Archive for 2010
by Around Dublin Team on December 31, 2010 | 
2 Comments | Topics: Development · Local Issues · Parks · Schools
The City of Dublin has had quite a year in 2010. In January, the Around Dublin Blog speculated on the future of The Green on Park Place and readers responded with some very insightful comments. Michael B speculated that Sprouts Farmers Market might have been a good alternative to Whole Foods at The Green. Michael B was actually not too far off, as Sprouts Farmers Market announced in September that it would be opening a new Dublin store in 2011 at the former Circuit City location. The City of Dublin received more good news in December when Johnny Garlic’s decided to take over the restaurant space previously occupied by Fuzio at the Hacienda Crossings. The new Johnny Garlic’s in Dublin is expected to open by March 2011.
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by Around Dublin Team on December 30, 2010 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements
The Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) board of directors has elected D.L. (Pat) Howard as president for 2011 and Richard M. Halket as vice president. The five-member board also includes Daniel J. Scannell, the re-elected Georgean M. Vonheeder-Leopold, and newcomer Dawn L. Benson. Benson replaced Jeffrey G. Hansen, who did not seek re-election this fall after 25 years as a DSRSD director. Directors serve four-year terms and are elected at large by residents of the district’s service area.
Director Dawn L. Benson was elected to the DSRSD board in November 2010. She has more than 16 years of experience in water agencies, providing services in finance, business operations, customer service, project management, and water conservation. Currently she is an executive assistant for a large Bay Area water and wastewater agency. Previously Benson spent 11 years in business operations, project management, and government security for a large international manufacturer of computer hardware and software.
President D. L. (Pat) Howard was first elected to the DSRSD board in 2004 and was president in 2007. He is a licensed professional engineer with more than 30 years engineering experience. Howard has bachelor and master of science degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of California at Berkeley and a master of science in engineering management from Santa Clara University.
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by John M. Zukoski on December 29, 2010 | 2 Comments | Topics: Local Businesses · Opinions
Home improvement retailer Lowe’s has continued to impress as the economy regains balance and consumers grow more confident about the future. Lowe’s performance over the past few quarters has been rewarded with a nearly 30% increase in its stock share price as of December 20th. On the local level, Lowe’s has thrived in Dublin, CA and has anchored the Grafton Station project through a tumultuous commercial real estate market period.
Lowe’s company officials and investors alike remain bullish on the home improvement retailer’s future. Lowe’s is putting its confidence into action with the planned opening of an estimated 35-40 new stores over the next few years. Most of Lowe’s new stores will be in larger markets with at least 500,000 residents.
Lowe’s has many reasons to be optimistic about the future. America’s housing stock is aging. The sweet spot for Lowe’s and other home improvement retailers is homes that are over 25 years old. Many people are also staying in their current homes longer instead of upgrading to newer homes with the latest and greatest features. This choice will encourage more homeowners to renovate spaces within their homes and yards to create the “new home feel.” In addition, while home ownership rates have dipped in recent years, nearly two in three homes are owner-occupied. The pride of ownership factor cannot be overestimated when considering the need for home improvement products.
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by Tyler Moxley on December 28, 2010 | No Comments | Topics: Opinions
If you are looking at different condos in Dublin, please visit our Dublin Ranch Villages page with information on Dublin schools, Dublin parks, floor plans, and an interactive Dublin Ranch Villages neighborhood map.
A total of 8 condos and townhomes sold in Dublin, CA for the month of November. Over the same time, 64 condos and townhomes are available for sale. Of the 64 condos, 3 were below-market-rate units, 27 were new construction by Toll Brothers, 18 were short-sale units, 5 were bank-owned units, and 5 were standard listings.
The highest sale price for condos in Dublin Ranch was $640,000 on Mirano Court, which sold at $212 a square foot. The lowest sale price for Dublin Ranch condos was $199,000 on Dublin Boulevard, which sold at $236 a square foot.
The average days on market for the Dublin Ranch condos and townhomes was 42 with an average list price of $399,025 at $229 a square foot. The average sale price was $391,625 at $224 a square foot.
