Feb 15, 2018 - (DNP) Program at its School of Nursing. The new course is the only program of its kind in Solano County,
Vallejo News February 15, 2018 | Issue #327
2017 - Vallejo's Year in the Spotlight Business in Focus: The Up Bay Boom In July, the City of Vallejo was featured in the Business in Focus Magazine. The article focused on Vallejo as a place for opportunity and growth and highlighted Vallejo's strategic location, its long history, reasonably priced homes, the growing economy, and recreation opportunities. To read the article, click here. San Francisco Business Times: Choose Vallejo
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In This Issue Vallejo's Year in th e Spotligh t City In itiatives Hou sin g Update Mare Islan d Update
In September, the City of Vallejo was featured in a 24page insert in the San Francisco Business Times. The piece highlighted Vallejo as a prime location for investment, development and business growth. The featured stories included real estate and development opportunities as well as different industries that contribute to Vallejo's economy such as advanced manufacturing, marine technology, health care, craft beverage, film production and education. To view the digital version, click here. San Francisco Chronicle: Embrace the Vallejo Workplace In October, the City of Vallejo was featured in a 13-page spread in the San Francisco Chronicle Travel Section, which highlighted the City's tourism, recreation, entertainment and quality of life. Stories featured included downtown Vallejo, the growing craft beverage industry, the booming real estate market, and the burgeoning artist community. To view the digital version, click here. KTVU Feature's Mare Island Mare Island is composed of over one million square feet of existing buildings, including auditoriums, industrial buildings, executive offices, period residences and a historic naval chapel outfitted with Tiffany stained glass windows. In April, KTUV released a special on Mare Island highlighting the budding renaissance. The feature highlights the increased infrastructure and business development, continued environmental cleanup, and growing residential interest. In the video, viewers are reminded that the Island has a historic past, which serves as a backdrop to new opportunities, incoming Millennial-focused commercial businesses, and jobs. To view the KTUV spotlight, click here.
City Initiatives
High er Edu cation Bu sin ess Growth an d In vestmen t Vallejo in th e News Propel Vallejo New Bu sin esses 20 17 Bu sin ess Upgrades an d Ren ovation s In pu t & Su ggestion s
Vallejo in the News Mercury News - Vallejo, Hottest Real Estate Market New York Times - Does Race Matter in America's Most Diverse Zip Codes? North Bay Business Journal - Vallejo Seeks Commercial Developers San Francisco Chronicle - Vallejo's Real Estate Market San Francisco Chronicle - Wine Mogul to Transform Mare Island Techwire - High Speed Fiber Network Times Herald - Bublebee Film Transforms Vallejo into Movie Set Times Herald - Ferry Services Hit Record High
Ridership Times Herald - Jobs Numbers on Mare Island Wall Street Journal Google Bets on Modular Homes KTVU - Mare Island
Propel Vallejo Business Development Portal: ChooseVallejo.com In March, the City of Vallejo launched a new website, ChooseVallejo.com, to promote the local economy and provide a powerful tool for the community as well as businesses seeking to expand, relocate or start up in Vallejo. The website provides a powerful GIS mapping system, property database and full-spectrum business intelligence to empower and attract individuals and businesses. In addition to the real estate information, ChooseVallejo.com is also an excellent source for data, with user-friendly tools that allows users to research, map, and analyze demographics, consumer spending, talent pool, workforce, infrastructure, transportation, housing, businesses and industries. The intuitive tools and data infographics are very visual, allowing users to map, chart and graph complex data to make it easy to use and interpret. Research can be easily exported, emailed or shared on social media networks. ChooseVallejo.com will continue to be the centerpiece of a series of outreach and engagement campaigns to highlight the talent, location, and opportunities that exist in Vallejo and will serve as a permanent resource for the community. To view and explore the website,click here. Vallejo Net Fiber Lights up City's Internet Through a public-private partnership, the City launched a soft opening of its municipal fiber network in June. Operated by Inyo Networks Inc., the network provides reliable highspeed internet to businesses, public agencies, educational institutions, and non-profits in Vallejo for rates 75 percent lower than what current internet providers offer. The network will enable a connection of 10 gigabits per second, which is 65 times faster than the City's previous speed. For more information about pricing, click here. Amazon's Second Headquarters Earlier this year, Amazon announced its decision to create a second headquarter (HQ2) in the U.S. and in October Vallejo submitted a proposal to the internet giant for a potential campus along Vallejo's waterfront and on Mare Island. While the City may not be chosen for the new headquarter facility, the process allowed the City to promote sites available for development opportunities.
