Development
by John M. Zukoski on September 4, 2011 | 
9 Comments | Topics: Development
Drivers traveling along Fallon Road on Saturday morning in Dublin, CA may have noticed something different from their previous trips. A functioning stoplight at the Fallon Gateway shopping center signaled to locals that the long-awaited Target store will finally be opening soon. Target’s parking lot was nearly half full with cars at around noon on Saturday. The visitors were most likely future Target store employees gearing up for the October 9th grand opening.
The new East Dublin Target will be the grand anchor of the Fallon Gateway project with a 140,000-square-foot store and 6,000-square-foot garden center. A complete listing of the potential uses at Fallon Gateway may be found in this report starting on page 6 of 13 on the City’s website.
The Fallon Gateway center will look similar to the Shops at Bishop Ranch, which is anchored by a Greatland Target and a Whole Foods Market. The key difference between the two shopping plazas is that the large retail stores at Fallon Gateway will be located adjacent to the new East Dublin Target, and the smaller retail and restaurant establishments will be located across from the bigger stores. Fallon Gateway will be accessible from both Dublin Boulevard and Fallon Road.
The new Target store at Fallon Gateway will have a highly popular neighbor soon after its grand opening on October 9th. Expected to open in February 2012, the new BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse will provide customers with valet parking and be ready to pounce on the customer base cultivated at the Grafton Station by Buffalo Wild Wings for over two years. BJ’s serves a wide variety of appetizers, entrées, lunch specials, and handcrafted beers. Its roughly 9,000 square feet of space will include a full bar. In addition to a delectable collection of food and drinks, BJ’s offers guests a lively and family friendly atmosphere with plenty of big-screen television sets.
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by John M. Zukoski on September 1, 2011 | 11 Comments | Topics: Development · Local Issues · Opinions
The Livermore Valley Paragon Outlet Mall project officially broke ground with much fanfare and photo ops for local politicians on August 26th. Residents living in and around Dublin, CA are now eagerly waiting for the outlet mall to grand open. At the ground breaking celebration, Robert Brevnik, a principal at Paragon Outlets, asserted that the first phase of the outlet mall project will be completed by November 2012, just in time for the Black Friday extravaganza. Based on personal conversations the Around Dublin Blog has had with various public and private personnel involved with this grand project, the more realistic grand opening date for the first phase is expected to be in spring 2013. In an effort to jump start development at the project, the City of Livermore recently borrowed $13.4M of “gap financing” from the Alameda County Surplus Property Authority to complete $39M of infrastructure improvements in the El Charro Road specific plan area.
Livermore will be required to repay the $13.4M loan to Alameda County regardless if Paragon completes the outlet mall project. This debt obligation could leave residents on the hook for the entire $13.4M balance which would need to be covered by the City’s general funds or new taxes.
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by Jimmy Huang on August 31, 2011 | 44 Comments | Topics: Development
The billionaire developer, who many believe will run for mayor in L.A., has bought 14.2 acres of land in Dublin, CA from the Alameda County Surplus Property Authority. Rick Caruso, President and CEO of Caruso Affiliated, paid $13.1M for this parcel of prime commercial real estate. As part of this sales agreement, Caruso will assume the cost of amending Dublin’s general plan to rezone the land from campus/office to retail. Previously an entrepreneur had wanted to take half of the parcel to build a Korean plaza, but that proposal got shot down by Dublin City Council.
For over two decades, Caruso Affiliated has established a reputation for creating quality destinations with parks, promenades, fountains, and plazas that seamlessly integrated with upscale retail. Past signature “CarusoStyle” projects include the 16-acre Americana at Brand in Glendale, CA; the 20-acre Grove and the 51,000-square-foot Burton Place in L.A.; the 95,000-square-foot Encino Marketplace in Encino, CA; the 200,000-square-foot Commons at Calabasas in Calabasas, CA; the 42,380-square-foot Village at Moorpark, the 210,000-square-foot Promenade at Westlake, and the 50,000-square-foot Lakes at Thousand Oaks in Thousand Oaks, CA; and the 130,000-square-foot Waterside Marina Del Rey in Marina Del Rey, CA. In addition to two upcoming projects in Southern California, Caruso Affiliated will be branching out to Las Vegas with the Linq.
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by Around Dublin Team on August 29, 2011 | 14 Comments | Topics: Development · Local Issues · Opinions
As Whole Foods Market reignites its growth engine, many Tri-Valley residents have wondered if the premier retailer in natural and organic foods will once again include the All-America City of Dublin, CA as part of its expansion plans. The national chain recently opened the much delayed store in Lafayette and the first San Jose store in the southern part of that city. In July, Whole Foods signed a lease for 24,000 square feet of prime retail space at the corner of Fremont Boulevard and Mowry Avenue in the City of Fremont. The future Fremont store will be slightly closer to I-880 than I-680.
While Whole Foods Market has already established a solid presence along the peninsula corridor, a significant gap along I-680 remains between San Ramon and San Jose. Fallon Gateway in East Dublin now seems the optimal location for Whole Foods, because it will not only help the beloved national grocer fill the obvious gap along I-680 but also launch its foray along the much-traveled I-580. The good news for Dublin residents is that Charter Properties, owner of the Fallon Gateway shopping center, has indicated on numerous occasions that it is actively courting Whole Foods to fill out the remaining anchor pads. In fact, the interest expressed by Terra Bella Family Farm owner Shawn Seufert to set up an artisanal grocery market at the withering Grafton Station may be exactly what Whole Foods needed to see before it seriously reconsiders a location in Dublin and takes the growing demand for local and organic foods in the area for itself.