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by John M. Zukoski on December 27, 2010 | 3 Comments | Topics: Retail
Downtown Dublin will see a flurry of new retail businesses opening in 2011. DSW and Sports Authority, two of the new businesses opening in Dublin, will face off against World of Shoes and Big 5 Sporting Goods, two longtime Dublin businesses, in a battle of old school versus new school. Will DSW crush World of Shoes in the battle for well-heeled Tri-Valley residents or will both businesses prosper as they cater to different types of customers? Will Big 5 hold onto its edge in Dublin or will the upstart Sports Authority knock Big 5 out of the Tri-Valley market?
DSW, or Designer Shoe Warehouse, sells shoes and related accessories to style-conscious men and women who are looking for a good value. DSW typically has large and expansive facilities such as its storefront at the Streets of Brentwood and the upcoming new location in Downtown Dublin. DSW is a category killer, offering a wide selection of shoe brands and styles at very reasonable prices. DSW made headlines back in 2005 when 1.4 million credit card transactions, along with an unknown amount of customer data, were stolen. In addition to the Brentwood location and the future Dublin location, DSW has stores in Fremont and Milpitas.
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by Around Dublin Team on December 26, 2010 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements · Parks
The City of Dublin has closed all of the sports fields at the Dublin Sports Grounds, Emerald Glen Park, Ted Fairfield Park and Fallon Sports Park for the annual maintenance period. The new synthetic turf soccer fields at Fallon Sports Park will remain open for all-weather play during the maintenance closure.
The closure is done each year to allow the fields time to rest, and it protects them from damage during the rainy winter season. In addition, during the downtime the City completes repair and maintenance projects that would normally be difficult to schedule as the sports fields are in constant use during the remainder of the year.
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by Around Dublin Team on December 24, 2010 | No Comments | Topics: Announcements · Opinions
The City of Dublin facilities will be closed from Friday, December 24th through Monday, January 3rd, 2011. City offices will reopen on Tuesday, January 4, 2011. The closure will not affect public safety services, such as police and fire. The Around Dublin Team would like to wish everyone at City Hall and all of our readers a warm and joyous holiday season. To make sure you and your family stay safe through the holidays, the Around Dublin Team has the following tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
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by John M. Zukoski on December 22, 2010 | 3 Comments | Topics: Opinions · Retail
Eletronics behemoth Best Buy, which has a location in Dublin, CA at Hacienda Crossings, recently disappointed stock market investors when it announced Third Quarter 2010 earnings that were below analyst estimates. This miss and other concerns about Best Buy’s core electronics retail business have created a sell-off in Best Buy’s stock share price from $44 per share a month ago to $34 per share as of December 20th, resulting in a drop of over 20% in just one month. Best Buy has struggled coming out of the recession as customers move towards brick-and-mortar competitors like Wal*Mart, Target, and Costco and online retailers like Amazon for discounted electronics.
While these recent developments have been unsettling for some, the news is not all bad for Best Buy. The Consumer Electronics Association estimates 3% growth for consumer electronics sales this year, resulting in $175B of sales in 2010. Best Buy has more than tripled revenues and quadrupled operating income over the past 10 years. Further, many analysts expect Best Buy to see continued growth in its core super store electronics business, as it adds roughly 50 more stores per year for the next five years. This expansion will bring the total big box store count to about 1,350.
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by Vickie Nagy on December 19, 2010 | No Comments | Topics: Opinions
Fashionable, modern condos are leading the pack in the number of sales. Of the 17 condos and townhomes that sold in Dublin, CA in the past 30 days, only one was more than 20 years old. Over 80% of those condos were built since 2003. Although selling prices ranged from $102,000 to $640,000, the median selling price went up to $357,000, compared to the median selling price of $345,000 for condo and townhome sales from last month.
Dublin currently has 113 condos and townhomes listed for sale. This count is an increase compared to last month’s count of 102. The floor plans range from a 1-bedroom, 1-bath condo with a reported 669 square feet of living space and an asking price of $114,000 to a 3-bedroom, 2.5-bath townhome with a reported 2,178 square feet of living space and an asking price of $529,995
Dublin currently has 83 condos and townhomes sales pending. This count is a decrease compared to last month’s count of 91. Just 11 of these pending sales are foreclosures. The prices for these foreclosure pending sales range from $104,900 to $449,900. A whopping 72% of these are reported as short sales or pre-foreclosures. One unlucky buyer has been waiting since January of 2010 for bank approval for a short sale. The listing prices for the pending short sales in Dublin, CA range from $113,800 to $459,950.
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