Housing Update Through 2017, Vallejo continued to top the list for Hottest Housing Markets in the United States. Vallejo ranked #1 on Realtor.com's "America's 20 Hottest Real Estate Markets" for seven months. The housing markets are factored by determining which markets have the most views on Realtor.com. See Realtor.com's hottest real estate
Since 2013, the City of Vallejo has been focusing efforts on completing a number of long-range planning initiatives, collectively referred to as Propel Vallejo, consisting of General Plan 2040, the Sonoma Boulevard Specific Plan (Specific Plan), the Development Code (previously known as the Zoning Code), and the associated Environmental Impact Report (EIR). After a nearly four-year planning process, including extensive review and public comment, Vallejo City Council adopted General Plan 2040 and the Specific Plan, and certified the associated EIR, on August 29, 2017.
General Plan 2040 and the Specific Plan provide a clear vision and strategy for the future growth and revitalization of the city, setting the stage for targeted City investments and private development. The objective of the two long -range plans, in combination with the new Development Code, is to communicate a clear, community-supported vision and simplify and streamline the development process.
markets of 2017 here. Additionally, Vallejo is continuing to see new housing developments: Lennar Homes The Tovero Housing Development by Lennar Homes on Mare Island is constructing 38 additional single family residences ranging from 2,975 to 3,600 square feet. The prices for these new homes range from $600,000 to $800,000. The next phase was approved for an additional 68 single family homes and seven multi-family town homes. For more information, click here. KB Homes KB Homes began construction on the next phase of the Waterstone/ Bordoni Ranch Development, located off Regents Parkway. The four plans range in size between 2,500 to 3,000 square feet. KB Homes is scheduled to construct 71 new single family homes. The Lodge at Glen Cove A new senior assisted living and memory care community will begin construction on an empty lot in Glen Cove. The new development will consist of 140-units between 350 to 900 square feet each. Plans include a dining hall, staff offices, a family dining area, library, salon, theater, nurse's office and separate memory care center.
Mare Island Update Factory_OS Establishes Roots in Vallejo In June, Lennar Mare Island (LMI) and Holliday Development announced that Factory_OS, a division of Holliday Development, will open a new manufacturing facility in historic Building 680 on Mare Island. Facotry_OS manufactures multifamily housing units in the 250,000-square foot space, offering a controlled environment where developers can complete their projects faster and at a lower cost than conventional construction. The primary goal of Factory_OS is to reduce the cost of housing for individuals and families and includes the involvement of UC Berkeley's Terner Center for Housing Innovation. Factory_OS is completing their first order of 300 units for Google employees that have been affected by the housing crisis in Silicon Valley. For more information, click here.
General Plan 2040 establishes a land use map and a comprehensive set of goals, policies and actions directing and supporting growth and development in Vallejo over the next 25 years (2040). The Specific Plan provides a vision for the revitalization of Sonoma Boulevard between Curtola Parkway and Redwood Street, focusing on improvements to both the public realm (generally, the street and sidewalk) and private development that fronts the street. The Development Code, with anticipated adoption in late 2018/early 2019, will fully implement General Plan 2040 and the Specific Plan, providing regulations for use, form, design, and compatibility of development as well as procedures and processes for improvements. For more information, please visit the Propel Vallejo website, here.
Newly Opened Businesses in 2017 Alan Kimelman - 4 Florida Street Aloha 1 Inc. - 4830 Sonoma Boulevard, Suite 345 America's Best Contacts & Eyeglasses - 173 Plaza Drive Ann's Beauty Spa - 2132 Springs Road AO Smog - 1975 Broadway Street
Mare Island Brewing Coal Shed Expansion Three years after opening their popular Taproom in the Vallejo Ferry Building, Mare Island Brewing Co. announced their expansion to the historic Mare Island Coal Sheds. The brewing company will expand into the two northern most sheds at 851 Waterfront Avenue, which were rehabilitated in November. The space includes a 7,911 square foot production facility, taproom and restaurant. The rehabilitation is part of a new waterfront promenade, providing a destination for visitors, diners and shoppers. For more information, click here.
