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Central CaliforniaPress Room
By Jennifer Economy • Top Stories 0 Comments

CCVEDC Conducts Annual Mission to State Capitol

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

CONTACT:

Lee Ann Eager, Co-Chair CCVEDC, 559-476-2513

Mark Hendrickson, Co-Chair CCVEDC 209-385-7686

Jennifer Faughn, Executive Director, 661-366-0756

CCVEDC Conducts Annual Mission to State Capitol

 

Photo 1: Left to Right: Asm. Jim Patterson, Mike Ammann, Asm. Devon Mathis, John Lehn, Asm. Dr. Joaquin Arambula, Lee Ann Eager, Richard Chapman, Asm. Rudy Salas, Bobby Kahn, Asm. Vince Fong, Tyler Richardson.

Photo 2: CCVEDC External Affairs Chairman Lee Ann Eager with Governor Jerry Brown.

April 5, 2018– Representatives from EDC’s throughout the Valley met with more than 20 legislators and top government officials to bring the voice of Central Valley businesses to the Capital.

”This annual effort helps to keep the needs of the Valley forefront in the minds of legislators from throughout the state. Needed infrastructure, regulatory reform and assisting all of California’s communities were primary topic of discussion,” according to Lee Ann Eager, External Affairs Chairman for the California Central Valley Economic Development Corporation, comprised of the eight EDC’s from San Joaquin to Kern.

Infrastructure Development for Business was the primary theme of the visit. The priorities list included Upstream Water Storage in Central Valley, Regulatory Reform, Workforce Development and Assistance for Disadvantaged Communities.

“The legislators from the San Joaquin Valley have a deep understanding of the need for upstream water storage, however, it is unfortunate that Sacramento politics are preventing the construction of this critical infrastructure. Water should be the number one concern of all Californians and we cannot conserve our way out of the situation we are in, we need to have additional storage. We were encouraged that the Temperance Flat upstream storage project seems to be a strong contender for Proposition 1A funding to help retain valuable water for use during California’s cycles of recent drought,” noted Bobby Kahn, CCVEDC Board Member and Treasurer.

The Central Valley is a prime location for advanced manufacturing, distribution, energy development, water technology and other industry sectors which support California’s identity as an innovation leader. With available land, buildings and the workforce to support industry, the CCVEDC members work daily to promote the Valley and all of California for business expansion and location.

“As Representatives from the California Central Valley Economic Development Corporation, we were very pleased with the support received from local legislators. Discussions of common issues were extremely productive and we look forward to continuing to work together to ensure that the Central Valley is the best place to live, work and thrive,” stated Eager.

In addition to valley legislators, the group met with the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy; the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GoBiz), and California Manufacturing & Technology Association officials.

CCVEDC is a not-for-profit Corporation supported by the 8-county region in the Central Valley, PG&E and Central Calif/Central Mother Lode Regional Consortium (CRC) Partnership, whose mission is to attract and retain jobs and investment in the Central San Joaquin Valley counties of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern.

2018 Legislative Priorities

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT for Business

Infrastructure is a foundational aspect of job creation. California’s most disadvantaged communities struggle to develop the public infrastructure needed to attract and grow jobs and private investment. Needs based funding and incentives are required for public infrastructure in disadvantaged communities. The Central Valley region will benefit from a ‘hand-up’, resulting in full participation in our state’s economic recovery.

a.      Upstream Water Storage

Background:  California will continue to struggle with drought conditions until additional upstream water storage is developed to support people and agriculture. The Water Bond of 2014 provided funding to develop upstream storage at Temperance Flat for agricultural and municipal water storage to serve the Central San Joaquin Valley and all of California.

Action needed:

  • Support administrative and legislative efforts to develop water storage at Temperance Flat and other water infrastructure projects throughout the state.

b.      Regulatory Reform

Background: Of California’s 4 million businesses, 3.1 million are sole proprietorships. 87% of companies have 20 or fewer employees. Environmental regulations in California are a burden on our small businesses, causing them to leave or expand outside of our state. Following are some areas that pose the greatest burden to business:

  • California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): Litigation brought about under CEQA has resulted in delaying and killing projects that met all environmental protection requirements.
  • AB 32 Cap and Trade costs are significant, and collected fees are ‘invested’ into programs with ‘modest’ ties to air quality improvements.
  • California’s minimum wage and leave laws: The wage and leave costs placed on businesses is a competitive disadvantage, and renders a California location or expansion unsustainable for many.

