meeting (or Acting Acting City Manager she jokingly said) then shared, “One of the difficulties I do recall being discussed was how can the City pay for extra security for businesses in downtown when they don’t for another challenged area in the City. That’s why it was focused on the City-owned parking lots. That’s how this evolved.”

Torres-Walker mentioned, “the businesses saying, ‘we need more support from the City.’ The police saying, ‘we can’t just commit officers to downtown’. We couldn’t justify doing it for the businesses. We asked if there were other City-owned parking lots throughout the city.”

“What is being often overlooked is…it just provided patrol for City-owned parking lots in downtown not the businesses,” she continued. “When I looked at this report…at least one property outlined in here that is way over by Deer Valley. How did they end up all the way over in District 4?”

“The survey was completed by seven respondents…out of fifty or more in downtown,” Torres-Walker stated. “You have 71% of the respondents said they would support the City continuing security services in downtown. It is very telling. The majority of businesses that responded felt like security services were needed for weekdays and the evenings and special events.”

“Asked how often they see security services downtown it was pretty spread out. You never had ‘never or occasionally.’ Although you had one outlier say they had seen the security company several times a week,” the councilwoman shared.

She then mentioned the only cannabis retail location in downtown and that, “they’re supposed to have 24-hour armed security.”

“I do want to add patrolling for downtown businesses,” Torres-Walker stated. “Most municipalities have a downtown overlay district where the businesses pay for additional police patrols” and mentioned using “CSO’s (Community Service Officers) driving around in marked cars.”

She concluded by suggesting forming a “police district in the waterfront.”

“This could be a collaborative effort of the City and downtown businesses that they pay for this,” Freitas said. “I think it’s in their best interest. I just think we should try to get them together…with the City Attorney. It’s an idea to move forward. Because we don’t have the services right now, the question to the police department is, are there other personnel that can be used such as VIPS. I think we need to be a little creative.”

Rocha agreed with using CSO’s.

Antioch Police Captain Matt Koch jokingly said, “In the words of Director Wright, ‘anything is possible.’”

“We’ve already increased our presence over there with officers and CSO’s during all hours of the day and night that are scheduled,” he stated. “I went 42 days before and 42 days after and there’s been a 23% increase in calls for service to the police department. It’s about three-and-a-half to four-and-a-half calls for service per day. I think having them there…with the lights flashing is a deterrence. It is a great service and a force multiplier for us.”

“There are some residences besides the businesses that are affected there,” Koch continued. “At my request they were taking pictures and providing them to the department.

“So, you see the security as a benefit overall,” Bernal asked.

“Overall, yes,” Koch responded.

“As they’re driving different routes between the parking lots there’s nothing that precludes them from making calls if they see something,” Bernal said.

“Yes,” Koch stated.

“I would like to see something done in the month of August,” Bernal stated. “I just think we need to do something quickly.”

“I do think we need to pursue another request for qualifications,” Torres-Walker added.

There will be a DAA meeting on the 19th at El Campanil Theatre,” the mayor stated. Torres-Walker said she will be attending that meeting.

Rocha said he will speak with the Chamber of Commerce. Bernal suggested Freitas do so, as well.

The council members agreed to have representatives from the Antioch Police Department, Code Enforcement meet and downtown business owners to discuss the needs for private security.

Watch council meeting video.

12-year effort by River Town Square supporters continues but City’s consultant recommends applying for funds to renovate City Park

Torres-Walker to participate remotely from resort and spa in Santa Cruz

By Allen D. Payton

During their meeting on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, the Antioch City Council will discuss using state grant funds for either a park at the former Beede Lumber Company Yard, in downtown where the Council-supported River Town Square project has been proposed, or at City Park.

District Councilwoman Tamisha Torres-Walker will attend remote via ZOOM from the Chaminade Resort & Spa, (Seascape Room) in Santa Cruz. Unlike during the last council meeting on July 28, this time, the councilwoman’s remote location is included in the agenda as required, allowing her to participate other than calling in during public comments as she did twice that night.

State Park Grant

According to the City staff report for item #8 on the agenda, the California Department of State Parks Office of Grants and Local Services (OGALS), will be administering a competitive grant funded by Proposition 4 in the next 12-18 months. This is the same agency that administered Proposition 68 grant funds, of which Antioch received a $2.9M grant for the renovation of Contra Loma Estates Park. The grant will require that there be less than three acres of parkland per 1,000 residents and/or residents are below median income within a half-mile radius of a selected point within the project site.

According to the presentation by Townsend Public Affairs, there are five locations in the City that meet the criteria. They include Antioch City Park, Eagleridge Park, Waldie Plaza, Beede Lumber Yard and Contra Loma Estates Park, which was already renovated.

