Why Richmond's Craneway No Longer Hosts the July 3 Concert

Marina Bay Park was packed by 7 p.m. on July 3, 2026. Blankets staked out patches of grass, food vendors worked a steady line, and kids chased each other around lawn chairs while the sky over the water held its last hour of light before the 9:15 p.m. fireworks. It was Richmond's Third of July, the way it always is, free and open to whoever showed up.

What wasn't there, for the third year running, was the building that used to host the whole evening. Across the water, the Craneway Pavilion sat dark, its floor-to-ceiling windows reflecting the crowd rather than lighting up for it. For years, the Oakland Symphony played Sousa marches and movie medleys inside that building before the fireworks even started, and the patio doubled as the best seat on the water for the show.

The Building That Used to Run the Whole Night

The Craneway Pavilion is the old Ford Motor Company Assembly Building, designed by industrial architect Albert Kahn and sitting on 25 waterfront acres at 1414 Harbour Way South, right next to the San Francisco Bay Ferry terminal. At 72,000 square feet with glass walls facing the Bay, it has hosted roller derby, craft fairs, quilt shows, weddings, and, every July 3, the city's fireworks lead-in concert. The last time that pre-fireworks tradition happened inside the building was 2023.

How the Craneway's Use Changed

In 2023, the pickleball boom found its way to Richmond's waterfront. A group called PB Development Group leased part of the Craneway and began installing courts, with play scheduled to start that fall and the space reopening in February 2024 as a paddle-sport venue with a pro shop and lounge. The city's longtime July 3 organizers announced that the 2023 pre-show would be the last one held inside the Craneway.

Residents protested the proposal. The Richmond Shoreline Alliance organized protests, and future council member Sue Wilson showed up dressed as Rosie the Riveter to argue the building belonged to something bigger than one sport. The concerns centered on the building's use and public access. The Craneway sits on land regulated by the California State Lands Commission because it's built over tidelands. Richmondside reported that the Commission rejected the proposal because the courts would not be open to the general public. According to the city's former attorney, Orton terminated the pickleball tenant shortly after.

The Commission's decision did not end the lease; Orton continued to hold it.

How the Lease Shapes the City's Options

The lease terms are central to the city's options: in 2004, the Richmond City Council signed Orton Development to a 55-year lease on the Craneway at $1 a year, paid in full upfront, with an evergreen clause that lets it renew indefinitely and no expiration date attached. It's also transferable, meaning Orton can hand the lease to someone else without the city's say in who that is.

Before the April 2026 vote, Councilmember Sue Wilson told constituents that the original lease terms left the city with limited leverage.

That limited leverage would shape the council's decision about whether to reclaim the building.

What the Council Actually Voted On in April

By late 2025, Richmond and Orton were negotiating. The Grandview Independent reported that Wilson told residents at a November 12 Marina Bay Neighborhood Council meeting, "we're close." The city also commissioned a $169,500 building condition assessment from RDH Building Science to find out what it would be taking on.

In April 2026, the city considered Orton's offer alongside projected building costs. Orton had offered to donate its leasehold back to the city at no cost, plus $80,000 toward first-year operating expenses, and to shield Richmond from a pending lawsuit filed by the former pickleball operator. In exchange, the city would take on a building that RDH's assessment flagged for roughly $12.7 million in deferred maintenance over the next decade, including near-term structural reinforcement of the concrete pilings holding up the pier the building sits on.

A second consulting firm ran the numbers three ways:

On April 21, the council split 4-3 against accepting the donation. Council members Soheila Bana, Cesar Zepeda, Jamelia Brown, and Vice Mayor Doria Robinson voted no. Mayor Eduardo Martinez, Claudia Jimenez, and Wilson voted yes.

Bana didn't hold back on her reasoning. She wasn't willing to inherit that bill with no operating plan behind it.

The Grandview Independent quoted Jimenez as saying:

"All the roads lead to the city."

Her point was that rejecting the donation doesn't make the maintenance problem disappear. It just moves the fight to a courtroom. Meanwhile, the Grandview Independent reported that Orton said it intended, if the city declined the offer, to transfer the lease to an unnamed backup entity for a "marine use," an outcome nobody on the council has publicly explained or endorsed.

The Party That Still Happened Anyway

The building also hosted a ticketed event. On May 23, 2026, the Craneway hosted a two-year anniversary party for the DJ collective Noise Complaints, headlined by producer London On Da Track, known for production credits with Drake, Future, and Young Thug. Organizers billed it as the "biggest hip-hop and R&B party in the Bay Area," with general admission starting at $50 and VIP packages running to $123. It reportedly sold through its lowest-priced tier before the doors even opened.

The Craneway isn't closed. It's capable of hosting a ticketed show on a Saturday night. The free, public pre-fireworks concert has not returned to the Craneway; Orton remains the leaseholder.

What to Watch Before Next July

Nothing about the current arrangement has an expiration date attached, which is either fitting or maddening depending on how long you've been going to that fireworks show. The council's April vote didn't resolve anything. It preserved the status quo: Orton keeps the lease, the pickleball lawsuit against Orton is still pending, and one option Jimenez described is a lawsuit by the city, which the city has not filed.

If you live in Marina Bay or Point Richmond, the practical takeaway is that the Craneway's civic future will keep getting decided at City Council meetings, not inside the building itself. Richmond's public meeting agendas are the place to watch for the next move, whether that's a lawsuit, a new negotiation, or another vote about the lease and the building's future.

The fireworks aren't going anywhere. Marina Bay Park handled July 3, 2026 just fine. The Craneway's role in future July 3 celebrations remains uncertain. The lease was signed in 2004, and its terms shape the city's options.

Understanding what's actually happening in a neighborhood, not just what shows up on a map, is a big part of how The DiMaggio Betta Group works with clients across Richmond and the rest of the East Bay. If you're curious about this stretch of the waterfront, or any corner of the East Bay you're watching closely, get in touch.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.