Photo above: Refugio Creek near where it meets San Pablo Bay in Hercules, 2024. Mx. Granger, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
On the last open blocks of the Hercules Bayfront, one project is approved (a townhome neighborhood called The Village) and two are still proposals: a 207-key hotel, and 142 townhomes plus a 36-unit affordable building for “The Bowl” and Block J. Nearby on Bayfront Boulevard, an 83-unit affordable apartment plan called Bayline was denied fast-track approval in March 2026 and has no city approval.
Approved doesn’t mean under construction, and proposed doesn’t mean approved. Here’s where each one stands, with the official source and date.
What is the Hercules Bayfront?
It’s the waterfront district along Bayfront Boulevard and John Muir Parkway. The Council approved the vesting tentative map for the Bayfront project on March 13, 2012 (City of Hercules, Waterfront page, checked September 24, 2026). The master plan allows up to 1,392 homes plus office, retail and flex space, and Ledcor is the master developer for the remaining blocks (City of Hercules, City Council staff report, September 9, 2025; Waterfront page, checked September 24, 2026).
The planned Hercules Hub train stop is also on Bayfront Boulevard. It has no opening date. See our answer on the train and ferry for the details.
What was approved for The Village?
A townhome neighborhood on Blocks K, L, M, O and P, near John Muir Parkway and Bayfront Boulevard. The City Council approved it on September 9, 2025, as the city planning board recommended (City of Hercules, Waterfront page, checked September 24, 2026).
The unit count depends on which city document you read:
- The city’s Waterfront page says 171 row houses in three types, including some work-live and live-work townhomes (checked September 24, 2026).
- The Council’s adopted resolution and staff report say 168 attached townhouse units: 141 townhomes and 27 live/work units, with 10 set aside as affordable. The staff report describes 25 three-story buildings, homes of 2 to 4 bedrooms from 1,282 to 2,634 square feet, attached garages on every unit, and 449 parking spaces (City of Hercules, City Council Resolution 25-051 and staff report, September 9, 2025).
We found no official construction start date as of September 24, 2026.
What hotel is proposed on Bayfront Boulevard?
A 207-key boutique hotel on Blocks E and G. The application lists meeting rooms, a restaurant, a gym and spa, retail, a pool and a view terrace, with two levels of structured parking, one below ground and one above. It is under review and still needs a design review permit from the city planning board (City of Hercules, Waterfront page, checked September 24, 2026).
We found no hotel hearing on the City Council or planning board agendas from August 2025 through September 21, 2026 (City of Hercules, Legistar meeting records, checked September 24, 2026).
What is planned for The Bowl?
Ledcor filed a Builder’s Remedy pre-application for 142 townhomes with front-loaded, garage-forward designs on Blocks A, B, C and D, which the city calls “The Bowl.” The city says it is essentially the same as a proposal Ledcor withdrew for these blocks in 2022. The same filing includes a 36-unit, 100% affordable apartment building on Block J. It would need a City Council approval of a Planned Development Plan, plus any changes to the project agreements (City of Hercules, Waterfront page, checked September 24, 2026).
A pre-application is an early step. The city page does not give a filing date, and we found no hearing on it through September 21, 2026.
What is the Bayline project?
A proposed 83-unit affordable apartment project by Community HousingWorks on Bayfront Boulevard, east side, between Railroad Avenue and Promenade Street. It has 82 income-restricted units plus one manager’s unit (City of Hercules, Bayline page, checked September 24, 2026).
Here’s the timeline from city records:
- May 2025. Community HousingWorks filed a preliminary application for a five-story, 107-unit building. After a community meeting and tribal consultation, it cut the design to four stories and 83 units (City of Hercules, City Council staff report, May 26, 2026).
- February 2026. It applied for streamlined, staff-level approval under state law SB 35 (same report).
- March 2026. The city denied the SB 35 application, finding the site did not meet the law’s urban surroundings test because the land around it was formerly industrial. The developer may resubmit through the standard review process (same report).
