following world war ii there were several unrealized plans for the island, including one in the 1950s by the city of richmond to build a heliport and a causeway from point isabel and one by the marine engineering company ben c. gerwick, inc. to flatten the hill in order to facilitate industrial and commercial development. at the same time, there were unrealized plans for a public park by contra costa county (1955) and the state (1956), followed by an attempt by richmond in 1961 to buy the island for a small boat harbor. the purchase price proved too expensive for the city.