Pittsburg Data Center, Pinole Mayor Vote & Summer Events 2026

Real estate agent and host Amanda Abillano breaks down what is actually happening in Contra Costa County this week. In Episode 11, we cover Pittsburg's first major data center on the old Delta View Golf Course and what its power and water use could mean for nearby homeowners, why Pinole voters rejected directly electing their mayor, family-friendly Pride Month events across the county, and two can't-miss summer events: the Old Town Pittsburg Car Show and the Mrs. Roper Romp bar crawl in Brentwood.

Whether you live in Antioch, Pittsburg, Brentwood, Concord, Pinole, or anywhere in the East Bay, this is your local guide to the events, development, and decisions shaping where we live.

Stay connected with us for more real estate updates, community insights, and everything you need to know about living in Contra Costa County.

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Transcript

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Hey everybody and welcome back to Living in Contra Costa County. I'm your host, Amanda Abolano, your local real estate agent, your neighbor, and the person who reads the city council agenda, so you don't have to. This is episode 11, and this might be one of my favorite lineups we have ever had because today we're covering classic cars, caftans, a giant data center, Pride Month, and a small city that just had a whole election about whether to keep playing musical chairs with the mayor's office. So grab your coffee or iced tea or tea or whatever you have got going on, settle in and let us get into it. Okay, let us start with the fun stuff. Because we have two events this week that could not be more different from each other, and I love that for us. First up, the old town Pittsburgh Car Show and Music. Now, if you have ever lived in East County for any amount of time, you already know about this one. But if you are new here, let me put you on. This car show has been running for over 20 years. 20 years. This is not a pop-up. This is not a trend. This is a full-on downtown tradition every Thursday throughout the summer. The streets of Old Town Pittsburgh come alive with classic vintage and custom vehicles, plus live music, food, and that kind of community energy. You can really not fake. So let me set the scene because the vibe is the whole point. You have got beautifully restored cars lined up. You have owners standing next to them who I say this with so much love will absolutely talk your ear off about their carburetor. If you give them even the slightest opening, I don't even know what a carburetor is, guys. So do not ask about the engine unless you've got 20 minutes. I'm not joking. You will learn some things you will leave knowing what a manifold is, whether you want to or not. So, and it is genuinely lovely. You wander down the block, the music is going, the smell of food is in the air, kids are running around, and you get to admire these machines that people have poured their hearts and frankly their entire saving account into. Because let us be honest, restoring a classic car is not a hobby, it is a lifestyle and a second mortgage. So here is the part you need to write down. The show runs from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in Old Town Pittsburgh at 525 Railroad Avenue. Now, the season already kicked off back in May 28th. So we're rolling right into the good stuff. The next one is Thursday, June 11th, and they're going to have a band play live. Then we've got June 25th with the PhDs performing. July 9th brings Papa Joe and the New Deal, which is a great band name. I am so sorry. July 23rd is chocolate rice. August 13th is the PTK band, and the season will wrap up August 27th with Project for Band. So basically, your whole summer of Thursday nights are sorted. So you are welcome. And here is my real estate brain kicking in for just a second because I cannot help it. It is who I am. Events like this are exactly what people are talking about when they ask me what it is actually like to live somewhere. Anybody could pull up the square footage and the school ratings online, but a downtown that has the same beloved car show for 20 years, that tells you something money cannot. That tells you there is a community here that shows up week after week for each other. This is the stuff that does not fit on a listing sheet, and it is honestly the stuff that matters the most. So if you want to go and you should, you can register over at pittsburgruck.com slash events slash car show or just show up because it's old town on a Thursday. And the whole point is to just wander in. So for any questions, the number to call is 925-252-4842. All right, that is the wholesome family event. Now let me tell you about the other thing happening this week because we are about to take a hard lift into fun, fun, chaos, and I'm here for it. So the Mrs. Roper Romp Brentwood Bar Crawl Edition. If you're under a certain age, you might be going and saying, Amanda, who is Mrs. Roper? Let me educate you. Mrs. Roper is the iconic character from the old sitcom Three's company. She was the landlady. She wore those big, flowing colorful captains, enormous chunky costume