Richmond's Hilltop District and San Pablo Avenue: West Contra Costa's 2026 Reinvention

The two biggest redevelopment stories in West Contra Costa in 2026 sit on the same corridor. To the north, the former Hilltop Mall is being reimagined as the Hilltop Horizon district. To the south, San Pablo Avenue is being rebuilt into a transit-friendly main street from El Cerrito through Richmond and into San Pablo. Together they are reshaping one of the Bay Area's most affordable, water-adjacent housing corridors.

What is the Hilltop Horizon project in Richmond?

The City of Richmond's Hilltop Horizon Specific Plan covers about 143 acres, including the 77-acre former Hilltop Mall site and roughly 19 surrounding properties. The vision: rezone a low-intensity, auto-oriented shopping area into mixed-use neighborhoods with housing, shops, restaurants, entertainment, and parks, with most of the shuttered mall demolished. As of late 2026 the project is still in the entitlement phase. No demolition or construction has started, and there is real discussion about density, with the property owner, Prologis, favoring lower-density housing than the city's draft plan first proposed.

What should buyers and sellers watch?

A draft land plan went to the Planning Commission in August 2025 and the City Council in September 2025, and the final draft Specific Plan was expected back before the City Council in summer 2026. Even after a plan is adopted, environmental review, demolition, and phased construction take years. That makes this a long-game story: buyers who want to be positioned in the district before the next chapter typically track the plan and buy well before shovels arrive.

What else is changing along San Pablo Avenue?

San Pablo has entitled residential and mixed-use projects including a 91-unit condominium building with commercial space at San Pablo Avenue and Luna Lane, approved in February 2025, and a 145-unit 100% affordable housing project. A four-tenant retail center at San Pablo Avenue and Rumrill Boulevard won approval in May 2025. The federally funded San Pablo Avenue Complete Streets Project in San Pablo is improving safety and multimodal access, and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority's Safety and Access Project, running about 5.5 miles from the Alameda County line to Contra Costa College, anticipated community engagement in summer 2026.

How do these projects fit the market today?

Richmond's citywide median sits near $650,000, and San Pablo offers some of the most accessible pricing in Contra Costa at roughly $529,000 to $566,000. New parks, retail, and housing along the corridor add amenities that support demand, though home values always depend on condition, location, and timing. If you are weighing the two cities side by side, my full Richmond vs San Pablo comparison walks through transit, price points, and lifestyle. For a snapshot of the wider San Pablo market, see San Pablo Real Estate 2026.