This award celebrates nationally recognized companies that make the world a better place to work together by prioritizing a people-centered culture and giving employees a voice. The Top Workplaces USA award is based entirely on feedback from an employee engagement survey completed by the employees of participating workplaces.
https://topworkplaces.com/award/top-workplaces-usa/2024/1000-2499/?page=3
Basin Street Properties, a prominent real estate investment, development, and management firm, is excited to announce Petaluma Motor Wheel has signed a lease at Petaluma Theatre Square in downtown Petaluma.
“Petaluma Theatre Square will be an excellent location for us to showcase our large variety of e-bikes and grow our company as a whole,” said Aaron Prentice, Owner and Manager of Petaluma Motor Wheel. “The energy is great at Petaluma Theatre Square, and we’re excited to be surrounded by multiple dining and retail options.”
Petaluma Motor Wheel is an exciting new e-bike shop opening in Petaluma California featuring e-bikes to fit every need. Whether you are looking for a commuter bike to get to and from work, a cargo bike for taking the kids to school and running errands or something designed to get off the beaten path, Petaluma Motor Wheel has you covered. They have partnered with to e-bike brands like Specialized, Aventon, Yuba, Tern, Velotric and Super73 to offer the right bike to fit any budget. Starting this spring they will also offer e-bike rentals. Visit https://petalumamotorwheel.com/ for more information.
Theatre Square is a three-story mixed-use project located at the corner of Petaluma Boulevard and D Street, in the heart of downtown Petaluma’s Theatre District. The area offers a variety of boutiques and restaurants that feature open-air café seating in the plaza around a lovely fountain. It’s a lovely pedestrian-friendly environment next to the city’s only movie theater Boulevard Cinemas and the beautiful Petaluma River.
“We are thrilled to have Petaluma Motor Wheel join our Theatre Square property,” said Scott Stranzl, Chief Portfolio Officer at Basin Street Properties. “E-bikes demand has taken off and Petaluma Motor Wheel is at the forefront of fulfilling that need with the latest e-bikes. Theatre Square is amenity rich and located in a great part of town, enabling companies like Petaluma Motor Wheel to grow and thrive.”
Laura Duffy and Tony Sarno of Jones Lang LaSalle represented Petaluma Motor Wheel and Basin Street Properties on the transaction.
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ABOUT BASIN STREET PROPERTIES:
Basin Street Properties, established in Petaluma in 1974, is one of Northern California’s and Northern Nevada’s most prominent developers, investors and managers of commercial properties. The company owns and manages over 5 million square feet of Class A office space. Basin Street is widely recognized for its office, retail, hospitality, multi-family and mixed-use developments. The company offers a broad range of real estate services, including development, property management, leasing, construction management, financial and asset management, and property acquisition and disposition. For more information, visit basin-street.com.
Basin Street Properties, a prominent real estate investment, development, and management firm, is pleased to announce NavigateRE has signed a lease at Theatre Square in Petaluma, California.
“We are excited to launch our new endeavor at Theatre Square, in the heart of downtown Petaluma,” said Don McDonald, CEO of NavigateRE. “The location connects us to the community and clients that we love so much and we’re just steps away from all that Petaluma has to offer.”
NavigateRE is a real estate company founded by Don McDonald and Donovan Schemke, who bring over 40 years of combined real estate experience to the table. Before establishing NavigateRE, they spent 17 plus years leading one of RE/MAX’s worldwide Top 10 Teams, known as “The Elite Partners.” Their goal in founding NavigateRE was to bring positive transformation to the real estate industry.
NavigateRE focuses on incorporating innovative technology into the real estate sector, aiming to streamline and simplify the transaction and marketing processes for both agents and consumers. The partners emphasize integrity, energy, hard work, and service in each transaction.
Theatre Square is a three-story mixed-use project located at the corner of Petaluma Boulevard and D Street, in the heart of downtown Petaluma’s Theatre District. The area offers a variety of boutiques and restaurants that feature open-air café seating in the plaza around a lovely fountain. It’s a lovely pedestrian-friendly environment next to the city’s only movie theater Boulevard Cinemas and the beautiful Petaluma River.