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by John M. Zukoski on August 27, 2011 | 13 Comments | Topics: Development · Retail
Outgoing Livermore, CA Mayor Marshall Kamena presided over Friday’s joyous groundbreaking ceremony for the Paragon Outlet Mall in Livermore Valley on El Charro Road. Unlike the recent groundbreaking ceremony at Emerald Vista, the latest mixed-income housing project in the All-America City of Dublin, CA, cars were very much welcomed at the event. Over 70 guests were on hand to enjoy congratulatory comments by Robert Brevnik from Paragon Outlets, Mayor Marshall Kamena, and a representative from U.S. House Representative John Garamendi’s office.
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by John M. Zukoski on August 24, 2011 | 5 Comments | Topics: Development · Opinions · Retail
Reports recently surfaced that Walmart is attempting to open its Neighborhood Market in Pleasanton, CA at the former site of Nob Hill Foods. In response to this news, the OurPleasanton group formed to demand a public hearing and review of the potential environmental impacts that could be created by Walmart’s Neighborhood Market store. As pressure mounts, Walmart and Pleasanton’s leadership may be looking for a Plan B that can be a win for all parties involved.
One alternative could involve Walmart’s opening its Neighborhood Market at the space formerly occupied by Borders Bookstore on Rosewood Drive in Pleasanton. The pad is located just a stone’s throw away from the current Walmart store in the same shopping center. The former Borders Bookstore is near the apartments where many of Walmart’s price-conscious shoppers live and close to the campus office space where many of Walmart’s busy shoppers work. In addition, the former Borders Bookstore appears to have more than enough space for Walmart’s Neighborhood Market. As Sprouts Farmers Market has already proven at the former Circuit City location in Dublin, converting a traditional retail space into one fitting for a grocery store is possible.
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by John M. Zukoski on August 23, 2011 | 17 Comments | Topics: Development · Public Works
Formerly known as the Mission Peak project, the Fallon Crossing project in All-America City Dublin, CA is likely to be the next new home development of East Dublin. Located on the northwest corner of Tassajara Road and Fallon Road, Fallon Crossing by Standard Pacific Homes is expected to have 106 single family homes right next to KB Home’s Bella Monte project. Street names such as Syrah Drive and Pinot Noir Court give a hint as to the most distinctive feature of Fallon Crossing.
The Fallon Crossing homeowners association (HOA) will own and operate an initially non-fruit bearing vineyard in the middle of the community. “Until we understand the costs associated with maintaining a fruit-bearing vineyard, we can not commit to installing fruit bearing vines,” noted Standard Pacific Homes project manager Aaron Ross-Swain. “We are very sensitive to the burden that HOA dues place on homeowners, so it is our goal to come up with a scenario that provides a strong look to the community while minimizing the HOA costs to the homeowners.” In addition to the vineyard, Fallon Crossing is expected to have over 40 acres of open space for Dublin residents to enjoy.
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by Jimmy Huang on August 20, 2011 | 35 Comments | Topics: Announcements · Development · Local Businesses
Paragon Outlet Partners, a Baltimore, MD-based retail real estate development firm, will proudly celebrate the construction of its 543,000-square-foot outlet shopping center with a groundbreaking ceremony in Livermore, CA on Friday, August 26th at 10:00AM. Unlike the recent groundbreaking ceremony at Emerald Vista, the latest mixed-income housing project in Dublin, CA, cars are very much welcomed. Organizers have promised plenty of parking for attendees at 3505 Paragon Outlets Parkway, currently signed as Freisman Road. The new outlet mall featuring many name brands will be built on the huge parcel of land that is kitty-corner to the new Target at Fallon Gateway in Dublin.
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by Jimmy Huang on August 17, 2011 | 3 Comments | Topics: Announcements · Development
The City of Dublin and Eden Housing will be hosting the much anticipated groundbreaking ceremony at the Emerald Vista mixed-income housing project at 6700 Dougherty Road in Dublin, CA. The 24-acre site across from Camp Parks was formerly the Arroyo Vista housing project. Emerald Vista will be a master‐planned community designed to serve a broad cross section of the Dublin community.
The reborn Arroyo Vista housing project will reuse and transform the 24‐acre site into a vibrant, mixed‐use, mixed‐income community. This new development will provide 198 for‐sale market rate homes and 180 affordable rental apartments for families and seniors. In addition, a Community Center, a Childcare Center, active open space areas, and access to a regional trail along Alamo Creek will be included. The $54.6 million affordable development will be targeted to family and senior households earning 30% to 55% of the Alameda County Area Median Income.
To move this project forward, the City of Dublin had to make many difficult choices. As part of its agreement with Eden Housing, Dublin City Council had to approve 46 fewer parking spaces than what is required by Dublin’s Zoning Ordinance. The City of Dublin rationalized that parking requirement concession by citing special circumstances such as the availability of public transportation and the fact that fewer seniors own cars.
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