SANTA ROSA -- The new Boudin SF Restaurant and Bakery in Montgomery Village is the first Sonoma County location for this San Francisco icon and the 26th Boudin SF retail outlet in California.
Located at 2316 Montgomery Dr. at the corner of Farmer's Lane, the 6,890-square-foot building was constructed on a site formerly occupied by Copperfield's Books. The bookseller relocated to 775 Village Ct. on the other side of the shopping center.
"They call this particular Boudin SF location a 'mother' store, since it is not only a restaurant but a central bakery designed to provide individuals and other establishments with fresh-baked products throughout the region," said David Codding, owner and developer of Montgomery Village.
A Boudin SF location is set to open at The Nut Tree in Vacaville early next year.
[caption id="attachment_84175" align="alignleft" width="450"] The new Boudin SF Restaurant and Bakery at Montgomery Village in Santa Rosa also provides baked goods to other retailers and restaurants throughout the area.[/caption]
On June 18, a portion of the original sourdough starter or "mother dough" first formulated during the California Gold Rush of 1849, was ceremoniously transported to the new location from the Rincon Valley Library -- continuing a recipe transfer tradition rich in history dating back 164 years. Boudin SF is the oldest continuing business in San Francisco.
To mark the occasion, the company welcomed cyclists in the greater Santa Rosa area "to help escort our mother" to its new home.
The original idea for the transformation of the bookstore site goes back to 2007--2008, when David Codding first started considering possible design alternatives for establishing a refreshing new look for Montgomery Village.
"We wanted to add a unique structure and a popular new client from outside of the local area to anchor this section of the shopping center," he said. "We also wanted to position the building so it would face the other shops -- not the roadway on the other side -- and serve as a landmark for the center."
When first built by Hugh Codding in 1950, the shopping center was built using 1,000-year-old redwood trees. His development plan included the construction of over 2,500 homes as well as the shopping center. In 1955 the city of Santa Rosa annexed the area, which previously was larger than the footprint of the city, according to David Codding.
That immediately increased the population of the city from 18,000 to 30,000.
A significant portion of the redwood gleaned from the former Copperfield's building was remilled in Healdsburg by Cooling Tower Resources, giving it a second life as the wood beams and posts for the new Boudin SF structure.
The bakery building is surrounded by 120 parking spaces and is also the home of Acre Coffee, an independently owned coffee and tea shop with locations in Petaluma and San Francisco.
Work began on the Boudin SF building in fall 2012 and was completed on July 11. Codding Construction was the general contractor for this project, and Adobe Associates Civil Engineering performed site-preparation design.
"We were given a blank canvas upon which to develop a design view of a playful and exciting new venue," said Warren Hedgpeth of Hedgpeth Architects. "Our goal was to create a place people can enjoy, and one that is both heroic and functional."
"This structure responds to its site and conveys the idea of a sanctuary where people will feel sheltered under its overhanging roof. There is an open, inviting atmosphere with its rustic wood interior. It has lots of transparency enhanced by high windows and lighting that truly sets this edifice apart and makes it glow to attract guests to the warmth, comfort and hospitality inside."
As part of this $5 million-plus bakery cafe project, Codding was asked by the city to create a pedestrian entry into the shopping center as well as an "Art in Public Places" component.
The resulting "welcoming plaza" has trellises made of old-growth redwood and benches built from stack stone and featuring plaques with a history of the Montgomery Village neighborhood and role of developer Hugh Codding.
For the art project, bronze artist Ron Schaeffer was commissioned to create a statue of a little girl with a doe and fawn -- symbolizing the innocence, joy and patriotism of the era.
Architects designed this project under California' CalGreen, the first statewide green building code in the U.S. Such elements include a reflective white roof to help cool the building and its high- temperature ovens.
Adobe Associates developed a standard urban stormwater mitigation plan for this site that complied with the latest requirements.
Tangram Landscape Architects designed low water-use plant material along with a "smart" irrigation controller, which has a weather sensor to help minimize water use.Boudin SF Restaurant and Bakery2316 Montgomery Dr., Santa Rosa
Owner and developer: Montgomery Village, LP
Construction start: September 2012
Completion: July 2013
Cost: $5 million-plus
General contractor, construction management and construction framing: Codding Construction
Cost estimator: Rick Freeman of Codding Construction
Architects: Bob Bealle and Robert Cox
Landscape: Tangram Landscape Architecture and Landesign Construction & Maintenance
Civil engineering: Adobe Associates
Mechanical engineering: ENCON
Structural engineering: MKM & Associates
Green and LEED project consultant: Sol-Data
Roofing: AnC Roofing
Windows: Sierra Pacific
Glass and glazing: Redhawk Glass
Insulation: Alcal
Site grading and paving: Siri Grading & Paving
Fire sprinklers: Incom Mechanical
HVAC: Simpson Sheet Metal
Rebar: Coleman Concrete
Doors and hardware: Mead Clark
Masonry and concrete: Adriano Masonry and Coleman Concrete
Structural steel and welding: F&M Steel
Painting and finishes: Dunn Right Painting
Sheet metal: Simpson Sheet Metal