The Theatre District continues to thrive with a variety of restaurants, shopping and entertainment. Seven delicious dining options at the square provide a tasty selection of styles and flavors. EV bike retailer Petaluma Motor Wheel recently opened leaving only one ground floor vacancy at Theatre Square.
“Basin Street Properties is ecstatic to welcome NavigateRe to our Theatre Square property,” said Scott Stranzl, Chief Portfolio Officer at Basin Street Properties. “Theatre Square is an excellent spot for NavigateRe to grow as a company and continue to make a positive impact on Sonoma County real estate.”
Laura Duffy, Jordan Lazor and Tony Sarno of JLL represented NavigateRE and Basin Street Properties.
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ABOUT BASIN STREET PROPERTIES:
Basin Street Properties, established in Petaluma in 1974, is one of Northern California’s and Northern Nevada’s most prominent developers, investors and managers of commercial properties. The company owns and manages over 5 million square feet of Class A office space. Basin Street is widely recognized for its office, retail, hospitality, multi-family and mixed-use developments. The company offers a broad range of real estate services, including development, property management, leasing, construction management, financial and asset management, and property acquisition and disposition. For more information, visit basin-street.com.
Connectivity is at the core of our daily lives, and the teams at Comcast are constantly redefining what it means to have an exceptional Internet experience.
They recently increased Internet speeds in North Bay, providing an extra boost for customers who subscribe to Connect, Connect More, Fast or Prepaid products at no additional cost.
With the possibility of the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) sunsetting as soon as May, they wanted to focus on boosting speeds to ensure those who may be affected by the end of ACP can continue to stream live sports, play the latest video games, and take full advantage of data-rich applications – all with fast, affordable, reliable Internet options.
The speed increases rolling out today are made possible by Comcast’s fiber-based network, which is built to deliver an exceptional Internet experience to more than 60 million homes and businesses across the country. It is a culmination of years of research, technological breakthroughs, and massive investments, more than $20 billion since 2018 alone, in development and infrastructure.
Comcast continues to look for ways to bring their customers unbeatable Internet by delivering a connectivity experience that delivers on speed and reliability.
Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco (Habitat Greater San Francisco) announced today it has closed escrow on a 13.6-acre property
in Novato that was generously donated by Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E). The land transfer marks a major milestone in making the largest 100% affordable homeownership development in the state a reality. Featuring 80-homes set amongst parks and courtyards, 10
acres of open space, communal areas, dog parks, trails and more, the project will provide much-needed housing for more than 300 low- and moderate-income individuals.
The project could not come at a better time as the region continues to experience a worsening housing crisis. The median home price in Marin County is $1,590,000, nearly 89% more than the median home price in the rest of California. In Novato, housing expenses exceed the national average by 120%. The high cost of housing coupled with limited housing stock mean the majority of Marin’s workforce now live outside county lines and drive farther on average than any other workforce in the Bay Area. The long commutes are exacerbating Marin’s already congested freeways resulting in longer commutes for everyone.
“Every day we see the multitude of benefits affordable homeownership brings to Habitat families, from shorter commutes and more time with family, to improved health and better educational outcomes for parents and children. For far too many people living and working in Marin County, homeownership has long been out of reach,” said Maureen Sedonaen, Chief Executive Officer at Habitat Greater San Francisco. “This project took the entire community coming together for a shared purpose. We invite the community to join us in this next step of making the dream a reality.”
PG&E generously donated the land, the City unanimously approved the project, the State’s CalHome program awarded $7.5M – the largest State grant in Habitat Greater San Francisco history – public and private donors supported the entitlement process and all along the way there was no public opposition.
“It is clear that housing is what the community wants and needs,” said Sedonaen. “When PG&E began talking to us about donating the undeveloped land, we knew it was an incredible opportunity but would take tremendous planning, perseverance and coordination. To now be where we are today is an amazing feeling.”
