North Bay Business Journal

NAPA — Downtown Napa is experiencing a growth spurt destined to revitalize the area and attract more shoppers, diners and tourists.

The recent surge in commercial activity began in 2012 with 26 new downtown storefronts and six business relocations.

Greg Geertsen is managing partner of Merlone Geier Partners, the San Francisco-based commercial property investment firm that for the past six years has been developing the 340,000-square-foot Deer Creek Village retail and office center in Petaluma.

Mr. Geertsen is set to speak at Construction Conference 2013, hosted by the Business Journal in Santa Rosa on May 15. He spoke with the Journal about what’s next for the Deer Creek Village project.

Site preparation is set to begin in May for large shopping center and distribution warehouse projects in Petaluma and Fairfield: 346,000-square-foot Deer Creek Village and 791,000-square-foot Solano Logistics Center. …

Richard Coney, senior property manager in the Santa Rosa office of Keegan & Coppin, and Justin Barton, a property manager in the brokerage’s Larkspur office, earned the Certified Property Manager designation. …

After the November opening of the 12-screen movie complex at the 163,000-square-foot South Napa Century Center, the 15-acre project is set the construction premiere of one to three more retail buildings this summer. …

A year and a half after an affiliate of San Francisco-based Pacific Urban Residential Properties, or PUR (purapts.com), purchased The Colonial Apartments in San Rafael, the San Francisco-based investor sold it for a “nice profit.” …

Several large retail construction projects are reaching completion or getting started in Sonoma County this year in Petaluma, Sebastopol and Windsor.

The new owner of Napa Town Center plans to announce new retailers and an operator of a hotel to be built in the redeveloped shopping center, now called The Shops at Napa Center.

Meanwhile, a number of Generation Y entrepreneurs plan to move their “soft goods” businesses into the downtown area, building on the retail energy created by dozens of new wine-tasting rooms and restaurants there.

The North Bay’s low vacancy rate — not as much as the economy — is the biggest challenge to North Bay retail property. Increasingly rare available quality retail space and soaring rents for it are discouraging retailers.

ROHNERT PARK — Amy’s Kitchen brought the convenience of frozen vegetarian meals to the grocery aisle 25 years ago, and now the Petaluma-based packaged-foods company wants to do the same for the fast-food drive-through.

YOUNTVILLE — The renowned proprietor of The French Laundry, Per Se and Bouchon Restaurant and Bakery opened his fourth venue, called Ad Hoc, on Yountville’s Washington Street.

HEALDSBURG — A nearly 10,000-square-foot modern glass-and-steel farm produce store, café and meeting center two blocks northwest of the Healdsburg Plaza is set for completion early next year.

ST. HELENA — Two years after completing a major long-term capital project in vineyards and winery, C. Mondavi & Family plans to start construction in August on a $6 million new hospitality and retail center at the Charles Krug property.

NAPA — If ever there were a window for opportunity in downtown Napa, it’s now. More retailers and restaurants have set up businesses and more are coming.

SANTA ROSA — Target Corp. wants to replace the vacant Gottschalks store building at Coddingtown Mall with a 144,000-square-foot store.

Novato-based Circle Bank has partnered with Keiretsu Forum, said to be the world’s largest angel investor network, to provide financing advice to startup and early-stage companies in the North Bay and San Francisco. … Adam Capital, a Sonoma-based lender specializing in financing small-scale solar projects, is urging solar companies to act before the window closes on a 30 percent federal grant on solar projects at the end of this year. … Westamerica bank is making preparations to move its branch in Ignacio near its current location in the Pacheco Plaza shopping center early next year, said Robert Thorson, the bank’s chief financial officer. … Community First Credit Union signed up the greater number of new members in November than in any month in its 50-year history, beating a record set in October. … The U.S. Small Business Administration is hosting a free web seminar on Dec. 15 to help small business owners prepare for the end of the 2011 tax year. … Images in Motion, a Sonoma-based studio specializing in puppets for television, is filming a series of commercials for Hawaiian Tel Federal Credit Union to “explain the benefits of credit union services to customers on the Big Island.”

NAPA — Tyler Florence Rotisserie & Wine, a bistro that replicates an authentic Parisian experience complete with a sidewalk café and retail shop is at 720 Main St. in the Napa Riverfront complex.

NAPA — When “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto opened his sixth signature restaurant at 610 Main St. in Napa’s Riverfront complex, he was greeted by a long list of fans with advance reservations.

NAPA — Construction has started on a 163,000-square-foot shopping center in southeast Napa that is expected to draw about a half-million people a year to a new 12-screen high-tech movie venue alone, according to the developer.

SANTA ROSA — Shopping mall giant Simon Property Group is making another multimillion-dollar investment this year in Santa Rosa, this time a 16-month interior and exterior renovation of its 700,000-square-foot downtown regional center.

Sonoma County job growth is leading that of other counties in the state, observed Al Coppin, president of commercial real estate brokerage Keegan & Coppin Co. Inc. He pointed to major leases in the Highway 101 corridor in Sonoma and Marin counties in the past several months: Cyan Optics, Calix, Métier, Central Payment Corp., BioMarin Pharmaceutical, ProSight Specialty Insurance and Amy’s Kitchen.

Profiles of new construction projects: Renovation of DeTurk Round Barn in Santa Rosa and tenant improvements for Morimoto Napa and Tyler Florence Rotisserie & Wine and West Coast Kitchen Essentials.