A Host of Construction Projects is Underway in Hacienda

By Hacienda Network Staff Writer

With well over one million square feet of additional construction planned and over 800,000 square feet currently being developed, 1997 looks to be another banner year for Hacienda's growth.

From the new PeopleSoft campus to new hotel, restaurant and retail space, Hacienda development will take many forms in the coming year. Here is a survey of projects currently under construction in the park:

Arby's Restaurant

This 3,100 square foot restaurant will be built at the corner of Owens and Chabot drives. "We think this is a good supplement to the existing restaurants in the park," says George Dai, president of Daico Food Corporation and owner of the site. "The building is well designed, we have a big inside seating area, and we'll be doing a lot of landscaping on the project. We want this to be a worthy entity to serve the people of Pleasanton."

The project will break ground before the end of the month and the restaurant is scheduled to open around May, serving Arby's well-known roast beef sandwiches as well as offerings with turkey, chicken, and ham.

Dai notes that the lot upon which the Arby's is being built is due to be subdivided. "We're only using about 40,000 square feet of a 100,000 square foot lot," he says. "We are hoping to put in an office complex next door."

Britannia V and VI

This project, to be built on Hopyard Road between Inglewood Drive and Coronado Lane, continue Britannia Development's involvement in Hacienda. Three buildings, of 130,000, 56,505, and 34,200 square feet are currently being constructed, with another building of 81,000 square feet proposed. Completion of the first three buildings is scheduled for September.

The people at Britannia are obviously pleased with the response their work has met in Hacienda. "We started in 1989 with Britannia I and just completed III and IV, which are fully leased," says Magdalena Shushun of Britannia. "One building in Britannia V is already preleased to ProBusiness."

She cites Hacienda's location as key to their projects' success. "The supporting services are there, and when BART opens that will add another amenity to the attraction."

The PeopleSoft Campus

This project, which will total over 380,000 square feet, breaks ground soon and is scheduled for occupation in the first quarter of 1998. (For more information, see the January front page.)

S&G Carpets

This 13,000 square foot retail facility is located on Owens Drive, east of Chabot Drive. Construction on this project began in November, and the company is hoping for a March 1 opening. This will be S&G's third location, after their 48-year-old San Jose store and more recent Sacramento facility. "It seems like this is a growing area, with a healthy income and a strong population base," says Paul Winter, who will be one of the managers of the new store. "We ended up with a great location - freeway visibility is important for a business like ours."

Summerfield Suites Hotel and Sierra Suites Hotel

These two extended stay hotels will be built on Chabot Drive at Inglewood Drive, across the street from the Crossroads Center. The hotels are designed for those staying more than five nights or more, which typically includes relocating executives, business people attending training sessions, or those on temporary work assignments. "We're building a 128-room Summerfield Suites Hotel, which is a full-service suite hotel, and a 113-room Sierra Suites Hotel, which is a moderate-priced extended stay hotel," says Dennis Meikleham, vice president of real estate for the Summerfield Hotel Corporation.

The construction schedule for the project is expected to begin with grading in March, with work beginning in earnest in April. "The targeted opening dates are late '97 for Sierra and March '98 for Summerfield," adds Meikleham. Both hotels will feature swimming pools, with Summerfield's contained in a closed courtyard.

Meikleham says they've been met with an enthusiastic response by Hacienda businesses. "We sent renderings and a site plan to the major tenants in the park, telling them we would like to have their support during the permit process," he explains. "We got quite a few letters back saying, 'we can't wait for you to open'."

Boehringer-Mannheim Corporation

Last year, Boehringer-Mannheim purchased the 33 acre lot bounded by Gibraltar, Hacienda, and Stoneridge drives and Willow Road. "Right now we're building Phase I, which consists of an administration building, an R&D building, and a manufacturing building," says Michael Magnano, the company's facilities engineer. "The operations building is a tilt-up building; the other two are structural steel and glass.

"All three buildings take up a little over 180,000 square feet on 17 acres; the build-out on the site will include about 550,000 square feet total."

Phase II construction has not yet been scheduled. "I'm guessing Phase II will happen in the next two to four years," he says.

The facilities will house the Laboratory Diagnostics Division of the $4 billion, privately held pharmaceutical company. "Phase I of the move in will take place in the first part of August, when the 300 people we have in Concord will move to Pleasanton," adds Magnano.

Red Robin

This colorful restaurant is expected to break ground in February or March and open five months later. Owners Dennis and Marlena Garcelon, who became original franchisees of the chain in 1981, count this as their fifth location.

"The restaurant features casual dining; full service, including a bar; and an exciting, warm atmosphere that incorporates a lot of wood, brass, and glass," says Dennis. "We're really catering to the modern family as well as to the business lunch and casual dining type of experience."

When open, approximately 75 people will be employed at the restaurant. There are currently around 175 Red Robin restaurants nationwide.

Photo: A grader moves over the PeopleSoft campus site, with a signature Hacienda arch in the background. Photo: Greg Herlein

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