The property was once intended for a PG&E service center but over the years the community’s needs changed and the site sat undeveloped. Several attempts to sell the property were unsuccessful and in 2018, PG&E and Habitat Greater San Francisco reached an agreement to begin the process of transferring the property for 100% affordable housing. PG&E has been a long-term supporter of Habitat Greater San Francisco, with more than 270 PG&E volunteers dedicating over 300 hours on Habitat builds since 2015.
“This land donation from PG&E represents a lot of hard work and creativity from our coworkers at PG&E and partners at Habitat for Humanity. As the hometown utility for our communities in the North Coast, we are fortunate to be able to contribute in this meaningful way and look forward to the future success of this important Habitat for Humanity development that will directly benefit 80 families and the entire community,” said Dave Canny, Vice President for PG&E’s North Coast Region.
The project is an important part of Novato’s efforts to bring more affordable housing to the region. Habitat Redwood Boulevard will make up 12% of the state-mandated low-income homes and 12% of the moderate-income homes required of the city by 2031.
“I have been a tireless supporter of the Habitat for Humanity Novato project since the beginning, and I could not be more excited to see it moving forward. Housing affordability was one of the most pressing issues facing Novato when I was Mayor and it continues to be across the county today,” said Marin County Supervisor Eric Lucan. “This project is not only the right thing to do at the right time, but it is what we must do to invest in the future of our city, county and hard-working, local families.”
Habitat Greater San Francisco is currently securing final permits for the project and construction is expected to begin later this year. For more information on supporting Habitat’s efforts to bring affordable homeownership to Novato, visit www.habitatgsf.org.
About the Homes
About Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco
Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco (Habitat Greater San Francisco) builds homes and
community in partnership with thousands of annual volunteers, hard-working families, donors,
civic leaders and other engaged community members in Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo
counties. The work supporters help us do provides a critical path to financial security for
families who live and work here and strengthens neighborhoods across the Bay Area. Habitat
Greater San Francisco has built more than 250 affordable homes in the Bay Area. More
information can be found at www.habitatgsf.org.
Media Contact: Jennifer Hayes
Phone: 510-325-5622
Email: jhayes@habitatgsf.org
About Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com.
https://habitatgsf.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Habitat-for-Humanity-Redwood-Blvd-News-Release.pdf
Hercules building purchase is a “strategic” move by Sutter to expand into the I-80 corridor.
Read the full article here: https://www.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/news/2024/03/08/sutter-health-warehouse-hercules-cbre-cold-storage.html
While there were many couples that defined 20th century art and design, one could argue that none had the lasting impact on the present generation of creatives as Charles and Ray Eames. From their universally beloved furniture that continues to resonate with today’s sensibilities to their mind-churning short film, Powers of Ten (1977), one of the core pillars to the Eames’ design philosophy rested on the experiences and interactions that would come from their furnishings.
Nestled about an hour northeast of San Francisco in the town of Richmond, The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity houses over 40,000 artifacts from the duo’s esteemed collection, and for the first time, it will be open for public viewing. From Molded Plywood Chairs (LCW) and supple leather Lounge Chairs to multi-color Storage Units, the space is a treasure trove for design fans who want to learn about the Eames’ full breadth of work in one location.
Llisa Demetrios, who is the granddaughter of Charles and Ray Eames and the institute’s chief curator, will be guiding visitors around the space, which runs from Wednesday to Friday. Book your visit here.
The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity
1330 S 51st St,
Richmond, CA 94804
https://hypebeast.com/2024/3/the-eames-institute-of-infinite-curiosity-opens
Bank of America has more than doubled its commitment to invest in women- and minority-run venture funds as it seeks to help fuel entrepreneurship in underrepresented communities, CEO Brian Moynihan revealed in the bank’s latest annual report.
The bank said Monday it had invested $550 million in such funds, up from its initial commitment of $200 million.
The equity investments have poured into more than 150 venture funds in the Bay Area and beyond, including San Francisco-based Cake Ventures, Oakland-based Authentic Ventures and Black Operator Ventures, also based in Oakland.
