Politics & Government

Moraga Adobe Preservation Pact Reached

Friends of the Joaquin Moraga Adobe announces agreement with developer to renovate 1841 Orinda building as museum with surrounding 2-acre parcel.

An agreement has been announced for a preservation group to buy the historic Moraga Adobe in Orinda and renovate it as a museum and history learning center.

The Friends of the Joaquin Moraga Adobe will purchase the dilapidated building and surrounding 2.3-acre parcel for $500,000 from developer J&J Ranch LLC, according to a FJMA news release. The Joaquin Moraga Adobe dates from 1841 and is the oldest surviving building in Contra Costa County.

The adobe site was carved out of a larger 20-acre site approved for development by the Orinda Planning Commission last October. Part of the subdivision abuts the 14th hole of the Moraga Country Club.

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"The purchase amount will be used to pay for up to one-half of the cost of restoration of the Adobe to its original 1840s configuration and preparation of the site for public access as a museum and history learning center," the press release stated.

Fund raising

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"Now the hard work of raising money for the purchase price begins, but we have already seen an impressive level of support from the local community and outside the area as well," said FJMA President Kent Long. "People seem to really understand the value of this site and this last-chance opportunity to save it.  The J&J Ranch partners also see this, and have worked patiently with us to develop a plan that will allow the public to enjoy the Adobe for many years to come.”

The original development — with views of Mulholland Ridge and Mount Diablo — was slated to be 13 lots for private homes, with the adobe planned for renovation into a private recreation center. It was the 19th century home of Joaquin Moraga, a grandson of Spanish explorer Jose Joaquin Moraga, who founded the city of San Jose.

A public announcement is scheduled for 9:15 a.m. Thursday at the Moraga Adobe, 24 Adobe Lane, Orinda. At that time, FJMA is expected to present a signed contract and a $10,000 deposit.


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