Commercial Real Estate in Pittsburg: Downtown Railroad Avenue, the Waterfront and Industrial Zoning

By Matthew Martinez, Founder, CEO & Managing Broker, Diamond Real Estate Group. California DRE #01869679.

Pittsburg has some of the most varied commercial and industrial land in East Contra Costa County. It includes a historic downtown along Railroad Avenue, a waterfront on the New York Slough and Suisun Bay, shopping centers along State Route 4, and large heavy industrial tracts on the shoreline. The city also has a licensed cannabis program, unlike several of its neighbors. Confirm the district, any overlay or specific plan, and the permit path for each parcel with the City of Pittsburg Planning Division.

Who controls the parcel

The City of Pittsburg zones land under Title 18, Zoning, of its municipal code. The base districts include residential, commercial, mixed use, industrial, hillside planned, open space, governmental and planned development. Three overlays can be added: interim study (-S), master plan (-P) and limited (-O). An -O overlay can restrict uses on a specific parcel beyond the base district, so read the zoning map closely. The industrial chapter also refers to a Railroad Avenue specific plan area, which carries its own standards near the eBART station.

Bay Point, to the west, is unincorporated and zoned by Contra Costa County. Some properties with Pittsburg addresses are in Bay Point, so check the jurisdiction first.

Pittsburg zoning for commercial, industrial and mixed use

Commercial districts come from Section 18.52.005 and industrial districts from Section 18.54.005.

District	Intended uses	Notes
CP Pedestrian Commercial	Downtown core: walk-in retail, restaurants and galleries, offices upstairs or off the main corridor	Housing above the ground floor only
CSD Downtown Service Commercial	Contractors, repair and durable goods downtown, outside the pedestrian core	Limited auto repair permitted
CO Commercial Office	Office, medical and limited retail at residential scale	Buffered from busy retail
CN Neighborhood Commercial	Daily needs for nearby homes	Drive-throughs and gas by use permit
CC Community Commercial	Local and regional centers near dense housing or transit	Furniture, apparel, durable goods
CS Service Commercial	Transitional sites between commercial and industrial, with truck traffic	Limited auto repair permitted. Major repair and car washes by use permit
CW Waterfront Commercial	Waterfront attractions, visitor-serving and limited marine uses	Alcohol by use permit
IP Industrial Park	Service commercial and light industry in landscaped settings	Truck terminals by use permit
IL Limited Industrial	Buffer between heavy industry and other uses	Heavy manufacturing limited
IG General Industrial	Intense industry on large sites near existing heavy industry	Truck and rail terminals, outdoor storage permitted

A mixed-use district (Chapter 18.53) and planned development districts also exist; we did not review them.

Downtown and Railroad Avenue

Downtown splits into two districts. CP is the pedestrian core, and CSD holds vehicle- and truck-oriented services downtown but outside that core. The commercial use schedule adds several downtown-specific limits:

Drive-throughs. In CP, a drive-through needs a use permit and is allowed only on a parcel with a private surface parking lot. Drive-through entry or exit onto Railroad Avenue is prohibited, and fast food drive-throughs are barred there.
Railroad Avenue limits. Bail bond offices are prohibited on Railroad Avenue. Large assembly uses, driving schools and self-service laundries face added ground-floor limits or use permits there.
Housing. In CP, multifamily housing is allowed only above the ground floor. In the other commercial districts, it is allowed above or next to ground-floor office, restaurant or retail on the same site, subject to design review.
Alcohol. Bars and restaurants with full alcohol service need a use permit in most districts. In CP, a full-service restaurant with an ABC license can qualify more easily if it is a bona fide eating place. A use permit is required where the use would create an undue concentration under state alcohol law.

Downtown also has historic structures. Title 15 includes a historic structures and districts chapter and an unreinforced masonry buildings chapter. Older brick buildings on and near Railroad Avenue can carry retrofit obligations, so ask the building division about any URM listing.

