Alameda is taking steps toward a bright future at Alameda Point. However, the city continues to stumble on the former Naval Air Station’s deteriorating infrastructure. The latest tripping stone centers on 75-year-old drains serving brand-new tenants.

At the center is a consent decree that the city signed in 2014. At question is whether that decree requires the city to take a “replace-as-you-go” tack as it sails toward completion of Alameda Point. Or does it allow a build-now, replace-the-drains-later plan?

As it so often does, money lies at the heart of the issue. None is available to fix the pipes until the city can bank some lease money. The city cannot fix the drains until its tenants occupy the buildings. In the meantime, environmentalists worry that 2017-and-beyond occupants will cause those 1940 drains to overflow into San Francisco Bay.