Action needed:

  • Reform CEQA to limit appeals and delays after the public review process.
  • Review the AB 32 fees distributed over the past 24 months to determine whether they are having the intended effect to reduce pollution.
  • Allow costs related to minimum wage, personal leave laws and wage and hour regulations to stabilize before adding new economic burdens.
  • Evaluate California’s competitiveness with states such as Nevada, Arizona and Texas to determine how we can improve our attractiveness on major projects we have lost to these neighboring states.

c.      Workforce Development

Background:  The Central San Joaquin Valley counties are focused on the development of training and retraining in advanced manufacturing. Partnerships with business and education have been forged to develop a globally competitive workforce. We must raise the academic achievement of Central Valley students in STEM disciplines.

Action needed: 

  • Direct workforce development resources to disadvantaged regions and communities. Support the development and rollout of curriculum that supports advanced manufacturing, including tuition reduction for graduates who go on to teach these skills.
  • Address the lack of qualified teachers in Fundamental Sciences in the Valley. Incentivize STEM graduates to pursue a career path in teaching.

d.      Assistance for Disadvantaged Communities

Background:  California’s most disadvantaged communities are in desperate need of tools and resources to develop the public infrastructure required to attract and expand business. Logistics firms locate out of state to avoid California transportation and fuel requirements and costs. These firms transport cargo from the Ports out of state, and then bring many of those goods back to California for sale.

Action needed: 

  • Grant full sales and use tax elimination on manufacturing equipment purchases in counties or regions with annual unemployment rates equal to or greater than 130% of the average statewide unemployment rate or other defined economic characteristics.
  • Extend the applicability of the Sales & Use tax exemption to logistics and distribution centers (possibly through amendment of AB 398). This would incentivize the location of these facilities within impoverished communities in California and reduce pollution by reducing out of state truck miles and the utilization of cleaner diesel required by CA companies.

 

By Jennifer Back Office • Commercial 0 Comments

Former State Farm complex, Bakersfield’s largest office building, sells

BY STEVEN MAYER

    Apr 5, 2018
State Farm
Hundreds of State Farm employees still work at the building at 900 Old River Road. But as of Tuesday, the building, with more than a half-million square feet of office space — Bakersfield’s largest — has a new owner.Felix Adamo/ The Californian

Could Bakersfield’s largest office building become the new local headquarters for a big oil company?

In a landmark sale that could affect commercial real estate in Bakersfield for years to come, Cushman & Wakefield and two of its directors said Thursday that the former operations center for State Farm in southwest Bakersfield has been sold.

The commercial real estate agency’s Senior Director Jeff Andrew and Associate Director Pat Thompson closed one of the biggest deals of their careers earlier this week, but due to a strict confidentiality agreement, they can’t reveal key details — except for the fact that after years of work, the sale of the massive, four-story, 556,000 square-foot building closed on Tuesday.

“We can talk about how this could affect the commercial real estate market locally,” Andrew said. “But we can’t reveal the seller, the buyer or the price.”

Fortunately for the curious, that information is part of the public record, and Californian reporters have been checking on the fate of one of the city’s most important chunks of real estate, on and off, for months.

According to information compiled by the Kern County Assessor’s and Recorder’s offices, the seller, represented by Cushman & Wakefield, was listed as LSREF2 Tractor REO BAK LLC.

More interesting, the buyer is identified as California Resources Real Estate Ventures LLC, or California Resources Corp., a Los Angeles-based energy company that spun off from Occidental Petroleum Corp. in 2014.

The price: $48.4 million.

The presence of the insurance company’s center at 900 Old River Road, and the hundreds of jobs it created, had been touted for years as a significant economic driver for the southern San Joaquin Valley. So when State Farm announced it was leaving, the news inspired angst among those concerned about jobs and economic growth in Bakersfield.

State Farm is committed to a reduced number of employees staying in the building, for now, Andrew said, but the new owner — he would not confirm the name of the buyer — would fill out the lion’s share of the space.

Many of those new employees will come from several other local commercial office buildings and will be consolidated under one huge roof. That means office vacancies will be opening up in Bakersfield. But those smaller spaces should be easier to fill, said Thompson.

A building with more that a half-million square feet of office space has few potential tenants.

