North Bay Business Journal

It was a year dominated by a struggling economy that touched virtually everyone.

After a two-year hiatus from the commercial mortgage-backed securities market, Bridger Commercial Funding headquartered in Mill Valley has gotten back in. … The signing of a Community Benefits Agreement between the developer of Sonoma Mountain Village and the Accountable Development Coalition has spurred heated discussions in the development community as to what the long-term repercussions will be. … A new LinkedIn group, Real Estate Joint Venture Matching Group, has popped up online to help facilitate joint ventures to spur activity in the real estate market. … WellcomeMat.com is a community of real estate professionals, brokerages and filmmakers focused on using full-motion video to better market themselves and properties.

SANTA ROSA — At a lively Sonoma County Alliance meeting Wednesday, representatives from Codding Enterprises, the Accountable Development Coalition and a building industry representative discussed the hotly debated Community Benefits Agreement signed by Codding and the coalition on affordable housing, sustainable building practices and wage and benefit packages for the project.

Depending on your point of view, the sweeping and detailed development agreement reached between Sonoma Mountain Village in Rohnert Park and a coalition of local labor, housing and environmental groups is either legalized extortion or visionary.

ROHNERT PARK — The developer of Sonoma Mountain Village and a coalition of labor, housing and environmental groups have reached an agreement to cooperate on labor standards, housing, regional impact of development and green building standards for the innovative project on the 200-acre former Agilent Technologies site.

ROHNERT PARK — The developer of Sonoma Mountain Village and a coalition of labor, housing and environmental groups have reached an agreement to cooperate on labor standards, housing, regional impact of development and green building standards for the innovative project on the 200-acre former Agilent Technologies site.

In the works for more than two years, the “Community Benefits Agreement” is the first of its kind between a developer and the Accountable Development Coalition.