Pacific Commons
Encyclopedia
Pacific Commons is a master-planned, mixed-use development consisting of 840 acres in Fremont, California
currently in development by Catellus Development Corporation
. It sits on the site of a former airport and Baylands Raceway Park. Given Fremont's location at the Northern tip of Silicon Valley
, Catellus originally planned the development to house primarily high-tech research and development operations with a moderate amount of retail and restaurant space, a convention center, and a hotel. Until the dot-com bubble
, Cisco Systems
had planned to relocate its headquarters to Pacific Commons and consolidate substantially all of its San Francisco Bay Area
operations to a large campus in Pacific Commons, which would have consisted of several high-rise office buildings. With the downturn in the technology industry, however, Cisco put its plans on hold. While it is unclear whether Cisco will ultimately relocate its headquarters to Fremont, in 2011 Cisco purchased 149 acres of vacant land in Fremont, most of it from Catellus, fueling speculation that, at some point, it will move forward with its headquarters
move to Pacific Commons.
To mitigate environmental impacts caused by the massive of the project, Catellus donated hundreds of acres of land along the southern and western boundaries of Pacific Commons to the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
. Further environmental mitigation involved building a causeway
as a portion of Cushing Parkway over the wetlands preserve from Pacific Commons southward to Fremont Boulevard and Interstate 880 near the Fremont Marriott Hotel.
Today, Pacific Commons contains more than one million square feet of research and development
and industrial space, including a half-million square-foot distribution center
for Office Depot
. More than one hundred acres of land slated for research and development uses remains undeveloped.
, Lowe's Home Improvement, Kohl's
Department Store, Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us, and Nordstrom
Rack, as well as several other national retailers. There is also a major presence of junior anchor national chain stores and restaurants including DSW Shoes
, Old Navy
, Bassett Furniture
, Ashlee Furniture, Staples
, Any Mountain, and Jo-Ann Fabrics. In addition, a number of restaurants and eateries operate locations at Pacific Commons, including PF Changs China Bistro
, Claim Jumper
, Market Broiler, Five Guys
Burgers and Fries, and In-N-Out Burger
.
A planned major expansion of the retail district was approved by the City of Fremont in December 2010 and is currently under construction, with an expected opening date in the spring of 2012. The expansion will be a shopping and entertainment sub-district called The Block @ Pacific Commons and will have a lifestyle center
atmosphere and will be anchored by Target
and a 16-screen Century Theater
as well as The Counter
, with an expected opening date in 2013. The Block will also feature a promenade consisting of shops, restaurants and eateries leading from the Target store to the theater. The shop frontage along Pacific Commons Boulevard will abut the sidewalks, giving it a downtown feel.
When completed, the Pacific Commons retail district will contain just under 1.2 million square feet of gross leasable space on 106 acres, cementing as the largest shopping center in Southern Alameda County.
Current and Planned Anchor Tenants:
Current Junior Anchor Tenants:
Restaurants/Food: Claum Jumper; PF Chang's China Bistro; Market Broiler; Dickey's BBQ; In-N-Out Burger; Panda Express; Wingstop; Rubio's Fresh Mex; Little Madfish; AppleBee's; Panera Bread; The Prolific Oven; Cold Stone Creamery; Tapioca Express; Quickly; Q Cup; Premier Pizza; Jamba Juice; Quizinos Subs; Food Talk Cafe; Ohana Hawaiian BBQ; Keneyama Sushi and Teppanyaki; Five Guys Burgers & Fries; Vida Y Vino Wine Bistro; and Asian Pearl.
first took a modified version of his so-called Ballpark Village proposal, Cisco Field, to the city of Fremont
where a large 143 acre (0.57870098 km²) parcel of land was available just north of Mission Boulevard
and south of Auto Mall Parkway off Interstate 880
in Pacific Commons. Most of the land has since been purchased by Cisco Systems
. The land had been purchased in the late 90's in anticipation of company growth by Cisco that never occurred due to the dot com bust. Additional land was also purchased by Lewis Wolff's development group to bring the total land up to approximately 240 acre (0.9712464 km²) at the ballpark village site.
development in nearby San Jose, California
with the addition of the baseball park. The planned name for the park is Cisco Field as first announced by the Fremont city council after meeting with Wolff on November 8, 2006. The stadium will be privately financed primarily from sales of the surrounding "ballpark village" residential and commercial properties to offset the cost of the stadium. The site plan proposes 520000 square feet (48,309.6 m²) of commercial space adjacent to the ballpark, and would include a hotel, restaurant, movie theater and several parking garages of varying size. Its plans also call for 2,900 homes. More than 580 of those residences — including 12 each behind the left- and right-field bleachers — would be sprinkled into retail space north and east of Cisco Field, a 32,000-seat stadium with an estimated $450 million price tag.