“We had to go to the largest users of office space,” Andrew said.

And that’s a very short list.

http://www.bakersfield.com/news/former-state-farm-complex-bakerfield-s-largest-office-building-sells/article_c4863ec0-3924-11e8-b71f-dfbdf6a0adaa.html

By Jennifer Commercial • Quality of Life 0 Comments

Clovis’ craft beer scene is heating up: ‘We see a lot of potential out here’

BY ROBERT RODRIGUEZ

April 04, 2018 02:43 PM

Updated April 04, 2018 03:36 PM

You may not think of Clovis and its cowboy culture as a hot spot for craft beer. But that could be changing, as this growing city has begun attracting craft beer makers who see the potential for creating something special.

The city is already home to four breweries or tasting rooms, with a fifth to open soon and a sixth in the works. A few are clustered in an industrial area just east of Old Town Clovis, tucked in among muffler shops, gravel companies and warehouses. It’s the kind of vibe some craft brewers appreciate.
It’s not about being fancy, they say, it’s about making solid beers that people like.

“We see a lot of potential out here,” said Dave Dechow, one of the brewers at Tactical Ops Brewing at 1131 Railroad Ave.

Several craft brewers said they are drawn to Clovis because of the fierce loyalty to local business, the tight-knit community and a growing fan base of craft beer drinkers.

Tactical Ops, one of three breweries in Clovis, opened a new brewery and tasting room three months ago to lots of thirsty customers. Its original location remains on Shields between Fowler and Armstrong avenues.

The new brewery and tasting room in Clovis has a military theme, seats 49 and offers 12 to 14 beers, including stouts, IPAs, and ales.

Recently, Dechow and fellow brewer Brett Elsberry were putting the final touches on their popular honey blonde ale that’s made with locally sourced honey from Enzo’s Table in Clovis.

Elsberry said weekends are busy and customers are drinking as much beer as the brewery can produce.

“It’s very possible that we may be looking for a third location,” Ellsberry said. “We are growing and trying to keep our beer in stock. And all of this is just by word of mouth and social media.”

As a testament to the brewery’s growth, Ellsberry recently left his day job as a pharmacy technician after 18 years to work full-time at the brewery.

“We are pretty optimistic about things right now,” he said.

Other breweries that have opened in Clovis include 559 Beer at 356 Pollasky Ave. and Zone 9 Brewing at 1450 Tollhouse Road.

On the horizon are Kings River Brewing Company at 1050 San Jose Ave. that expects to open in about 30 days and MachineHead Brewing Co., 52 W. Palo Alto Ave. , is planning to open this fall.

All of that is in addition to the House of Pendragon tap room at 1345 N. Willow and Riley’s Brew Pub, 2674 Owens Mountain Pkwy.

Clovis city officials couldn’t be happier about the organic growth of the local craft beer scene. Shawn Miller, business development manager for the City of Clovis, said the city is helping when it can, but the breweries are truly doing it on their own.

“We are just trying to clear the decks and left stuff happen,” Miller said.

Miller sees the potential of creating a special event linking the city’s trail system with several of the breweries in the area. The Old Town Clovis Craft Beer Crawl that features a mix of California breweries is already a popular springtime event.

“We know there is a value in having people come to town for special events,” Miller said.

Elsberry said there may be just a handful of breweries now, but there will be more.

Brad Edmunds, an owner of Zone 9 Brewing, agrees that the city is ripe for more breweries. He said people in Clovis are eager for more dining, drinking and entertainment options. Plus, his customers are into trying new and different craft beers. Zone 9 brews a variety of beer, including a peach hefeweizen, a German style wheat beer; a coconut coffee porter and a New England-style IPA that’s infused with mango.

“It’s fruity on the front, creamy in the middle and hoppy on the end,” Edmunds said.

Two of the newest breweries in Clovis will be open in the coming months.

King Chan is the brewer and owner of Kings River Brewing. His brewery and tasting room is not far from the others in south east Clovis and hopes to be open in about 30 days.

His tasting room has rustic and Americana touches and will accommodate about 25 people.

Chan, who has been a home brewer for 15 years, is skilled at making several styles of beer including a milk stout, an IPA, and an ale with a clean, crisp taste of a lager.

Chan is confident that people visiting the Clovis breweries will find enough variety in beer styles to satisfy everyone’s tastes.

