Shaping the Future of Fort Ord and Marina’s Opportunity to Be Part of It

Sometimes an opportunity does not have to sit inside Marina’s city limits to benefit Marina.

I recently came across a community survey being conducted by Monterey County regarding the future of 23 historic former Fort Ord buildings in the East Garrison Historic Arts District. At first glance, I assumed this was another Marina project. After all, East Garrison has a Marina mailing address, and for many of us it feels like part of the greater Marina and Fort Ord community.

Technically, it is not. East Garrison is an unincorporated Monterey County community, so this is a County project rather than a City of Marina project.

But after looking deeper, I think Marina residents should be paying attention.

And more importantly, we should participate.

What Is Being Considered?

The County of Monterey is developing a new East Garrison Historic Arts District Master Plan for 23 historic former Fort Ord buildings dating primarily from the 1930s and 1940s.

The original East Garrison Specific Plan envisioned these buildings as part of a vibrant arts and cultural district. Twenty years later, conditions have changed, so the County and its consultants are now examining the physical condition of the buildings, market demand, financial feasibility, community priorities and possible alternative uses.

That means this is not simply a predetermined arts project. There is an opportunity right now to help influence what these buildings could become and what kinds of uses could realistically succeed there.

Previous community research identified interest in culinary space, performance and rehearsal facilities, classrooms, shared creative spaces, community gathering places and other civic and cultural uses.

That is where this gets particularly interesting for Marina.

Marina Is Already Part of This Conversation

Marina has its own long-discussed Arts Village concept on the former Fort Ord.

What surprised me while researching East Garrison was discovering that previous planning work actually acknowledged Marina’s arts efforts.

According to the East Garrison Creative Space Needs Assessment, participants identified Marina’s project as a potential collaborative opportunity and emphasized that the two efforts should be complementary rather than competitive.

That is exactly the kind of regional thinking I believe Marina needs more of. Imagine the possibilities created by connecting:

Marina Municipal Airport & Joby Aviation → Marina Arts Village → The Dunes → CSUMB → East Garrison Historic Arts District → Fort Ord National Monument

Those are not competing assets. Together, they begin to tell a much bigger story about what this side of Monterey County is becoming.

Do Not Forget Our Airport

One of Marina’s greatest long-term economic assets is sitting right in front of us: the Marina Municipal Airport.

I recently wrote about this in Marina Should Be Talking About the Future of Flight and the Future of Our Economy.

With Joby Aviation’s growing presence in Marina, advanced aviation activity throughout the region, nearby research and educational institutions, and the potential for suppliers, manufacturing, training and supporting businesses, the airport represents much more than a traditional general aviation facility.

It could become one of the anchors of a larger regional economic ecosystem.

Now put the airport into the bigger picture.

On one end, Marina could have aviation, advanced technology, research, manufacturing and workforce development. Nearby, we have CSUMB and the educational opportunities that come with a university.

Then there is The Dunes, Marina’s hotels and restaurants, potential arts and cultural development, East Garrison, and thousands of acres of trails and open space within the Fort Ord National Monument.

That is a remarkable collection of assets within a relatively small geographic area. The question is not simply, “Which of these things belong to Marina?”

The better question is: How does Marina position itself at the center of all of it?

This Fits Nicely Into the Five-Point Plan

This discovery immediately made me think about my recent article, Making Marina Strong: A Five-Point Community Plan for Economic Growth.

One of the central ideas behind that plan was simple. Marina does not have to create every attraction or economic opportunity ourselves. We need to become better at connecting, promoting and benefiting from the incredible assets already here and developing around us.

That is why the plan proposed bringing our Chamber, businesses, nonprofits, service organizations, educators and City leaders together around a shared economic mission.

It also included reviving and expanding the idea of “Visit Monterey County. Stay in Marina.”

East Garrison fits beautifully into that strategy.

• Someone might come to Marina because they are doing business with an aviation or technology company near the airport.
• Someone else might come for an event in East Garrison.
• Another family might be visiting their student at CSUMB.
• Someone else might be here to explore Fort Ord National Monument, shop at The Dunes, visit our beach or someday experience a Marina Arts Village.

Every one of those visitors potentially needs a hotel, restaurant, coffee shop, meeting place, store or something else to do while they are here.

That is where Marina can benefit.

Think Regionally and Benefit Locally

A successful East Garrison district does not need to compete with Marina. In fact, the better opportunity may be for these places to complement one another.