Council is being given two options for use of the funds, either Antioch City Park at the corner of A and W. 10th Streets or the former Beede Lumber Company Yard bordered by W. 2nd, W. 3rd and E Streets, across the street from the old Lumber Company building, that now houses Prime Vintage Realty.

History of 12-Year River Town Square Effort

For more than a decade, an effort, formerly known as Save The Yard, led by former Antioch Councilwoman and District 1 candidate Joy Motts, has been to change the lumber yard into the “River Town Square” park and event center. The City has owned the dirt lot since the late 1990’s and originally planned to build condominiums or townhouses. But neighbors on W. 3rd Street have opposed that through the years, sharing concerns that their views of the river would be blocked.

The idea was first proposed in 2014 during a joint meeting of the Antioch Planning and Economic Development Commissions on November 19th, regarding the Downtown Specific Plan. Several of the speakers were in favor of the creation of an event plaza, as opposed to construction of additional housing, downtown. Lee Ballesteros, representing Citizens for Responsible Antioch Waterfront Development, spoke about a proposal her group had submitted to the city advocating just such an idea. “Our vision for Downtown is for an active, vibrant, event plaza, as opposed to selling it and putting up homes. Events and quality of life is something that is very important to people,” she said.

Then during their meeting on June 23, 2015, the Council in approving the Downtown Specific Plan voted 5-0 for a Mixed-Use designation for the Beede site that would restrict the number of units to 18 per acre but still retain the possibility of a park, pleasing supporters of the River Town Square project. 

But during Closed Session at their meeting on Aug. 25, 2015, the Council reversed course with a vote of 4-1 to build condos on the lot instead, agreeing to sell the property along with eight other City-owned parcels to one developer. Supporters of the event center vowed to pursue a ballot measure. Two signature gathering efforts, including an initiative effort in 2016, that included fundraisers to support it, failed to garner enough signatures to qualify for the ballot. A second effort was announced later that year but did not materialize into a ballot measure.

During the Council meeting on Sept. 13, 2016, Councilwomen Lori Ogorchock and Monica Wilson offered some light at the end of the tunnel for the project when they “suggested reclassifying the lot from ‘Medium Density’ to ‘Open Space’, which would prevent the City from developing it in the near future, and clear the way for the Save the Yard movement to begin raising funds for a new event center.”

It wasn’t until the Nov. 23, 2021 Antioch City Council meeting, Motts and other Save The Yard representatives received the go ahead from the Council after providing a presentation on the River Town Square proposal. All five council members agreed to “explore” the idea, including Torres-Walker, in whose district the lot is located, who said, “yes, this should be green space.” She also mentioned people not having to “go to San Francisco for 420 fests”, which is a large, annual pot smoking event. “We should do it, here like we do all these other things,” Torres-Walker stated.

“We can begin a process for exploring a community gathering space, a green space,” then-City Manager and now-Mayor Ron Bernal said at that meeting.

That process began in July 2022, when the Council hired Mill Valley-based RHAA Landscape Architecture & Planning and approved a contract for the Rivertown Community Space Project in the amount of $350,000 for design of the former Antioch Lumber Company lot to, according to that meeting agenda’s staff report, “that will transform the area into a family friendly public space.” RHAA also designed the City’s Prewett Park Community Center.

Then, in May 2023, the City announced in a press release, “the development of a new gathering place in downtown Antioch” and invited the public, “to share your vision for the future central attraction of historic Rivertown. This new outdoor public space is uniquely situated along the Sacramento-San Joaquin River. It will benefit our diverse community by fostering a vibrant, thriving downtown.” The survey is still available on the City’s website at Antioch Rivertown Community Open Space Design Survey.

The Parks & Recreation Department currently has a page on the City’s website dedicated to the Rivertown Community Space that offers renderings of what a park, there could look like and a link to the survey.

Then in February 2024, the City held two Community Design Workshops to obtain public input on the development of the new gathering place at the former Beede Lumber Yard.

But no results of that survey or the workshops have been provided to the Council or public.

Then, at a recent Council meeting, Torres-Walker switched and said she now supports building homes there. However, because the City owns the property, any homes built there would have to be within the affordable range, which would undermine efforts to attract residents of means to the historic downtown area to live, shop and dine.

One argument offered in support of the River Town Square project is the City’s downtown hasn’t had a large park since the much larger Barbara Price Marina Park was replaced with the marina boat launch and parking lot in 2012. Concerts and community events are held in Waldie Plaza, but it’s much smaller and can hold fewer attendees than at the proposed River Town Square.

According to the staff report for Tuesday’s agenda, the Parks and Recreation Commission discussed use of the grant at their meeting on February 19, 2026. The commissioners were provided with an overview of the grant program requirements, eligibility criteria and the Community Fact Finder tool https://www.parksforcalifornia.org/communities/ which assists agencies in determining project eligibility and priority status for grant funding.