In addition, 2,318 town homes would be built on 115 acre (0.4653889 km²) south and west of the ballpark. The housing will be built in phases, and designs show that a 41 acres (165,921.3 m²) team-owned parcel would provide nearly 6,000 parking spaces until the town homes are built there. The earliest the stadium would open is for the 2011 season.
In 2010, the deal fell through and was cancelled San Jose was being considered for the ballpark instead
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
currently in development by Catellus Development Corporation
Catellus Development Corporation
Catellus Development Corporation is a real estate landowner that was spun off from the real estate holdings of the Santa Fe Pacific Corporation. They were one of the largest landowners in California, having owned the Los Angeles Union Station...
. It sits on the site of a former airport and Baylands Raceway Park. Given Fremont's location at the Northern tip of Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
, Catellus originally planned the development to house primarily high-tech research and development operations with a moderate amount of retail and restaurant space, a convention center, and a hotel. Until the dot-com bubble
Dot-com bubble
The dot-com bubble was a speculative bubble covering roughly 1995–2000 during which stock markets in industrialized nations saw their equity value rise rapidly from growth in the more...
, Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California, United States, that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking, voice, and communications technology and services. Cisco has more than 70,000 employees and annual revenue of US$...
had planned to relocate its headquarters to Pacific Commons and consolidate substantially all of its San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
operations to a large campus in Pacific Commons, which would have consisted of several high-rise office buildings. With the downturn in the technology industry, however, Cisco put its plans on hold. While it is unclear whether Cisco will ultimately relocate its headquarters to Fremont, in 2011 Cisco purchased 149 acres of vacant land in Fremont, most of it from Catellus, fueling speculation that, at some point, it will move forward with its headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
move to Pacific Commons.
To mitigate environmental impacts caused by the massive of the project, Catellus donated hundreds of acres of land along the southern and western boundaries of Pacific Commons to the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge
Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a US National Wildlife Refuge located in the southern part of San Francisco Bay, California. The Refuge headquarters and visitor center is located in the Baylands district of Fremont, next to Coyote Hills Regional Park, in Alameda County. ...
. Further environmental mitigation involved building a causeway
Causeway
In modern usage, a causeway is a road or railway elevated, usually across a broad body of water or wetland.- Etymology :When first used, the word appeared in a form such as “causey way” making clear its derivation from the earlier form “causey”. This word seems to have come from the same source by...
as a portion of Cushing Parkway over the wetlands preserve from Pacific Commons southward to Fremont Boulevard and Interstate 880 near the Fremont Marriott Hotel.
Today, Pacific Commons contains more than one million square feet of research and development
Research and development
The phrase research and development , according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, refers to "creative work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and society, and the use of this stock of...
and industrial space, including a half-million square-foot distribution center
Distribution center
A distribution center for a set of products is a warehouse or other specialized building, often with refrigeration or air conditioning, which is stocked with products to be redistributed to retailers, to wholesalers, or directly to consumers. A distribution center is a principal part, the order...
for Office Depot
Office Depot
Office Depot is a supplier of office products and provides many services. The company's selection of brand name office supplies includes business machines, computers, computer software and office furniture, while its business services encompass copying, printing, document reproduction, shipping,...
. More than one hundred acres of land slated for research and development uses remains undeveloped.
Pacific Commons Retail District
A large portion of Pacific Commons was re-entitled by the City of Fremont to retail use in early 2004, and by October of that year Catellus opened the regional shopping center which today consists of 839,000 square feet of gross leasable retail space on 79 acres along most of the entire northern boundary of Pacific Commons. The shopping district, a hybrid regional shopping center, retail power center, and lifestyle center, is anchored CostcoCostco
Costco Wholesale Corporation is the largest membership warehouse club chain in the United States. it is the third largest retailer in the United States, where it originated, and the ninth largest in the world...