“Access to capital is the biggest issue facing new businesses and entrepreneurs, and particularly business owners and entrepreneurs who come from underrepresented groups, such as people of color,” D. Steve Boland, Bank of America’s chief administrative officer, told the San Francisco Business Times. On a recent trip to San Francisco, he emphasized the bank’s efforts to finance women- and minority-owned businesses.
Last year, Bank of America also established Breakthrough Lab, an accelerator program for diverse entrepreneurs and their startups. The six-month program provides mentoring, digital expertise, networking with industry experts and access to potential investors for Black, Latino, Native American and entrepreneurs from other underrepresented communities so they can scale up their tech-related companies.
“Not only do we help them think about how they build their business plans and position themselves to attract capital, but in some cases, we’re actually connecting them to potential investors to be able to pitch their ideas,” Boland said.
A key advantage of Breakthrough Lab’s free program is that it doesn’t require that the participating startups give up equity.
Entrepreneurs participating in BofA’s Breakthrough Lab say raising capital, always a key challenge for any business, is more difficult for minority entrepreneurs.
“Emigrating from Ghana, if I’m not part of the right networks, how do I get someone to write a check?” said Evita Grant, founder and CEO of startup TecHustle, which provides financial services and payment technology so small businesses in Africa can trade globally.
“I look at the portfolio companies and what they’ve invested in, and I feel like the goalpost has shifted for me,” Grant said in recalling conversations she’s had with VCs. “Sometimes you go back to an investor who said ‘Do A and come back to me.’ You come back and say, ‘I’ve done A and B,’ and they say, ‘I’d really like to see C.’
“You go through these conversations, where you feel there are constantly moving goalposts and never someone writing the check,” said Grant, a lawyer who previously worked on intellectual property development at a major Silicon Valley law firm.
Another Bay Area startup participating in Breakthrough Lab is Inspirame, led by CEO Maria Medrano. The company’s technology, TecoGuide, is designed to help guide students through the college process so they can graduate as quickly and affordably as possible.
“I’ve seen the bias. I felt the bias, and I’ve seen what it does to perpetuate the systemic barriers that continue to exist,” said Medrano, who is of Mexican descent and a former executive at Google, Visa and Cisco.
Bank of America and other banks have long sought to serve communities that may have historically had difficulty accessing capital and credit. That effort includes BofA’s role as the largest investor in Community Development Financial Institutions, placing $2 billion of loans and investments in more than 200 of these Treasury-designated financial institutions that help promote lending in underserved communities.
“Some of these may not be loans we could make, but our (Community Development Financial Institutions) partners can make,” Boland said, adding that the bank has several arrows in its quiver to support women- and minority-owned businesses. “It’s not one silver bullet in terms of what works and will serve all of our diverse sets of clients and their needs, so we have a number of programs.
“We have a lot of partners on the ground, inside and outside the U.S., who are doing great work and capital is the need.”
Written in a LinkedIn post, “Every 1st Tuesday of the month I have a radio show on KSRO called “Raise the Roof” Yes, it has some roofing in it, but it’s really about uplighting others in our community in the trades world that are doing great things. Here’s last week’s show celebrating Womens’s History Month. https://lnkd.in/g9FqVrsF
As progressive as California is in so many ways, moving people around in an efficient manner isn’t one of its strengths. Case in point: the state’s limited rail service.
This creates a conundrum for North Bay tourism leaders who are conscientious of the negative environmental impact of more cars on the road, as well as the headaches of sitting in traffic. Add to that the difficulty for tourists to reach the popular destinations by car that lured them to Wine Country in the first place.
“We will always encourage people to use trains and public transportation as much as they can. It cuts down on emissions and in other ways keeps Sonoma County sustainable,” said Claudia Vecchio, president and CEO of Sonoma County Tourism. “Sometimes it’s difficult for travelers to figure how to incorporate those aspects into their trips.”
To help educate folks, her agency in January released an Instagram reel telling people about the public transit option from Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport. Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit’s SMART Connect, a small on-demand bus, takes people from the airport to the nearest SMART train station, and vice versa.