A&R Auto Service - 2224 Sonoma Boulevard
Mare Island Ferry Service
Cakes by Karl - 1321 Springs Road
The San Francisco Bay Ferry service between Mare Island and Vallejo began in March with six weekday trips and four weekend trips per day. In July, Vallejo Ferry ridership hit a record high with over 100,000 passengers. During the fiscal year 2016-2017, there were 1 million riders overall. To accommodate the increased demand for ferry services, the Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) established a 2016 Strategic Plan that outlined a vision for 44 vessels, 16 terminals, 12
AR Beauty - 80 Redwood Street, Suite 30 Asia House Spa - 736 Tuolumne Street Ask-N Auto Sales Auto Connection Beds R Us - 2663 Springs Road
Caspian Auto Center - 1201 Tennessee Street Coach E's Thrift Store - 1922 Broadway Street Collins Realty - 310 Georgia Street Crystal Day Spa - 742 Tennessee Street
routes, and a 740 percent increase in peak capacity by 2035. In July, WETA began a rehabilitation project that would be completed in two separate phases and included a new warehouse, fuel canopy, site upgrade, a portal, and renovations of Buildings 165 and 165 A. For more information, click here. Film Mare Island Film Mare Island provides a diverse selection in film facilities for production companies looking to film in the Bay Area. Mare Island is composed of over one million square feet of existing buildings, including auditoriums, industrial buildings, executive offices, period residences and a historic naval chapel. Film Mare Island occupies over 200,000 square feet of space and supported the recent productions of the second season of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why and Transformers' spinoff Bumblebee. For more information, click here. LifeGear Design Nearly three years after relocating LifeGear Design, Inc. from Benicia to Mare Island, the company moved its headquarters from the historic officer's mansion to Building 117 in March. LifeGear more than doubled in size in 2017 and expects to see continued growth this upcoming year. "Our new office is much more practical, gives us plenty of room to grow and add employees, but also has a unique vibe with great views that fits with our company culture" says LifeGear President and Creative Director Magi Raible. LifeGear Design is the owner and distributor of LiteGear, a unique and innovative collection of travel bags and accessories that are lightweight, yet tough for extreme packing. For more information, visit their website, here. North Mare Island
Divinci Motors - 1600 Sonoma Boulevard DSW - 151 Plaza Drive El Tesoro Mazatlan - 658 Benicia Road Elite Motorsports - 631 Tennessee Street, Suite 208 Frontline Trades - 2103 Redwood Street, Suite 206 Ghost Town Body Arts - 402 Virginia Street GMP Cars Collision Vallejo - 850 Redwood Street Golden State Auto Sales - 320 Nebraska Street Great Nails - 2150 Springs Road Hybridworks Collision - 221 Commercial Street Jazzy Hair Care - 708 Ohio Street Jen Tough Gallery - 336 Georgia Street John's PC Repair & Rental - 2630 Sonoma Boulevard Kings Tires & Wheels - 1845 Springs Road Knuckle Up Training Center - 4380 Sonoma Boulevard, Suite 224 KT4U - 5140 Broadway Street
On December 12, the City released a Request for Qualifications for the commercial development of 157 acres on North Mare Island. The prime waterfront location has an approved Specific Plan allowing up to 1.2 million square feet of commercial, office, retail, or industrial space. The City is evaluating qualifications on an ongoing basis for all or part of the property, and is targeting anchor users or commercial developers that rely on long-term, sustainable employment. For more information, click here.
Higher Education As the home to three major institutions of higher learning, Vallejo is an educational hub for thousands of college students whom attend California State University Maritime Academy, Touro University, and Solano Community College. Each campus saw steady enrollment growth and program expansions in 2017. Touro University California In January, Touro University launched a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program at its School of Nursing. The new course is the only program of its kind in Solano County, and includes a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) track. The DNP/FNP program is an accelerated 19month course which combines online and traditional classroom courses to assist graduates in obtaining leadership roles. For more
Michael Postell - 631 Tennessee Street, Suite 208 MOD Pizza - 163 Plaza Drive Momentum Ram Truck Center - 1001 Admiral Callaghan Lane Moments Shared - 320 Georgia Street Mountain Mike's Pizza 972 Admiral Callaghan Lane Papa's Pies - 300 Virginia Street R&K Auto Restoration 1007 Branciforte Street RAD Autos - 111 Contra Costa Street Refresh Therapeutic Massage - 1411 Tennessee Street Rinconcito Salvadoreno 2200 Redwood Street Round Table Pizza - 750 Admiral Callaghan Lane
information on the DNP and other programs, visit their website.