One of the cities newest brewers, Rob Arabian of MachineHead Brewing Company, promises to bring some more excitement to the budding craft brew scene. Arabian’s brewery will be open this fall in a new industrial complex on Palo Alto, west of Clovis and south of Herndon avenues.

“We are going to be launching several different type of programs that a lot of people usually drive to places like San Diego for,” Arabian said.

Arabian is careful not to reveal too much about his beers, other than to say he will be making some “barrel-aged stuff and juicy IPAs.”

He also said there will be plenty of space for food trucks to park and he may do some beer-themed dinners. Arabian says he didn’t think twice about where he wanted to open his brewery.

“I really love the vibe of this city,” he said. “It’s a place that appreciates classic, local favorites, but also is home to hip new restaurants, coffee shops and breweries. It feels like the perfect fit for us.”

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Economy • Logistics 0 Comments

Ex-Fed Ex building sold for $10.45M in Stockton

By BusinessJournal

 

The property at 4730 FIte Court in Stockton, a one-time Fed Ex ground facility, has sold for $10.45 million to Dermody Properties.

An industrial building which once house a Fed Ex ground facility in Stockton has sold for $10.45 million.

Dermody Properties, a company owning distribution, e-commerce and manufacturing sites throughout the U.S., purchased the location at 4730 Fite Court, which is 143,888 square feet off Arch Road, east of Highway 99 in Stockton.

“Dermody Properties has made significant strides at growing their footprint in the Central Valley and proved to be the best buyer to bring in, figure out this somewhat complicated transaction given the existing tenant, underlying sublease and other property related matters, and close on this well-located, quality asset,” said Jim Martin, SIOR, of Lee & Associates Stockton, who represented Dermody Properties in the transaction.

“This is further testament to how our Lee offices are able to execute assignments and work in partnership to provide excellent service to our customers,” Martin went on to say.

The seller was Stockton MAG, LLC., who was represented by Martin and Craig Hagglund, SIOR, of  Lee & Associates Oakland.

https://cvbj.biz/2018/04/05/ex-fed-ex-building-sold-for-10-45m-in-stockton/

By Jennifer Commercial • New Location 0 Comments

ALDI bringing its low-cost grocery stories to two Valley locations

BY BETHANY CLOUGH

 

April 02, 2018 04:55 PM

Updated April 03, 2018 01:10 PM

Low-cost grocery store chain ALDI is planning to open two new stores in the central San Joaquin Valley – and probably more in the rest of the Valley.

The Bee reported the German grocery store giant’s interest in Hanford and Porterville last summer. Commercial real estate firms reported that leases were finalized for each location in the Bee’s leases section that published over the weekend.

The Hanford ALDI will take up 22,500 square feet in new construction at the southwest corner of 12th Avenue and Lacey Boulevard. That’s the same corner that already has Chipotle, Jimmy Johns and The Habit Burger Grill.

The Porterville store will be built on 2.13 acres of land at the northeast corner of Jaye Street and Highway 190.

As both are new construction, the stores won’t be open for a while.

ALDI is partway through a massive expansion, with plans to open 900 more stores by the end of 2020. A Bakersfield store opened in May and Southern California has dozens of stores.

The grocery store has more than 7,600 stores worldwide and already has a strong presence in the United States, with 1,600 stores in 35 states.

The stores average about 15,000 square feet – bigger than a Trader Joe’s but smaller than a traditional grocery store.

ALDI carries only the “weekly must-haves,” according to the company. That means its stores are smaller with lower rent and electrical costs, savings that are passed on to shoppers. The company says shoppers can save up to 50 percent on brands carried only at ALDI.

Another difference from a traditional grocery store is the carts. They are stored in one place in the store. Shoppers pay a quarter to use a cart, and get it back when the cart is returned.

By Jennifer Manufacturing • Top Stories 0 Comments

Faraday Future makes headway in Hanford

  • JULISSA ZAVALA Staff Reporter
  • Updated 
Faraday Future sign
Electric car company Faraday Future has a sign with its name outside the old Pirelli Tire plant at 10700 Idaho Ave. in Hanford’s Industrial Park.

HANFORD — It’s been a relatively quiet seven months since electric car company Faraday Future announced its plans to locate in Hanford, but the company seems to be slowly but surely moving forward with its plans.

