Development
by John M. Zukoski on December 28, 2011 | 
No Comments | Topics: Development · Local Issues · Opinions
Just as Pacific Union Homes, the City of Dublin, and an investment group led by Charter Properties and the Lin Family are hoping to expand East Dublin by 50% with the unsustainable annexation of Doolan Canyon, Jordanian speculative land developer Samir Kawar is grappling his way closer to realizing the vision of development in the San Ramon portion of the Tassajara Valley. The project, referred to as “New Farm”, is currently marketed as 177 luxury estate homes on one-acre lots complete with olive orchards, 10 apartment units to house the farm workers who will maintain the olive trees, a cemetery located roughly one mile from the Silvera Ranch and Wallis Ranch communities in Dublin, a fire training facility, and a religious worship center.
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by John M. Zukoski on December 13, 2011 | 14 Comments | Topics: Development · Local Issues · Opinions
Construction of the $162M Paragon Outlets in Livermore, CA is moving along at a brisk pace. Once phase I is completed, the 543,000-square-foot Livermore Valley outlet mall will feature premier merchants such as Barney’s New York Outlet, Cole Haan Company Store, J.Crew, Michael Kors, Neiman Marcus Last Call, Nike Factory Store, Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH, and Tommy Hilfiger. In contrast to the luxury and prestige of the stores at the future Livermore Valley outlet mall, Paragon Outlet Partners appears to be planning a standard run-of-the-mill food court that features licensed versions of familiar fast food chains like Taco Bell and Burger King, as well as a Panda Express knock-off.
Putting a food court from the 1980s in the heart of a retail center that features all these name brands would be like hanging fuzzy dice from the rear-view mirror of a Mercedes Benz E-Class. Paragon could miss out on a huge opportunity to raise the bar for outlet malls in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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by John M. Zukoski on December 5, 2011 | 20 Comments | Topics: Development · Opinions · Parks
Doolan Canyon is a gorgeous piece of currently protected land sandwiched between Dublin and Livermore, CA. Pacific Union Homes, the City of Dublin, and an investment group led by Charter Properties and the Lin Family are hoping to develop the area as part of what is currently proposed to be an active lifestyle senior community with 1,990 homes. With the ambitious city councilmember Eric Swalwell hungry for campaign contributions as he aims for a seat in the U.S. Congress, Dublin is well on its way to expand eastward into the pristine Doolan Canyon.
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by John M. Zukoski on December 1, 2011 | 8 Comments | Topics: City Hall · Development · Local Issues
Even without the annexation of Doolan Canyon, which will effectively increase the size of East Dublin by 50%, the City of Dublin is guaranteed to have more homes than originally called for in the Eastern Dublin Specific Plan. The City of Dublin requires developers to allocate half an acre of Public/Semi-Public land for every 150 single family homes or 250 multi-family units. With the help of Dublin’s City Council and Staff, developers will soon be able to turn a handsome profit by rezoning all the remaining Public/Semi-Public parcels into residential land.
Dublin has already pre-approved such land use conversions before when it scrapped the plan to build the second high school in East Dublin ten years ago. Once the decision was made to change the second high school to a middle school, the developer was able to rezone the remaining parcel to residential use and build what is known as Sonata at Dublin Ranch today.
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by John M. Zukoski on November 24, 2011 | 1 Comment | Topics: Development · Local Businesses · Restaurants · Retail
The All-America City of Dublin, CA has much to be thankful for in 2011. A thawing economy, an improving job market, and a thrilling election season ahead provide the backdrop for this year’s Thanksgiving celebrations, as more and more families move to the newer part of town for its highly rated K-8 schools and well-designed parks. Spurred by the influx of new arrivals, the pace of new home construction in East Dublin has picked up significantly over the past year, seemingly bucking the national trend.
Dublin’s historic big-box shopping district has seen a tremendous resurgence with the grand openings of DSW, Half Price Books, Sprouts Farmers Market, REI, and Sports Authority. Billionaire developer Rick Caruso’s $13M purchase of the 14-acre parcel next to Hacienda Crossings and Sybase has captured the imagination of the Tri-Valley, as everyone eagerly awaits the latest high-end retail masterpiece by the renowned shopping center magnate. While details remain scarce about the Caruso project, tilt-up construction has already begun at Paragon Outlets in Livermore, which is kitty corner from the new Target at Fallon Gateway in Dublin. According to some bullish estimates, the new Livermore outlet mall may open as early as November 2012, just in time for next year’s Black Friday extravaganza.
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by John M. Zukoski on November 22, 2011 | 8 Comments | Topics: City Hall · Development · Local Businesses · Restaurants
Dublin City Council recently dipped into its economic development toolkit to give Stanforth Holdings, LLC a $95,000 credit to reduce the estimated $380,000 water and sewer connection fee levied by the Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) for the future BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse building. Stanforth Holdings, LLC is also known as Charter Properties or Lin Family. Stanforth Holdings, LLC will pass the remaining charge along to BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse.
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by Around Dublin Team on November 21, 2011 | 5 Comments | Topics: Development · Local Issues · Schools
The founders of Tassajara Preparatory High School, a public charter school expected to open Fall 2012 in Dublin, CA, recently announced their intentions to claim 30 acres of land at the future Dublin Crossing development for its permanent campus. Located directly across Dublin Boulevard from the East Dublin BART Station, the 180-acre parcel will be developed by SunCal into a mixed-use community that will include 1,500 new housing units. “We wanted to wait to make the formal announcement until after Lawrence Berkeley National Lab rejected the Dublin Crossing site for its second campus project,” said Dublin parent Rully Kusuma, one of the founders of Tassajara Prep.
Tassajara Prep’s 30-acre campus is expected to be nestled among the thousands of homes, extensive city parklands, and abundant campus office sites planned for the new development. “The central location of Dublin Crossing and proximity to the BART station will be ideal for high school students throughout Dublin and beyond,” said Jimmy Huang, another founder of Tassajara Prep. “We anticipate that many of the businesses at Dublin Crossing will also become valued private-sector partners in Tassajara Prep’s College Pathways program.”
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by John M. Zukoski on November 16, 2011 | 4 Comments | Topics: Development · Local Issues
Alameda County recently received approval from Dublin’s City Council for an 18-month extension to begin construction at the East County Hall of Justice site on Gleason Drive behind the Summerglen community in Dublin, CA. Delays at the Hall of Justice have been primarily due to the unexpected discovery and required removal of underground pipes filled with toxic waste left by the U.S. military when the site was owned by the armed forces. When asked by Dublin City Council, Assistant County Administrator Donna Linton also noted that the full-service courthouse project is facing challenges, “because it involves the (Alameda) County government, as well as State government and the (California) Superior Court.” Linton alluded to subsequent delays in working through the agreement and securing funding.
While many planned courthouses throughout the state have been put on hold and courthouses currently in operation have received severe funding cuts, Linton reassured the Dublin City Council that Alameda County has every intention of moving forward with the project and that funding for construction of the complex has been secured.
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