jewelry, a head of curly red hair, and she had the comedic timing of a woman who knew exactly what was going on in every apartment in the building. She was fabulous. She was nosy. She was a whole personality. And somewhere along that way, the internet decided that the greatest thing that you can possibly do is get a giant group of people to dress up as Mrs. Roper and go out together. These are called Mrs. Roper romps, and they have been popping up all over the county and country. And now finally, Blessing One is coming to Brentwood. Here's the official invitation, and I quote the energy of it. Pull out your best Captains, your chunky jewelry, and your big personalities because it is time to channel your inner Mrs. Roper for a fabulous night out. The dress code is colorful caftains, bold accessories, wigs, and quote, anything outrageously fabulous. The vibe, according to the organizers, is laughs, limitations, and lots of roper realness. So I cannot roper realness put it on my tombstone, okay? So here is how it goes down. It is Friday, June 12th. Everybody meets up for a group photo at the city park on the corner of 2nd and Oak Street. And then the crawl starts at the yard in downtown Bruntwood. From there, the whole Cafton parade makes its way down Oak and over onto First Street, hitting up all the best spots, and in their words, turning heads along the way. Which, yes, a pack of 30 adults in wigs and Caftans walking through downtown Bruntwood on a Friday night is going to turn some heads. That is not a risk, that is a promise. So there are going to be costume contests, signature cocktails, group photos, and what the invite beautifully calls lots of quote, come and knock on your door moments. Come and knock on your door, which is the Threes Company theme song reference. And if you got that one, we are the same age and we should be friends, or you can be older, but you know, I got some room for more friends. But here is the part that actually made me smile. And the reason I really wanted to include this one, it is for charity. The tickets are a minimum $5 donation, and that goes to a local nonprofit called the Matt to Mat Ford Foundation. And Matt to Matt is a dedicated to helping families right here at home get access to martial arts. Their whole belief is that every kid deserves the chance to build confidence, discipline, and strength regardless of their family's financial situation. So you are putting on a wig, you are having the night of your life, and you are helping a local kid get into a martial arts program that is perfect Contra Costa evening if I've ever heard of one. The event runs from 6 30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on June 12th. The donation ticket link is on the event page, and the line that genuinely made me laugh out loud in the official write-up was, and I am quoting this directly, RSVP, so we can warn the bars. Warn the bars, they know they know what is coming as somewhere a bartender in downtown Brentwood is looking at next Friday on the calendar with a single tear in his eye. So that is your week. Saturday energy versus Friday energy. The car show is bringing the kids and a folding chair. The Roper Romp is a find a wig and clear your Saturday morning. And honestly, if you did both back to back, classic cars on Thursday and Cafe on Friday, you would understand everything you need to know about why I love living out here. Okay, let us shift gears, no car show, pun intended, into the real estate development segment because Pittsburgh is in the news for something a lot bigger than a Thursday night car show. The city is moving forward with its very first major data center. And this is a story with real implications for anybody who lives out here or is thinking about buying out here. So let me break it down for you. Here is the headline. I know. We are talking about a 300,000 square foot facility to give you a sense of scale. That's enormous. It's a three-story building and it's going on the site of the former Delta View Golf Course, which is a 76-acre plot of land next to Contra Costa Canal along the West Leland Road. The developer is a company called A Avayo Avayo Digital, which is an AI-focused developer. And this is all part of a bigger project called the Pittsburgh Technology Park. So why does the city want this? Um, in a word, money and jobs, but mostly let's be honest, money. City leaders are saying the data center could generate jobs and long-term revenue. And here is the number that matters, I guess. The city has an estimated $80 million worth of road repairs it needs to do. $80 million. If you have driven on a certain road out there and here, you already knew that without anybody telling you, you have felt that $80 million in your tires and um in your spine. The city is hoping to use the revenue from the data center to help pay for road management, recreation programs, and law enforcement. Just from the data centers through property tax and sales tax. So you can see why a city sitting on an $80 million repair bill looks at the number and gets very interested. Now, here is where I have to put my honest neighbor hat on because it is not all clean and simple, and you deserve the full picture. The proposal has raised some real concerns, and the residents who showed up are not wrong to ask those questions. Let us talk about the power because this is the number that made my jaw drop. This data center is expected to consume 99 megawatts of power. 