North Bay Business Journal

Major private construction projects on tap in 2012

A number of major private-sector construction projects will be under way or are set to begin in 2012: Grady Ranch, San Rafael; Madera Vista, Corte Madera; East Washington Place, Petaluma; Marin County Emergency Operations Facility, San Rafael; Safeway expansion, Petaluma; Bell Village, Windsor; Multitenant warehouse, Napa; Kaiser data center expansion, Napa; The Barlow, Sebastopol; and Napa Century Center, Napa.

$50 million Marin Commons renovation set for 2012 start

SAN RAFAEL — As the county of Marin prepares to take ownership of a 328,000-square-foot office building in north San Rafael in December, preparations are under way to start the estimated $53.1 million transformation of a large portion into the county’s Emergency Operations Facility in mid-2012.

County to spend $82 million on Marin Commons building

SAN RAFAEL — The Marin County Board of Supervisors today approved an $81.9 million plan to purchase a 328,000-square-foot mostly vacant office building and renovate up to 110,000 square feet over the next three years to accommodate a new county Emergency Operations Facility.

Commercial real estate: OnTrac makes big North Bay courier hub expansion

As part of a ramp up of Bay Area service, Phoenix, Ariz.-based regional overnight package courier OnTrac is expanding its North Bay hub. … The Marin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday could postpone a decision to purchase part of a large San Rafael commercial property to be the new home for the Sheriff’s Department and other emergency services currently located at the Civic Center to the south in San Rafael. … Fairfield-based developer, owner and property manager The Wiseman Co. acquired the 30,000-square-foot class A Westside Professional Building at 2480 Hilborn Road and an adjacent pad. … Groskopf Warehouse & Logistics found a large Napa Valley warehouse for its expansion. … Steve and Judy Mahrt, owners of Petaluma Farms, which produces Judy’s Family Farms organic eggs, are back to buying Petaluma office buildings and converting them back to industrial buildings for business expansion, according to local real estate sources.

Spotlight on Facilities Managers in the North Bay

Editor’s note: This is the Business Journal’s first Spotlight on Facilities Managers in the North Bay. According to the International Facility Management Association, professionals in this job usually are responsible for compliance with laws and regulations on real estate, efficient operations of buildings to limit waste in natural and human resources, safety for employees and environmental sustainability.

“People, place, process, technology,” is the association’s catchphrase for such a position. The following are facility managers identified from among the largest public and private North Bay employers.

Marin Workforce Housing Trust gets $400,000 toward its goal of $6 million

SAN RAFAEL — Union Bank N.A. donated $100,000 to the Marin Workforce Housing Trust to help support affordable workforce housing in Marin County.

Speakers to face off on Marin Clean Energy plan

MARIN COUNTY — Supporters and opponents of the controversial Marin Energy Authority Community Choice Aggregation, or CCA, proposal will face off at the fourth-annual Impact Marin conference sponsored by the Business Journal March 11.

LEED gold facility serves community

MARIN COUNTY, SAN RAFAEL – With a design and ambiance surpassing even the highest-income serving facilities, the Marin County Board of Supervisor’s decision to build a centralized wellness center for low-income residents is probably the best possible use of money won from a lawsuit against tobacco. The $32 million Marin Health and Wellness Campus is [...]

Local institutions, vision keys to challenging times

NORTH BAY – Keeping money and resources in the community was the underlying theme of Impact Marin, the third-annual issues-centered conference sponsored by the Business Journal and focused on Marin County.