Bus Manufacturer Gillig Seeks To Close Livermore Street For Major Campus Expansion

LIVERMORE, CA — The Livermore City Council will consider a resolution Monday to allow negotiations over a major expansion of the campus of bus manufacturer Gillig, which could include the closure of a part of Discovery Drive.

Gillig, the second largest manufacturer of transit buses in North America, hopes to expand its Livermore headquarters at 451 Discovery Drive onto roughly 17 acres west of its existing campus. The proposed expansion would include between 80,000 and 110,000 square feet of office space, about 500 employee parking spaces, and a new area for bus storage, testing, and fleet support, according to a city staff report.

Gillig also plans to relocate its aftermarket parts operation to Livermore and prepare the site for future electric bus charging stations and hydrogen fueling infrastructure.

To support these operations, Gillig has asked the city to privatize or permanently close the northern portion of Discovery Drive so that buses, equipment, and employees could regularly cross between facilities.

City staff said that a preliminary traffic study found that most vehicles using that stretch of Discovery Drive - located just west of SR-84 and south of Jack London Boulevard - are already Gillig employees, and the closure would not significantly affect traffic at nearby intersections. Staff also said that the expansion could create about 240 new jobs and approximately $450,000 in annual tax revenue.

If negotiations are authorized, any final agreements would return to the city council for separate public hearings and environmental review.

See here for more information, and here for Monday’s full agenda.