“Things are absolutely moving forward,” said John Lehn, president and CEO of Kings County Economic Development Corporation (Kings EDC).

Lehn said he is in contact with Faraday officials multiple times a week. He said his office continues to be impressed by the quality of people who work for Faraday Future and has complete confidence in the company’s dedication to Hanford.

Faraday Future signed a lease in August 2017 to locate in a manufacturing facility in the old Pirelli tire plant at 10700 Idaho Ave. in Hanford’s Industrial Park. The company immediately hosted a clean-up event to prepare the 1 million square-foot new site for the move-in of manufacturing equipment.

The facility is supposed to be used to manufacture the company’s first electronic vehicle, the FF 91, and hopefully bring it to market.

Little tidbits of information have surfaced every once in a while since the announcement. Dag Reckhorn, Faraday Future’s senior vice president of global manufacturing, visited Hanford in September and October 2017 to talk publicly about the car and the company’s goals.

Faraday Future said it wanted a turn-key facility that offers a faster path to production, and picked the site in Hanford because it is strategically located between the country’s two largest electronic vehicle markets: Los Angeles and Silicon Valley.

But there have also been troublesome news surrounding the company as well, including shake-ups and departures within the company’s top executives and funding difficulties.

Lehn said he understands the skepticism the news has elicited, especially taking into account the scope and scale of what the company is trying to do.

Darlene Mata, Hanford’s community development director, said Faraday was recently issued a demolition permit for the inside of the plant and has been doing asbestos removal and lead paint remediation.

Mata said Faraday is also currently in the site plan review process with the city, meaning the department is making sure the entire site has the proper access and parking spaces that meet city standards.

“No building permit application has been submitted yet,” Mata said. “I don’t know when one will be submitted, but they said soon.”

Requests for comment from Faraday Future were not returned.

Lehn said Faraday is moving forward with the hiring process and is currently taking applications online only. He said his office has been involved with facilitating a few interviews already.

Faraday’s website has posts for several job openings in Hanford, including administrative positions, various “team member” positions and even a few management positions.

In addition to working with both Tulare and Fresno counties’ workforce boards, Lehn also said Kings EDC and Faraday are working in conjunction with West Hills Community College District to offer some type of introductory manufacturing course.

“A lot of things are happening all at once,” Lehn said. “Everything’s moving full speed ahead.”

http://hanfordsentinel.com/news/local/faraday-future-makes-headway-in-hanford/article_06b04ce2-7f91-529e-8c9c-61aea192edc2.html

By Jennifer New Developments • Quality of Life 0 Comments

Two more housing developments set for Visalia

 

  • San Joaquin Valley Homes and Presidio Residential Capital to build
  • “Greystone” and “Ashton Park” to be designed for entry-level buyers and young families

Two new residential communities, called Greystone and Ashton Park and totaling 218 detached single-family homes priced from the mid-$200,000s, are planned for Visalia by San Joaquin Valley Homes and Presidio Residential Capital. The developers say they have closed on 29 acres (151 lots) and plan to close an additional 19 acres (67 lots) next year for the projects.

Groundbreaking is expected in April and the neighborhoods are expected to be open for sale by early 2019. Their retail value is estimated to exceed $52 million.

“Ideally located on prime Visalia land in the Northwest with easy access to excellent schools, these communities will be extremely appealing to first-time and move-up buyers and young families,” says Danny Garcia, vice president of sales at SJV Homes, which is based in Visalia.

Greystone will offer 127 traditional homes with six floor plans ranging from 1,658 to 3,205 square feet on lots ranging in size from 6,800 to 8,200 square feet with some premium lots over

10,000 square feet. Ashton Park will offer 91 garden homes with three floor plans ranging from 1,297 to 1,597 square feet on lots ranging in size from 4,700 to 6,000 square feet. These homes will feature nine-foot ceilings, pitched tile roofs, tile flooring, granite countertops, stainless appliances and two-car garages.

The new communities are located on the northeast corner of West Riggin Avenue and North Akers Street across the street  from the new Ridgeview Middle School. The new residential neighborhoods are located less than four miles from downtown and about four miles east of Highway 99.

Founded in 2013 by Joe Leal, Jim Robinson and Randy Merrill, SJV Homes closed on its 1,000th home in late December 2017.