Perhaps Marina develops particular strengths in studios, maker spaces, galleries, events or creative businesses, while East Garrison develops culinary incubators, performance venues, classrooms, community spaces or other complementary uses.

CSUMB could provide another bridge through education, internships, performances, entrepreneurship, research and student participation.

The airport adds another completely different economic layer through aviation, technology, manufacturing and workforce development.

Instead of looking at these as isolated projects, we could begin thinking about a broader Fort Ord innovation, arts, culture and recreation corridor.

One attraction gives someone a reason to stop. Several complementary attractions give someone a reason to spend the day.

Eventually, perhaps they give someone a reason to spend the weekend.

That is where Marina’s hotels, restaurants and small businesses can benefit from economic activity happening throughout the surrounding region.

Economic Development Does Not Stop at the City Limits

This also reinforces something I have been thinking about throughout my recent series of articles about Marina’s economy.

When I wrote Marina Measure Q: Before New Taxes, Let’s Build a Stronger Economy, one of my arguments was that we need to spend more time discussing how Marina can expand its economic base and recurring revenue.

No single project is going to accomplish that. Joby is not the entire answer. East Garrison is not the entire answer. Tourism is not the entire answer. The airport is not the entire answer.

But together, opportunities like these can begin creating something much larger. Economic development is often about connecting pieces that already exist.

It is about asking how one investment creates customers for another business, how one attraction supports another destination, how an educational institution connects people with employers, and how visitors brought into the region can also support local restaurants, hotels and shops.

That is why I believe we need to get much better at looking beyond Marina’s boundaries while still asking how regional growth can create local opportunity.

Our Next City Leaders Should Be Connecting These Dots

With a local election approaching, this is exactly the kind of conversation I would like to hear from our candidates.

Not simply: “What will you spend money on?”

But also: “What opportunities can you find?”

• How will you work with Monterey County, CSUMB and neighboring communities?
• How will you maximize the economic potential of the Marina Municipal Airport?
• How will you capitalize on the aviation and technology growth happening here rather than simply watching that industry grow around us?
• How could Marina’s arts efforts complement East Garrison rather than compete with it?
• How do we connect visitors to our hotels, restaurants and local businesses?
• How do we turn surrounding economic activity into sustainable growth, jobs and recurring revenue for Marina?

These are the kinds of questions I would like every candidate to be exploring.

This is not about endorsing one candidate or political party. It is about encouraging anyone asking to lead our city to think bigger about Marina’s economic future.

I have been using both the Economic Development section here at Monterey Premier and my LinkedIn page to invite more people into that conversation, and I hope our candidates, business leaders, community organizations and residents will continue adding their own ideas.

We Have an Opportunity to Participate Right Now

The County is not only asking East Garrison residents what they think.

The East Garrison Historic Arts District planning process is seeking participation from East Garrison residents as well as nearby communities, businesses, organizations and others throughout the region.

That includes us here in Marina.

If we want Marina to have a voice in the future of the greater Fort Ord community, we should participate when opportunities like this arise.

The East Garrison Historic Arts District Community Survey is open through September 30, 2026.

Take the East Garrison Historic Arts District Community Survey

Take a few minutes and share your ideas. And think beyond simply saying, “Make it an arts district.”

Could there be restaurants? Culinary incubators? Markets? Performance spaces? Small-business opportunities? Community events? Veteran and Fort Ord history? Educational partnerships? Maker spaces? Festivals?

And importantly, how could this project complement Marina and the surrounding communities rather than compete with them?

This is one of those rare opportunities where we are being asked for input while the possibilities are still being explored. If we want our region to grow thoughtfully, this is our chance to help shape that conversation.

Our Location May Be One of Marina’s Greatest Advantages

When you start connecting all of these pieces, Marina’s biggest economic advantage may be something we have had all along:

our location.

We sit at the intersection of a university, an emerging aviation and technology hub, a growing commercial district, potential arts and cultural destinations, thousands of acres of outdoor recreation and one of the world’s most recognizable tourism regions just down the road.

East Garrison is another piece of that puzzle. Instead of asking whether every opportunity is technically inside Marina, perhaps we should begin asking a different question:

How can Marina participate in it, support it and benefit from it?

That is the kind of regional thinking I would love to see become part of our five-point plan and part of the conversation we are having with the people asking to lead our city.

And in this case, we do not have to wait for City Hall or the next election to participate.

We can start by taking the survey, sharing our ideas and helping shape the future of Fort Ord together with our neighbors.