, Lowe's Home Improvement, Kohl's
Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation is an American department store chain headquartered in the Milwaukee suburb of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, operating , 1,089 stores in 49 states. In 1998, it entered the S&P 500 list, and is also listed in the Fortune 500...
Department Store, Toys "R" Us/Babies "R" Us, and Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
Rack, as well as several other national retailers. There is also a major presence of junior anchor national chain stores and restaurants including DSW Shoes
DSW, Inc.
-History:DSW opened its first store in July 1991 in Dublin, Ohio. In 1998, Value City Department Stores, Inc. purchased DSW. In December 2004, Retail Ventures, Inc. consolidated several brands. Until July 5, 2005, DSW operated as a wholly owned subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc...
, Old Navy
Old Navy
Old Navy is an American clothing brand as well as a chain of stores owned by Gap, Inc., with corporate operations in San Francisco and San Bruno, California. It is one of the first major corporations to house headquarters in the new Mission Bay district of San Francisco.Gap, Inc. was run by...
, Bassett Furniture
Bassett Furniture
Bassett Furniture is a furniture manufacturer headquartered in Bassett, Virginia, United States.It was founded in 1902 by John David Bassett and C.C. Bassett...
, Ashlee Furniture, Staples
Staples, Inc.
Staples Inc. is a large office supply chain store, with over 2,000 stores worldwide in 26 countries. Based in Framingham, Massachusetts, United States, the company has retail stores, serving customers under its original name in Austria, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Norway,...
, Any Mountain, and Jo-Ann Fabrics. In addition, a number of restaurants and eateries operate locations at Pacific Commons, including PF Changs China Bistro
P. F. Chang's China Bistro
'P. F. Chang's China Bistro, Inc. is an American restaurant chain with headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona.The chain was founded in Scottsdale, Arizona in 1993 by Paul Fleming and Philip Chiang. The restaurants serve American Chinese cuisine from a menu originally conceived and planned by chef...
, Claim Jumper
Claim Jumper
Claim Jumper is a restaurant chain headquartered in Irvine, California with 45 locations in Arizona, California, Illinois, Colorado, Nevada, Washington, Wisconsin and Oregon. Founder Craig Nickoloff opened the first Claim Jumper Restaurant in Los Alamitos, California in 1977...
, Market Broiler, Five Guys
Five Guys
Five Guys is a fast casual restaurant chain focused on hamburgers, hot dogs, and French fries. Originating in Arlington, Virginia, the company's headquarters are now in Lorton, Virginia.-Food:...
Burgers and Fries, and In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger
In-N-Out Burger is a regional chain of fast food restaurants with locations in the western United States. Founded in 1948 by Harry Snyder and his wife Esther, establishing the first In-N-Out burger in Baldwin Park and headquartered in Irvine, California, In-N-Out Burger has since expanded outside...
.
A planned major expansion of the retail district was approved by the City of Fremont in December 2010 and is currently under construction, with an expected opening date in the spring of 2012. The expansion will be a shopping and entertainment sub-district called The Block @ Pacific Commons and will have a lifestyle center
Lifestyle center (retail)
A lifestyle center is a shopping center or mixed-used commercial development that combines the traditional retail functions of a shopping mall with leisure amenities oriented towards upscale consumers...
atmosphere and will be anchored by Target
Target Corporation
Target Corporation, doing business as Target, is an American retailing company headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the second-largest discount retailer in the United States, behind Walmart. The company is ranked at number 33 on the Fortune 500 and is a component of the Standard & Poor's...
and a 16-screen Century Theater
Century Theatres
Century Theatres is a movie theater chain which operates many multiplexes in the western United States, primarily in California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona. In recent years, it has expanded into the inter-mountain states, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, and parts of the Midwest...
as well as The Counter
The Counter
The Counter is a high end fast casual restaurant chain in the United States and Ireland offering custom topped gourmet burgers. Diners receive a clipboard to "Build Your Own Burger"...
, with an expected opening date in 2013. The Block will also feature a promenade consisting of shops, restaurants and eateries leading from the Target store to the theater. The shop frontage along Pacific Commons Boulevard will abut the sidewalks, giving it a downtown feel.
When completed, the Pacific Commons retail district will contain just under 1.2 million square feet of gross leasable space on 106 acres, cementing as the largest shopping center in Southern Alameda County.
Current and Planned Anchor Tenants:
- Lowe's Home Improvement (168,000 Sq. Ft.)