The Visalia communities are SJV Homes’ 17th and 18th joint venture projects with Presidio Residential Capital, a San Diego based real estate investment company that funds 100 percent of the projects and operations of SJV Homes.

According to the National Association of Home Builders’ formula to determine the local impact of single-family housing in typical metro areas, adding 218 single-family homes will generate $63.7 million in local income, $7.9 million in taxes and other revenue for local governments and 875 local jobs.

http://files.constantcontact.com/2cb20f61601/1b2a39c3-547d-46c7-98a9-b72e265c8d72.pdf

By Jennifer E-Commerce • Economy • Logistics • New Location 0 Comments

Gap bringing fulfillment center to Fresno, expected to add more than 500 jobs

BY BRIANNA CALIX

March 29, 2018 11:00 AM

Fresno is getting another big e-commerce fulfillment center – and more than 500 new jobs.

Fresno city officials and San Francisco-based clothing apparel company Gap, Inc. have reached an agreement to establish the company’s e-commerce fulfillment center near its current distribution facility, Mayor Lee Brand announced Thursday morning. The city says the move is expected to add at least 515 full-time jobs to the retailer’s operations here over a three-year period.

The agreement is being made possible by the mayor’s Economic Expansion Act, which provides performance-based job incentives for companies looking to grow and move to Fresno.

Brand called the relocation of the fulfillment center from out-of-state to the city “a shot in the arm for Fresno” and “a breath of fresh air.”

It’s unclear from where the fulfillment center is relocating. Gap has at least one western U.S. fulfillment center, in Phoenix, job postings on its website shows.

The mayor has a goal of 10,000 “new, good-paying” jobs for the city. The 515 full-time jobs will start at about $32,000 annual salary.

The impact of the deal will mean about $146 million over 30 years in property and sales tax for the city, county, Fresno Unified and other special districts. That’s about $58.6 million for the city of Fresno.

“Fresno continues to build momentum as more major corporations like Gap are establishing expanding their operations in our great city. Companies know we are open for business and will help them grow,” Brand said.

Under the agreement, the 351 existing employees at the company’s current 3400 Gap Drive distribution facility will remain.

The package also includes the potential for hundreds of additional part-time or seasonal employees during peak business periods, according to the release. The company will invest at least $80 million in equipment and improvements for the fulfillment center, which will be established inside an existing building owned by the Gap at its Fresno site.

“For over 18 years, our Fresno distribution campus has played a pivotal role in providing great service to our customers,” said Shawn Curran, Gap’s executive vice president of supply chain and product ops. “It serves as a key strategic location for growth and opportunity. We consider our Fresno team members to be the very best in the business. We are thrilled to move on to the next step in our journey as we expand our operations adding 500 new jobs in the next two years.”

Curran thanked the city of Fresno for its support in the planning process.

Gap has been in Fresno since 1999 with a huge distribution facility just north of Fresno-Yosemite International Airport. Gap bought 216 acres from the city of Fresno in 1997 for $2. The site includes a 5-acre, 1.9-megawatt solar farm to power its 2 million-square-foot distribution center.

The city later paid $5.8 million plus interest over 10 years in a settlement after the Federal Aviation Administration contended the city had a duty to sell the property at market value and reinvest the money into the airport.

The new agreement with Gap is expected to go before the City Council for final approval April 5.

Brand said he expects the fulfillment center to be fully functional by next year.

http://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article207287074.html

By Jennifer Health/Medical • New Developments 0 Comments

Clovis Community Medical Center to add beds, expand services

 

  • Expansion planned over next four years
  • To cost $390 Million

Community Medical Centers’ Board of Trustees today approved a four-year construction project that will add 144 private beds and expand several services at Clovis Community Medical Center in the Central Valley city of Clovis.

The $390 million, 190,000-square-foot expansion project will feature a five-story bed tower and will add 15,000 square feet to the hospital’s emergency room, create six additional operating rooms, 24 additional ICU beds, and expand the hospital’s radiology, pharmacy and laboratory services along with the kitchen and dining areas.

The project also will include an additional parking structure and a two-story, 60,000-square-foot clinical and administrative support building.

When the project is completed in 2022, Clovis Community will have 352 all-private inpatient beds while providing jobs for an additional 420 nurses, therapists, technicians and support staff.

“We need to significantly expand inpatient capacity in our hospital system, and this Clovis project is the quickest and most cost-effective way to do it,” says Tim Joslin, Community’s president and CEO.