SMART has 12 stations in the two-county area. Plans are in the works books to build stations in Novato and as far north as Cloverdale.
Vecchio believes as the number of SMART train stations increase, and if future Amtrak bus routes were added, it would be ideal if they were within walking distance to Sonoma County’s popular town centers like downtown Santa Rosa and its nearby Railroad Square, Healdsburg Plaza, Old Downtown Windsor and Sonoma Plaza in the city of Sonoma.
Because rail service is limited in the North Bay, it’s not at the top of local tourism officials’ lists of transportation options to tout.
“Expanded service from Amtrak or even BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) would be a welcome topic among vested parties, but at this point I am not aware of any such discussion on the table,” said Linsey Gallagher, president and CEO of Visit Napa Valley.
Napa’s tourism agency, however, does reference rail travel in its 2023 and 2024 visitor guide magazines.
The current edition says, “Whether traveling from the Bay Area, the Central Valley or Bakersfield, Amtrak San Joaquins can get you to Napa Valley. Arrive at downtown Napa’s Soscol Gateway Transit Center in no time.”
Gallagher added, “In addition to the Amtrak San Joaquins service, the San Francisco–Vallejo ferry service is a very convenient mode of transportation for those travelers specifically coming in from the city.”
Speaking of Vallejo, visitors to Solano County have access to two Amtrak stations. Amtrak’s Fairfield–Vacaville station in Fairfield, which runs along the Capitol Corridor line, opened in November 2017. The Suisun–Fairfield station in Suisun City opened more than 100 years ago, in 1914.
To accommodate travelers in the North Bay where rail service isn’t available, Amtrak offers buses to get to the tracks. This is how Amtrak can boast of more than 150 destinations in California.
For example, an Amtrak bus takes people between downtown Napa and the Martinez train station. Another bus stops multiple places in Sonoma County.
In Marin County, other than the SMART train, public transportation options are even more limited because there are no Amtrak bus routes. The county also doesn’t have any BART trains because it opted out of being part of the Bay Area Rapid Transit system more than 50 years ago when it first opened in September 1972.
Other options for actual Amtrak train stations in the greater Bay Area include Antioch-Pittsburg, Berkeley, Emeryville, Fremont, Hayward, two in Oakland, San Jose and two in Santa Clara.
In total, California has the most Amtrak stations in the United States, with more than 70.
One of Amtrak’s issues is that it does not own any of the rails it uses. That is why expansion can be tricky.
Congress created Amtrak in 1970 to be responsible for most intercity rail service in the country after private companies were losing money. Even so, Amtrak has been operating with a deficit for most of those 50-plus years. Its future is always precarious because Congress controls its purse strings.
Caltrans, the state’s transportation department, is responsible for rail service. But its 2023 California State Rail Plan is a year behind in getting approved, with the final document expected to be released in March.
Money for rail projects across the United States was part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was passed in 2021. In December, $8.1 billion for passenger rail projects was released by the Federal Railroad Administration.
A half-million dollars of that larger pool is coming to Caltrans to help fund the connection of the Novato SMART train station to Amtrak’s depot in Suisun City. The entire project, at least as of projections from a 2019 study, has a price tag in the $1 billion range.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority will receive more than $3 billion of those federal dollars for the country’s first electrified 220 mph high-speed rail system, according to the state.
Ultimately, the high-speed train is slated to run from San Francisco to the Los Angeles area in less than three hours, with extension to Sacramento and San Diego. This will include 800 miles and possibly 24 stations.
Once built, it could be a reason for North Bay transit and tourism officials to find more ways to connect to those stations — for tourists, commuters and commerce.
Over thirty years ago, business leaders founded the North Bay Leadership Council on a simple premise: We can accomplish more by working together. Today, the Council includes 54 leading employers in the North Bay. Our members represent a wide variety of businesses, non-profits and educational institutions, with a workforce in excess of 25,000. As business and civic leaders, our goal is to promote sound public policy, innovation and sustainability to make our region a better place to live and work. For more information: Call 707.283.0028 / E-mail info@northbayleadership.org