Roy's Chili and Dogs - 526 Toulumne Street
Solano Community College Solano Community College (SCC) began accepting applications for their Bachelor of Science in Biomanufacturing program. The Biomanufacturing degree is part of the Baccalaureate Degree Pilot Program, where students with four-year Biomanufacturing degrees will be prepared to work in competitive, cutting-edge fields within the Biotechnology industry. SCC is the only community college in the North Bay to participate in the program. In September, SCC celebrated the grand opening of its new 31,000 square foot state-of-the-art Auto-Technology Building on North Ascot Parkway. The facility will support SCC's significant growth in its Automotive Technician Training Program. For more information about SCC courses, programs and facilities, click here. Cal Maritime Academy
Seronio Island Bred Martial Arts - 3467 Sonoma Boulevard, Suite 30 Sketchers USA - 946 Admiral Callaghan Lane Solano Tires & Wheels - 720 Florida St. Spellbound Permanent Makeup - 1416 Tennessee Street Springs Market - 2637 Springs Road TAJ Auto Group - 710 Toulumne Street The Loft - 8308 Bennington Court Ulta Beauty - 147 Plaza Drive Vallejo Vinyl - 537 Georgia Street Vecina's Mexican Restaurant - 1400 Tennessee Street
On April 22, the largest number of graduates in the history of California State University Maritime Academy received their diplomas. In all, 229 undergraduates and 17 graduates of the master's program crossed the stage. Cal Maritime has gained recognition for its highachieving graduates and its return on investment for students. The U.S. Department of Education data show that Cal Maritime alumni rank as the top-earning graduates of any public university in the state ten years after enrollment. A study by the Equality of Opportunity Project ranked Cal Maritime first in the state for raising students from the bottom 20 percent in family income to the top twenty percent. Established in 1929, Cal Maritime is the only degree-granting maritime academy on the West Coast, offering undergraduate degrees in engineering, transportation, global logistics, and other subjects, as well as a master's degree program in transportation and engineering management. For more information about California State University Maritime Academy, click here.
Business Growth and Investment Napa Smith Brewery
Wash Club - 485 Redwood Street Welcome Auto Repair 2030 Sacramento Street
2017 Business Upgrades and Renovations 1761 Broadway St - Interior improvements to medical office space 316 Georgia - Upgrades to foundation, electrical, windows, and ADA restroom 400 Mare Island Way Office space remodel 640 Tuolumne - Interior office space remodel DSW, Inc. - Interior renovations for new tenant
In April, Napa Smith Brewery, located at 101 Yolano Drive, opened a 3,084 sq. ft. Tap Room which includes an 1,800 square foot taproom that accommodates 119 people, 638 square feet of bar space, and 241 square feet of dedicated retail space. The new Tap Room also includes a mezzanine tasting patio and office space. For more information, visit their website. Savage & Cooke In April, Savage & Cooke was issued their building permit to begin renovation on historic Buildings 45 and 65 on Mare Island for the new 30,000 square foot distillery, expected to open in Spring 2018. The business was featured on the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle, which can be found here. Gateway Plaza Designer Shoe Warehouse
Enterprise Rent-A- Car ADA restroom addition Fitness Evolution Remodeled previous retail storefront to fitness center Hanger Clinic - Interior renovations Hiddenbrooke Garden Room - Interior and exterior renovations Kaiser OncologyRemodeled previous pharmacy into medical office space Kaiser Office Building Interior renovation for new
In August, Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW) opened its location at 151 Plaza Drive. The 15,674 square foot retail space occupies part of the former CVS store in the Gateway Plaza center. For more information, click here. Ulta Beauty Store A Temporary Certificate of Occupancy was issued to the new Ulta Beauty Store on September 21. Ulta Beauty Store is located at 147 Plaza Drive next to DSW in the remaining portion of the former CVS store. Ulta is 10,142 square feet and is currently open for business. For more information, click here. MOD Pizza MOD (Made on Demand) Pizza, located at 163 Plaza Drive, held their soft opening in December. This new 3,466 square foot casual dining restaurant