Site work will begin next month, and Community anticipates the expansion project to employ some 2,500 construction workers, the overwhelming majority of them local.

Funding for the expansion will come from Community’s operations and from donations.

http://files.constantcontact.com/2cb20f61601/50ddefe4-7c4a-4dc4-b5a1-e0c3ce2a241c.pdf

By Jennifer Logistics • New Developments • Top Stories 0 Comments

Dollar General to Expand Distribution Operations at Tejon Ranch Commerce Center (TRCC)

Dollar General leases additional space in new industrial building developed by Tejon Ranch Co. and Majestic Realty Co.

TEJON RANCH, Calif.

The partnership of Tejon Ranch Co. (NYSE: TRC) and Majestic Realty Co. today announced major discount retailer Dollar General (NYSE: DG) is leasing more than 240,000 square feet of warehouse space in a new building the partnership developed at the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center (TRCC). Dollar General will use the new facility to support its operations in California.

Dollar General currently operates out of a separate building at TRCC, and with the expansion, will be increasing its footprint by nearly 40 percent.

“We are happy for Dollar General’s success in California and are pleased the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center is able to meet the company’s need for additional distribution space,” said Joseph N. Rentfro, executive vice president of real estate at Tejon Ranch Co. “Dollar General’s decision to expand here underscores Tejon Ranch’s value as proven and opportune place for companies wanting to locate and/or expand in California.”

“Majestic Realty is proud to welcome Dollar General as the inaugural tenant of the first building developed in partnership with Tejon Ranch Co.,” said Brett Tremaine, senior vice president at Majestic Realty Co. “This is just the beginning, as we believe the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center’s strategic location and outstanding labor pool will prove to be advantageous for many more companies in the future.”

Dollar General has used the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center as the hub of its California distribution operations for the last six years. With its expansion into the new Tejon Ranch-Majestic Realty developed facility, it will now occupy a total of more than 850,000 square feet of space within TRCC.

“It makes perfect sense for Dollar General to expand its operations at Tejon Ranch,” says John DeGrinis, SIOR, Senior Executive Vice President of Colliers International, who represents TRCC. “Its central location directly on Interstate 5 allows them to serve stores in both northern and southern California; the large pool of employees with a great work ethic has led to a stable workforce with a low turnover rate; and the fact that total operating costs are among the lowest in the state, all add up to some pretty compelling reasons why TRCC represented a great opportunity for Dollar General,” he added.

The Tejon Ranch Commerce Center is Tejon Ranch Co.’s 1,450-acre master planned commercial/industrial development located at the junction of Interstate 5 and Highway 99, about an hour north of the Los Angeles basin. The Commerce Center is also home to major distribution centers for IKEA, Famous Footwear and Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE: CAT).

An additional 240,000 square feet of space is available in the new building to be occupied by Dollar General. The building is a Class A cross dock industrial building featuring a 36-foot clear height, seven-inch floor slab and an ESFR sprinkler system. Overall, the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center has nearly 16 million square feet of entitled space available for sale, lease or build-to-suit, with sites ranging from 20,000 square feet to more than 2,000,000. All of the industrial sites at TRCC are included in Foreign Trade Zone #276, and additionally, companies locating there are eligible to apply for tax rebate incentives being offered by Kern County.

About Tejon Ranch Company (NYSE: TRC)

Tejon Ranch Company is a diversified real estate development and agribusiness company, whose principal asset is its 270,000-acre land holding located approximately 60 miles north of Los Angeles and 30 miles south of Bakersfield. For more information on the company, please go to www.tejonranch.com. For more information on the Tejon Ranch Commerce Center, please go to www.tejoncommerce.com.

About Majestic Realty Co.

Celebrating its 70th Anniversary in 2018, Majestic Realty Co. is the largest, privately-held developer and owner of master-planned business parks in the United States. With more than 78-million-square-feet in its portfolio, Majestic provides real estate solutions for tenants large and small, creating jobs, tax revenue and community benefits across the country. Headquartered in Southern California, Majestic has regional offices in Atlanta, Bethlehem, Penn., Dallas, Denver, Fort Worth and Laredo, Texas, Las Vegas and Phoenix, Ariz.

https://www.bizjournals.com/losangeles/businesswire/press_releases/California/2018/03/26/20180326005180