- July 28, 2026. The City Council decided how to award $5 million in city housing asset funds. Staff had recommended Bayline. The Council instead directed staff to negotiate $2.5 million each with Satellite Affordable Housing Associates (Sycamore Crossing) and Eden Housing (Victoria Green), neither of which is on the waterfront (City of Hercules, City Council minutes and staff report, July 28, 2026).
So as of September 24, 2026, Bayline does not have an approval or that city funding. It could come back through another path. For background, the city says its Housing Element calls for 539 more low-income units by 2031 (City of Hercules news, June 24, 2026).
What does this mean if I’m buying near the waterfront?
Know what could be built next door before you buy. A vacant block today may have an approved or pending project on it.
We won’t tell you any of this will raise or lower your home’s value. Nobody can promise that, and we don’t have a sourced number for how these projects move Hercules prices. What you can do:
- Look up the block number for any lot near the home and match it to the city’s Waterfront page.
- Read the staff report for anything approved. It shows building heights, parking and layout.
- Check the City Council and planning board agendas for upcoming hearings. Public hearings are where you can see plans and comment.
Questions people also ask
Is the Hercules waterfront finished?
No. Some blocks already have apartments, such as The Exchange on Block N (city staff report, September 9, 2025), but the last blocks are still open. The city’s Waterfront page, checked September 24, 2026, lists one approved project, The Village townhomes on Blocks K, L, M, O and P, and two pending proposals: a hotel on Blocks E and G and townhomes on Blocks A through D.
How many townhomes were approved at the Hercules Bayfront?
The City Council approved The Village on September 9, 2025. The Council’s resolution and staff report say 168 attached townhouse units, including 27 live/work units and 10 affordable units. The city’s Waterfront page, checked September 24, 2026, describes it as 171 row houses. Check the city’s current page or ask the Planning Division for the final count.
Is a hotel being built in Hercules?
One is proposed, not approved. The city’s Waterfront page, checked September 24, 2026, lists an application under review for a 207-key boutique hotel on Bayfront Boulevard, Blocks E and G, with a restaurant, meeting rooms, spa, pool and structured parking. It still needs a design review permit from the city planning board. We found no hearing scheduled through September 21, 2026.
What happened to the Bayline affordable housing project?
The city denied Bayline’s SB 35 streamlined application in March 2026, per a May 26, 2026 staff report, because the site did not meet the law’s urban surroundings test. On July 28, 2026, the City Council split $5 million in housing funds between two other projects instead of Bayline. The developer can resubmit through the standard review process.
Will these projects change home values near the waterfront?
We can’t promise either way, and we won’t guess. We have no sourced figure for how Bayfront projects affect Hercules prices. The honest way to look at it is recent sales of similar homes near the waterfront, which already reflect what buyers know about the plans, plus a read of the city’s staff reports for anything next to the home.
Your next step
Looking at a home near Bayfront Boulevard? Send us the address. We’ll show you what’s approved or proposed on the blocks around it and pull recent nearby sales. Ask a Hercules agent on our team or call (510) 949-5525.
More on Hercules: Living in Hercules, CA · Commute from Hercules to San Francisco · What’s my home worth?
By Bill Davis, DRE #01880656, The Davis Team at eXp Realty, Hercules, CA. Updated September 24, 2026.
The Davis Team is a real estate team at eXp Realty of California, Inc., DRE #01878277. Bill Davis, DRE #01880656.
Sources
- City of Hercules, Waterfront (Hercules Bayfront) page: herculesca.gov/government/planning/hercules-projects/waterfront (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Hercules, Bayline project page: herculesca.gov/government/community-development/development-projects/bayline (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Hercules, City Council staff report and Resolution 25-051, Bayfront Blocks K-L-M-O-P, September 9, 2025: hercules.legistar.com (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Hercules, City Council staff report, Housing Asset Funding Recommendation, May 26, 2026, and meeting minutes: hercules.legistar.com (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Hercules, City Council staff report, Housing Asset Funding Award, and meeting minutes, July 28, 2026: hercules.legistar.com (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Hercules news, “Affordable Housing Open House Video Available,” June 24, 2026 (checked September 24, 2026)
- City of Hercules, Legistar meeting calendar, August 2025 through September 21, 2026 (checked September 24, 2026)