Since that meeting, staff conducted a preliminary evaluation of potential project sites and narrowed the focus of the Proposition 4 grant opportunity to two locations: City Park and the Beede Lumber Yard site.

City Park was last significantly renovated more than 20 years ago and continues to serve as one of Antioch’s most heavily utilized park facilities. According to Placer.ai visitation data, City Park ranks as the City’s most visited park. The site presents an opportunity for a transformational community investment that could include improvements such as a synthetic turf field, an all-inclusive playground, renovated and fully operational restroom facilities, pickleball courts, enhanced gathering spaces, and other recreational amenities. Due to its central location, City Park also has the potential to generate income from user groups and continue to be a community hub.

The staff report continues: The Beede Lumber Yard site is currently an undeveloped property located in Downtown Antioch. Preliminary community outreach and conceptual renderings for a future park at this location were completed in 2024. Development of the site would create a new public park and gathering space in the downtown area, further supporting community activation, recreation opportunities, and economic vitality.

While development of a new park at the Beede Lumber Yard site would result in additional annual maintenance and operational costs estimated between $200,000 and $250,000, public spaces in downtown areas can provide broader economic and community benefits by attracting visitors, supporting local businesses, and creating a “third place” for residents to gather outside of home and work.

Both locations appear to meet the preliminary eligibility requirements of the Proposition 4 grant program and present significant opportunities to expand recreational amenities and enhance quality of life for Antioch residents.

Staff is seeking City Council direction regarding which project site should be advanced for further evaluation, community engagement, conceptual design and grant application development.

Renderings by both the River Town Square proponents and RHAA include a concert stage, grass, trees, benches and pathways. The RHAA renderings include an amphitheater for seating near the corner of W. 3rd and E Streets.

Consultant Recommends City Park

In the presentation by consulting firm Townsend Public Affairs, who was hired by the City to provide state and federal legislative advocacy and grant writing services, they recommend the Council choose City Park as the location for the state grant funds.

They wrote, “City Park is definitively the most competitive project site across both selection criteria (lack of park space and significant poverty). While TPA and the City of Antioch considered multiple potential project sites, other options that were able to demonstrate significant poverty were less competitive in terms of park space, primarily due to their proximity to Corteva Wetlands Preserve and other large preservation areas.”

River Town Square Supporters Continue Effort

At one point, supporters of the River Town Square project said the cost would be covered privately without any City funds. But with the potential state grant funds, the supporters have changed to asking the Council to fund it.

Since 2015 supporters have maintained a Facebook page, participated in parades including this year’s Independence Day Parade, and launched an effort on Change.org, posted by Kim Stadtler, asking for people to sign a petition until tomorrow, Sunday, Aug. 9th. So far, 836 people of the 1,000 goal have added their names. She wrote:

“The Issue

“What would a Town Square mean to you?

“For decades, residents have advocated for preserving one of the last large historic waterfront sites (at 2nd and E Streets), known as the “Yard” in downtown Antioch for a community Rivertown Square. Volunteers have organized petitions, attended meetings, participated in workshops, and contributed ideas to help shape a vision for a Rivertown Square.

“This petition continues that community-driven effort and demonstrates that residents remain committed to creating a public space that serves all of Antioch. This spacious area is not just a piece of land; it represents a precious opportunity for our community allowing seniors, families, and people from all walks of life to come together and enjoy a versatile community space.

“Once this property is developed for another use, the opportunity to create a town square may be lost forever. 

“Turning this space into a Town Square would create a hub for recreation, cultural events, farmers markets, and community celebrations. The town square could serve as a vibrant gathering place that celebrates our diverse community and enhances the quality of life for everyone in Antioch.

“To make this vision a reality, we need the Antioch City Council to choose the “Yard” in their application for the  Prop 47 grant of up to $8 million, to build our Town Square. THIS MONEY CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THE RENOVATION OR DEVELOPMENT OF A COMMUNITY GREEN SPACE. By securing these funds, we can ensure that the site truly reflects the needs and desires of our community, transforming it into a welcoming venue that honors our diverse history.

“Numerous cities (Pittsburg, Brentwood, Oakley, Clayton) have benefited from similar initiatives, finding that such spaces boost local business and improve public well-being. The town square would be a testament to the city’s commitment to revitalizing downtown. 

“This is our chance to build something remarkable that can be enjoyed by generations to come. To learn more:  https://www.facebook.com/Downtowneventplaza

“PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION by August 9th, 2026, and urge the Antioch City Council to seize this opportunity and use these grant funds to build our Town Square. Together, we can make a lasting difference for Antioch’s future! Take action now.”

Meeting Details

The meeting will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 200 H Street, in historic, downtown Rivertown and can be viewed via livestream on the City’s website or on Comcast cable TV channel 24 or AT&T U-verse channel 99.

See agenda packet.