The Bay Can the Esmeralda Land Company Win Over Cloverdale?
Nov 10, 2025
Aditi Bunlamudi, a KQED housing reporter, and Devon Zuegel, a tech visionary behind the Esmeralda Land Company, dive into the ambitious project in Cloverdale. They discuss Devon’s inspiration from Chautauqua for a community-focused, walkable neighborhood featuring mixed housing, a hotel, and a park. Amidst local excitement, concerns arise about potential gentrification and whether the development will cater to affluent outsiders. Aditi reveals insights from community outreach efforts aimed at garnering support and fostering collaboration with local officials.
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Planned Walkable Neighborhood Vision
- Esmeralda aims to build a dense, walkable neighborhood with housing, a hotel, an amphitheater, and public park on 266 acres near Cloverdale.
- The project frames itself as a multi-generational, college-campus–style community to encourage long-term residency and daily social life.
Chautauqua Diamond Story
- Devon Zuegel says her inspiration came from summers at Chautauqua, where neighbors helped search for a lost diamond for 48 hours.
- She uses that story to illustrate the deep community trust she wants to recreate in Esmeralda.
Mixed Housing For Multigenerational Choice
- The housing plan mixes apartments, single-family homes, condos, and senior living to enable multigenerational choices.
- Developers argue that housing variety increases affordability by offering more options, not just price caps.