- Costco (149,000 Sq. Ft.)
- Target (138,000 Sq. Ft.) - Opening March 2012
- Kohl's Department Store (98,000 Sq. Ft.)
- Century Theater (68,000 Sq. Ft/3,005 Seats) Opening Mid Spring 2012
- Toys "R" US/Babies "R" Us (48,050 Sq. Ft.)
- Ashley Furniture (44,433 Sq. Ft.)
- Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts (35,395 Sq. Ft.)
- Nordstrom Rack (34,000 Sq. Ft.)
Current Junior Anchor Tenants:
- DSW Shoes (26,000 Sq. Ft.)
- Staples (20,451 Sq. Ft.)
- Basset Furniture (17,000 Sq. Ft.)
- Old Navy (16,800 Sq. Ft.)
Restaurants/Food: Claum Jumper; PF Chang's China Bistro; Market Broiler; Dickey's BBQ; In-N-Out Burger; Panda Express; Wingstop; Rubio's Fresh Mex; Little Madfish; AppleBee's; Panera Bread; The Prolific Oven; Cold Stone Creamery; Tapioca Express; Quickly; Q Cup; Premier Pizza; Jamba Juice; Quizinos Subs; Food Talk Cafe; Ohana Hawaiian BBQ; Keneyama Sushi and Teppanyaki; Five Guys Burgers & Fries; Vida Y Vino Wine Bistro; and Asian Pearl.
Cisco Field
In April 2006, A's owner Lewis WolffLewis Wolff
Lewis N. Wolff is an American real estate developer. Wolff is also known for owning sports franchises; he is currently the co-owner of the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball and the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer...
first took a modified version of his so-called Ballpark Village proposal, Cisco Field, to the city of Fremont
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
where a large 143 acre (0.57870098 km²) parcel of land was available just north of Mission Boulevard
California State Route 262
State Route 262 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. More commonly known as Mission Boulevard, SR 262 is a very short state highway that connects two Interstate highways in the San Francisco Bay Area.-Route description:...
and south of Auto Mall Parkway off Interstate 880
Interstate 880
Interstate 880 is an Interstate Highway in the San Francisco Bay Area connecting San Jose and Oakland, running parallel to the southeastern shore of San Francisco Bay...
in Pacific Commons. Most of the land has since been purchased by Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in San Jose, California, United States, that designs and sells consumer electronics, networking, voice, and communications technology and services. Cisco has more than 70,000 employees and annual revenue of US$...
. The land had been purchased in the late 90's in anticipation of company growth by Cisco that never occurred due to the dot com bust. Additional land was also purchased by Lewis Wolff's development group to bring the total land up to approximately 240 acre (0.9712464 km²) at the ballpark village site.
The development plan
The plan called for the 240 acre (0.9712464 km²) to be developed into a combination of commercial, retail, and residential spaces in addition to the construction of a 34,000-seat baseball only facility. It will be the smallest stadium in Major League Baseball. The planned development is similar to the Santana RowSantana Row
Santana Row is an upscale shopping, residential, dining and entertainment complex in San Jose, California. Westfield Valley Fair is located just to its north, on the other side of Stevens Creek Boulevard, and the Winchester Mystery House just to the west, across Winchester Boulevard.- Stores...
development in nearby San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
with the addition of the baseball park. The planned name for the park is Cisco Field as first announced by the Fremont city council after meeting with Wolff on November 8, 2006. The stadium will be privately financed primarily from sales of the surrounding "ballpark village" residential and commercial properties to offset the cost of the stadium. The site plan proposes 520000 square feet (48,309.6 m²) of commercial space adjacent to the ballpark, and would include a hotel, restaurant, movie theater and several parking garages of varying size. Its plans also call for 2,900 homes. More than 580 of those residences — including 12 each behind the left- and right-field bleachers — would be sprinkled into retail space north and east of Cisco Field, a 32,000-seat stadium with an estimated $450 million price tag.
In addition, 2,318 town homes would be built on 115 acre (0.4653889 km²) south and west of the ballpark. The housing will be built in phases, and designs show that a 41 acres (165,921.3 m²) team-owned parcel would provide nearly 6,000 parking spaces until the town homes are built there. The earliest the stadium would open is for the 2011 season.
In 2010, the deal fell through and was cancelled San Jose was being considered for the ballpark instead