Industrial land, the shoreline and cannabis

Industrial uses. The industrial use table shapes logistics and manufacturing deals:

Warehousing. Limited warehousing and storage needs a use permit in all three industrial districts.
Wholesaling. Interior wholesaling is permitted in IL and IG. Wholesaling with exterior storage is permitted in IG.
Terminals. Truck and rail terminals are permitted in IG but need a use permit in IP or IL.
Heavy manufacturing. It is limited in IL and needs a use permit in IG.
Outdoor storage. It is permitted in IG and only temporary in IP and IL.

Shoreline limits. These are the industrial rules most specific to Pittsburg:

Car washes are prohibited within 1,000 feet of the shoreline.
Certain hazardous waste and transfer facilities are also barred within 1,000 feet.
Material storage within 500 feet of the shoreline must be inside a building or fully enclosed.
Wharves are permitted in IG only as an accessory use, and need a use permit otherwise. Marinas are permitted in IL and IG.

Shoreline sites can also face state and regional review.

Cannabis. Pittsburg allows licensed cannabis businesses in its industrial districts under Chapter 18.88 and the Title 5 cannabis business chapter. In IP, IL and IG, the zoning table allows these uses with limitations:

Distribution
Manufacturing
Testing
Retail and delivery
Microbusinesses
Indoor cultivation

Outdoor and mixed-light cultivation and public tasting are not allowed. Cannabis in IL and IG is limited to land north of the Pittsburg-Antioch Highway and east of Loveridge Road. In IP, some cannabis uses are limited to the Railroad Avenue specific plan area, with 200-foot setbacks from Harbor Street, Leland Road and Loveridge Road. The city also levies a cannabis business tax under Chapter 3.10.

Transfer tax, business tax and property tax

The Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder collects the county documentary transfer tax of $0.55 per $500. Pittsburg’s Chapter 3.16, Real Property Transfer Tax, sets a city rate of $0.275 per $500, administered by the County Recorder. The Recorder lists added city taxes only for Richmond and El Cerrito, so Pittsburg’s share appears to fall within the county total. Confirm with escrow.

Title 3 also has a transient occupancy tax and a local transactions tax. Business licenses are in Chapter 5.04, and we did not verify the rates. A sale is generally a Proposition 13 change of ownership.

Due diligence that matters in Pittsburg

Start with our commercial due diligence checklist, then add:

Confirm city versus unincorporated Bay Point, and check for -O, -P or -S overlays.
Downtown, confirm CP or CSD and the Railroad Avenue limits on drive-throughs and ground-floor uses.
Check unreinforced masonry and historic status for older downtown buildings.
For industrial deals, confirm whether warehousing, terminals or outdoor storage need a use permit.
Measure the distance to the shoreline for storage, car wash and waste uses.
For cannabis tenants, confirm the parcel is in an allowed area and the operator holds city and state licenses.

Questions people ask

Can I open a drive-through on Railroad Avenue?

Not with access onto Railroad Avenue. In CP, drive-throughs need a use permit and a private surface lot, and fast food drive-throughs are barred.

Does Pittsburg allow cannabis businesses?

Yes, in its industrial districts with limits. Outdoor cultivation and public tasting are not allowed, and locations are restricted.

Is warehousing allowed by right?

No. Limited warehousing and storage needs a use permit in IP, IL and IG.

Can I store materials outdoors near the water?

Not within 500 feet of the shoreline, where storage must be enclosed.

Can I add apartments above downtown shops?

Yes. CP allows multifamily housing above the ground floor.

Does Pittsburg add a city transfer tax?

Its code sets a city share of $0.275 per $500 collected by the Recorder. The Recorder lists no added Pittsburg tax, so confirm with escrow.

Does Diamond handle commercial property in Pittsburg?

Contact Matthew Martinez to discuss buying, selling or leasing commercial property in Pittsburg.

Sources & notes

Pittsburg Municipal Code (GoCodebook, October 2026 edition): Chapter 18.52 Article I, Chapter 18.54 Article I, Title 3, Chapter 3.16, Title 5, Title 15
Contra Costa Clerk-Recorder, Documentary Transfer Tax

Note: Development standards (height, FAR) in Article II of each chapter, the mixed-use chapter, the Railroad Avenue specific plan text, the URM building list and business license rates were not reviewed.

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.

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