includes indoor and outdoor seating and occupies the former Pasta Pomodoro. For more information on the restaurant, visit their website. Panera Bread In July, the planned development for a Panera Bread, located at 169 Plaza Dr., was approved. The 4,169 square foot causal dining restaurant will include indoor and outdoor seating and a drive-thru. Six Flags Discovery Kingdom Mixed Virtual Reality Roller Coaster In partnership with Samsung Electronics America, Inc., the Six Flags Entertainment Corporation announced plans to unveil The New Revolution Galactic Attack in February, which is the first mixed-reality experience rollercoaster. The new attraction will allow riders to wear Samsung Gear Virtual Reality headsets to make key decisions throughout the ride as they attempt to save the planet from an impending alien drone invasion. Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth In July, Six Flags Discovery Kingdom opened its newest thrill ride-Wonder Woman Lasso of Truth. The thrilling ride sends up to 40 riders 147 feet in the air at speeds of nearly 70 miles per hour while swinging back and forth and rotating counterclockwise. Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster In September, Six Flags submitted plans to construct the world's first dueling looping coaster-Harley Quinn Crazy Coaster. Two trains with up to 32 riders will experience an epic duel propelling backwards, forwards, and upside down at the same time. For more information on Six Flags Discovery Kingdom and its rides, click here. SolTrans CNG Fueling Facility Ground Breaking and Electric Bus Unveiling Event In March, Mayor Bob Sampayan was the Master of Ceremonies at SolTrans' groundbreaking ceremony for its Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Fueling Facility and the unveiling of SolTrans' first zero-emission electric buses. SolTrans is replacing its existing bus fleet with buses that run on compressed natural gas. Also on display were the new 100 percent electric buses, wrapped in an art mural by local artist Miro Salazar. Kaiser Permanente The Vallejo Kaiser Permanente Medical Center was named one of the nation's "Top Teaching Hospitals" according to the Leapfrog Group. Leapfrog is a nonprofit organization committed to developing positive change in health care, and is the nation's leading advocate of hospital transparency by collecting, analyzing and disseminating hospital data. "Teaching hospitals" are defined as medical centers with a documented affiliation agreement with a
office space La Clinica-Interior Improvements to medical office space Mare Island Brewing Co. Interior renovations for new brewery and restaurant Mike's Auto Body -Installed automotive spray booth MIRA Theater Guild Inc. Termite repair Olive Garden - Interior and exterior remodeling Planned Parenthood Interior renovation for new outpatient clinic Quality Inn - Added elevator, replaced signs, and reroof Rafael's Catering Replaced awning Round Table Pizza -Interior remodel for new restaurant Roy's Chili and Dogs Installed ice and soda machines Safeway (Admiral Callaghan Lane) Remodeled produce prep area Safeway (West Lincoln Road) - Replaced gasoline dispensers and remodeled produce prep area Skechers Outlet - Interior remodel for new tenant Sprint (Sonoma Boulevard) - Interior remodel The Thai Loft Fusion Remodeled kitchen Vallejo Symphony Office Remodeled restrooms to satisfy ADA standards For information regarding current major development projects and investment, the latest Summary of Development Activity can be viewed here. Previous summaries can be viewed on the front page of the Economic Development website.
medical school or participate in a number of approved, active residency programs. The "Top Hospital" list is comprised of a prestigious group of teaching and general medical centers in the United States. The Vallejo Kaiser Permanente Medical Center is one of five Kaiser Permanente Northern California centers named a "Top Teaching Hospital." Development Activity Every quarter, the Economic Development Division prepares a report of major investment and development projects totaling over $100,000. As of November 1, 2017, twenty-seven (27) projects were completed within the last year, twelve (12) were under planning review, fourteen (14) were being reviewed for building permits, and twenty-three (23) projects were under construction. To learn more about these activities and view the interactive map, click here.
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