99. The article puts that in plain terms for us. That is the equivalent of powering 10,000 homes, one building, and it's drinking, so it's drinking that same electricity as 10,000 houses. Now, to be fair, this is important. The city's economic development director, Jordan Davis, says the power is completely separate from the PG and E power that goes to residents. Like we were worried about that. Um, it is being delivered by the Pittsburgh Power Company. So according to the city, it will not push up your electricity rates. That is the city's position, and that is a meaningful distinction. So I want to make sure you've heard that part. Um but then there is the water, the data center is expected to use 58,000 gallons of water, recycled water per day. And again, the city is making a point to say it is recycled water coming from Delta Diablo, which is the wastewater agency that serves Antioch, Pittsburgh, and Bay Point. Delta Diablo produces close to 6 million gallons a day. Um, so the city's framing is that this is a manageable slice of recycled water, not your drinking water. City officials say that the facility will run on 100% renewable energy, that the backup generators will run on biodiesel, and that it uses an air-cooled system. So that is the city's case. Jobs, road, money, recycled water, renewable energy, separate power supply. Sounds pretty buttoned up, right? Um, well, not everyone is convinced, and I'm not convinced as well. Residents have raised concerns about noise, about water usage, and about road congestion on Westleeland, and it goes further than just public comment. The Center of Biological Diversity actually sued the city of Pittsburgh back in December. Their argument is that the city failed to properly identify the project's impacts on wildlife and on greenhouse gas emissions in the area. One of their attorneys, Meredith Stevenson, made a comparison I thought was pretty sharp. She basically said, you would not let a large industrial plant move into town without first analyzing how it would affect the neighbors and the wildlife. And a data center should be no different. Um, her position is that the city needs to go back and give that project a more thorough review. And the residents are still showing up. Good for them. At the June 1st city council meeting, people urged city leaders to revisit the whole thing, raising those same concerns, energy, noise, water, and effect on nearby neighborhoods. One resident, Kristen Colcino, Colcino, sorry, Kristen, told the council that people are becoming more aware that they have a lot of questions. So here is my take as your local real estate person, and I'm going to give it to you straight. This is the kind of thing that genuinely matters for property values and quality of life out here, and it cuts both ways. On one hand, new tax revenue that fixes our terrible roads and funds law enforcement and rec programs. That's real, and that benefits homeowners in some sort of way. Um, a city with money in the bank is a city that can take care of itself and that supports home values over time. Kinda. On the other hand, nobody who buys a home in a suburban neighborhood dreaming of a three-story industrial building humming nearby. The concerns about noise, traffic on West Leland are not nothing, and they are worth watching closely. If you live near West Leland Road or you're thinking about buying in that area, this is one to keep your eye on. Go to the city council meetings, you guys. Read the environmental review, ask questions because this project is a big deal and is going to shape that part of Pittsburgh for a long time. And as always, if you're trying to figure out what something like this means for you and for a specific neighborhood or specific home you're even looking at, that's literally my job. So you can always reach out and we can talk it through. All right, moving into our schools and family segment. And this one is all about Pride Month because it's June, and there is a really nice roundup of family-friendly pride celebrations and resources happening right here in Contra Costa County. And I love this for the families in our audience because the whole theme of this is that you do not have to drive into San Francisco to celebrate. And listen, I love the city, but if your idea of a perfect Saturday does not involve hunting for parking for 45 minutes and paying $8 for water, you've got options right here at home. Kathleen Kretz, who is the founder and president of the PFLAG Clayton Conquer chapter, makes a point, um, which I appreciate. She says that a lot of pride events within Contra Costa County are family friendly, which makes pride more accessible for people who might be intimidated by SF pride and who just are not looking for the big adult party atmosphere. Sometimes you just want to bring the kids, see some live music, make a button, and just go home for dinner. And that's a beautiful thing. So let me run through what is actually happening because there is a lot. Now, a couple of these already have happened over the weekend. Um, like Concord Pride, I was there. Um, shout out to my funk mode family. We had such a blast, my kids had such a blast as well. But I wanted to mention them anyway because it tells you how alive this stuff is in our county. This past Saturday, the Hercules Library hosted a pride performance by the Oakland Gay Men's Chorus, free and open to all ages, right in the library. And then on Sunday, Richmond Rainbow Pride held its 12th annual event this year titled Richmond Erased at the Civic Center with a whole walking pride parade that started over at the Nichol Park, Nicole Park, and made its way to the Civic Center. 12 years running. That is a real tradition now. So if you went to either of those, I hope you had a blast. And if you missed them, now you know to put them on your calendar for next June. But here is the one you will you can still catch. So write this one down. Coming up on Saturday, June 20th. The Concord Library is hosting a Pride Open Mic from 2 to 3:30 in the afternoon for all ages. It's hosted by a drag artist named Leggy P, which is a fantastic name. And besides community performances, there is going to be a button making in karaoke. You can register ahead of time on the Contra Costa County Library website, but it's not required. So that is your family-friendly, low-key, no bridge toll pride afternoon right there. Now, because this is the schools and family segment, I want to spend a minute on the resources because this is the part that matters for families, and I would be doing you a disservice if I list just listed the parties and moved on. So if you are a parent navigating this with your kid, or you just want to know what is out there in our community, here is what the county has. There is the Rainbow Community Center based in Concord, which has served the Bay Area for 30 years. They offer mental health services, clinical services, senior programs, and youth programs. You can find them at a rainbowcc.org. And there is also a P F L A G Clayton Concord, that group I mentioned earlier, which is part of one of the largest LGBTQ support and advocacy organizations in the county. They hold virtual support meetings on the third Tuesday of every month over Zoom. And chatting is encouraged but not required. So it is a very low pressure way to connect. Um, for the young people specifically, there is the Rise Center, so the R Y S E Center in Richmond, which provides free health, education, and arts program for youth between the ages of 13 and 21. Free. You can find them at risecenter.org. So Rise is RYSECenter.org. Then for support that you can reach anytime, the Contra Costa Crisis Center offers free and confidential support 24-7. And there is the Trevor Project, which is a national organization specifically for LGBTQ youth. And it's offering free peer support and crisis services around the clock. I will pull all of these resources and their contact info into the show notes so you do not have to scramble to write them down while you are driving. Kathleen from PFLAG said that something else that had stuck with me, or you can even call it um P Flag, she said that despite ongoing resistance in the community, local pride celebrations keep growing and that more and more people come out every year to celebrate. I think that is through the line of this whole show, right? People showing up for each other, a car show that has run for 20 years because people keep showing up, a bar crawl raising money so a kid can take a martial arts class. And families finding community right here at home. It is all the same thing. It is people deciding that this place, our place, is worth showing up for. Okay. Last segment: local government. And we are heading over to West County, to the city of Pannol for a story about democracy, civic process, and a city that essentially looked at a shiny new option and said, you know what? We like our old system of musical chairs just fine. Thank you. So here is the setup. On Tuesday, Pannole voters had a measure on the ballot, measure D, that asked a pretty fundamental question. Should the city change how it picks its mayor? Right now, Panel uses what is called a rotational mayor system. Basically, the city council members take turns. Each year, the mayor's seat rotates to a different council member. Nobody campaigns for it specifically. It just sort of cycles through, like a friend group deciding whose turn it is to host Thanksgiving. The proposal on the table, Measure D, would have changed that so the voters of Panel would directly elect their mayor, the way a lot of other cities do. And the voters said no thanks by a pretty clear margin, too. According to Contra Costa County elections, only 36.3% of voters were in favor of making the change, while 63.7% voted against it and chose to keep the current annual rotation. So that's not a squeaker. That is almost a two to one. Um, Panot looked at that question and made up his mind. Now I always have to dig into why on these because it's more interesting than the numbers. The council member who championed this measure, Devin T. Murphy, made a genuinely thoughtful case for it, and I want to represent it fairly. His argument was basically this the rotation system sounds fair on paper, but in practice it can create problems. He pointed out that sometimes council members get skipped over for political reasons. So not everyone actually gets an equal shot at being mayor. And more importantly, he argued that rotating the mayor every single year makes it hard to maintain stable leadership, long-term direction, because every year you get a different leadership style, different priorities, and a different approach. His case was that a directly elected mayor gives more accountability to residents, more consistent leadership, a clearer mandate, and stronger long-term planning. And at the end of the day, he framed it as being about democracy and local control and letting the people choose rather than letting internal council politics decide. Um, and that is a reasonable argument, in my opinion. You can see the logic. If you have ever been part of any organization where leadership changes every 12 months, you know it can be hard to get anything finished before the next person comes in with a whole new agenda. But the voters didn't bite, and there is context here too. Murphy himself acknowledged that a lot of opposition came from a group of former council members and their alleys who disagree with him, both politically and personally. So there is clearly some local history baked into this vote. These small city elections are never just about the policy on paper. There are relationships or old disagreements. There is a history that goes back years that an outsider reading the ballot would never pick up on. This is a small town, these are like small town politics, and Panola is just not unique in that um every city out here has its own version of it. Quick Civics moments, because I actually found this part interesting. The measure also asked if it had passed, how long the elected mayor's term should be. About 54 to 55 percent favored a two-year term, and around 28% supported a four-year term. But since the main measure failed, all that is now, all of that is just like hypothetical. It's like arguing about what color to paint the guest room and a house you decided not to buy. So, um, and just so that we are all clear on what was actually at stake, an elected mayor in a general law city like Pannel would not have been some all-powerful figure. So they still would be a member of the city council with mostly the same powers. The real additional power is the ability to make appointments to boards, commissions, and committees subject to council approval and to potentially a higher salary if the voters or council approved it. So this is different from what is called a strong mayor, the kind of with veto power and control over the budget. So Pannol was never voting on that. So this was a more modest change than the words directly elect the mayor might make it sound. So the bottom line for Panel, the musical chairs continue. The mayor's seat will keep rotating around the council table once a year. The voters have spoken pretty clearly that they are comfortable with that. And I think there is something kind of charming about a city that looks at the chance to consolidate power and say, nah, we would just like to keep taking turns. Very Contra Costa of them. And that, my friends, is episode 11 of Living in Contra Costa County. Um, so let's recap what we've learned today. We've learned that old town Pittsburgh has been throwing the same fantastic car shows every summer Thursday for over 20 years, and your next chance is June 11th. We've learned that on June 12th, downtown Brentwood is about to be overran by Gloria's Cafe and Army raising money for kids in martial arts, and the bars have been formally warned. We learned that Pittsburgh is building a data center that drinks electricity like 10,000 homes, and that it's either going to fix our roads or rattle the neighbors, depending on who you ask and probably all of it. Um, we learned that Pride Month is alive and well and family friendly right here in our county. No bridge toll required, and we learned that the good people of Pinola would simply prefer to keep taking turns. Thank you very much. That is the thing I keep coming back to with this county. We contain multitudes, classic cars and captains, big tech, big tech development and small town traditions, pride parades and mayoral rotations. It is all happening here all at once, all within a few miles of each other, and getting to talk about it all with you every week is so my favorite thing. If you enjoy this episode, do me a favor and share it with one person who lives out here because that is how this little show goes and grows. And if you are thinking about buying or selling or just want to know what is going on on a specific neighborhood, like the cars, the captains, the council meetings, all of it, do you know where to find me? I am Amanda Ablano, and helping people navigate this county is what I do. All the events, the links, and the Pride Month resources will be in the show notes. Thank you so much for hanging out with me today. Go to the car show, find a captain, read a city council agenda for fun, and I will see you next week right here in Contra Costa County.