May 5, 2004
Suisun City wants lighthouse
By Matthew Bunk
SUISUN CITY -- A project to rejuvinate the west side of Main Street will utilize a throw-back to the old styles that dominated the downtowns of the early part of this century, according to city plans unveiled Tuesday night at a workshop.
Also part of the plan, the city plans to build a 50-foot lighthouse at the head of the harbor to enhance the identity of Suisun City's waterfront. The city has considered spending $500,000 on the lighthouse, said Suisun City Mayor Jim Spering.
The lighthouse could be an icon for Main Street that helps to generate pedestrian traffic in an area of town that has not developed as quickly as city officials would have liked, Spering said.
The city's new vision for a retro atmosphere is based on the goal of creating unique small shops. It builds on the live-work concept of the existing waterfront development that combines retail shops and homes.
The concept would create an uninterrupted row of retail on the ground floor of each downtown block, with one or two stories of residential space directly above, according to plans presented by Roma Design Group.
First the city would build on large parcels of mostly undeveloped land along the marina area of Civic Center Drive. Three distinct land-use options were presented to the public, all calling for a conglomerate of residential and retail development. Two options would leave space for a hotel.
It would be a pilot project to gauge the interest of developers, contentment of residents and financial viability. If successful, the city said it would offer substantial incentives for Main Street business owners to redevelop their properties.
The parcel redevelopment and lighthouse projects could begin within a year, Spering said. It would be the second phase of a city campaign to rejuvinate the central business district and unite two areas of town.
The city will work with private developers to generate funding for a bulk of the project, said Randy Starbuck, Suisun economic development director. He said the city redevelopment agency has enough money to pay for public improvements.
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
Group that promotes biotech crops finds home in California
By MIKE LEE
Sacramento Bee
30-APR-04
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Starting in July, the University of California, Davis, becomes home to an initiative called the Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture. PIPRA is a collection of about 20 universities and philanthropic groups that united last summer to overcome the legal barriers that slow development of biotech crops.
PIPRA is funded by the McKnight Foundation of Minneapolis, Minn., and the Rockefeller Foundation of New York. The cost for the first three to five years of PIPRA is pegged at approximately $1 million.
The UC Davis role, made public Thursday, boosts its already considerable status in the world of ag biotechnology, and campus leaders quickly embraced PIPRA as an important part of the university's educational and research mission.
"We felt we had a public responsibility to this particular program because it would benefit the entire world," said Lynne Chronister, associate vice chancellor for research administration at UC Davis.
UC Davis was chosen from among four possible sites because it offered space, computers and administrative support for the infant operation, along with biotech expertise, said Rex Raimond, who helped manage the site-selection process as part of the consulting group Meridian Institute. The campus' start-up contribution is $75,000.
Alan Bennett, a UC intellectual property guru, was tapped to lead PIPRA during its first year.
"It's a high-profile organization and the campus takes some pride in hosting it," he said. "It's seen as an organization that can solve problems and really address the issues that have been out there."
The newly formed PIPRA advisory board at UC Davis includes Gurdev Khush, one of the world's foremost rice breeders; Kent Bradford, director of the Seed Biotechnology Center on campus; and Martina Newell-McGloughlin, director of the UC system-wide biotech program housed at Davis.
Biotech crops are rejected in spots around the world because of potential environmental or human health concerns that come with moving genes around in ways not possible in nature. For instance, Mendocino County banned the growing of genetically engineered crops in March.
(Distributed by Scripps-McClatchy Western Service, http://www.shns.com.)
Sacramento Bee
30-APR-04
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Starting in July, the University of California, Davis, becomes home to an initiative called the Public Intellectual Property Resource for Agriculture. PIPRA is a collection of about 20 universities and philanthropic groups that united last summer to overcome the legal barriers that slow development of biotech crops.
PIPRA is funded by the McKnight Foundation of Minneapolis, Minn., and the Rockefeller Foundation of New York. The cost for the first three to five years of PIPRA is pegged at approximately $1 million.
The UC Davis role, made public Thursday, boosts its already considerable status in the world of ag biotechnology, and campus leaders quickly embraced PIPRA as an important part of the university's educational and research mission.
"We felt we had a public responsibility to this particular program because it would benefit the entire world," said Lynne Chronister, associate vice chancellor for research administration at UC Davis.
UC Davis was chosen from among four possible sites because it offered space, computers and administrative support for the infant operation, along with biotech expertise, said Rex Raimond, who helped manage the site-selection process as part of the consulting group Meridian Institute. The campus' start-up contribution is $75,000.
Alan Bennett, a UC intellectual property guru, was tapped to lead PIPRA during its first year.
"It's a high-profile organization and the campus takes some pride in hosting it," he said. "It's seen as an organization that can solve problems and really address the issues that have been out there."
The newly formed PIPRA advisory board at UC Davis includes Gurdev Khush, one of the world's foremost rice breeders; Kent Bradford, director of the Seed Biotechnology Center on campus; and Martina Newell-McGloughlin, director of the UC system-wide biotech program housed at Davis.
Biotech crops are rejected in spots around the world because of potential environmental or human health concerns that come with moving genes around in ways not possible in nature. For instance, Mendocino County banned the growing of genetically engineered crops in March.
(Distributed by Scripps-McClatchy Western Service, http://www.shns.com.)
Cities work hard to keep up 'best-maintained streets'
May 2, 2004
Smoothing over rough edges
Cities work hard to keep up 'best-maintained streets'
By Barry Eberling
FAIRFIELD -- Spring is here and the time is right for filling potholes in the street.
That's just what Fairfield and Vacaville maintenance workers are doing. They are donning their orange vests, then going out to lay down that sealant and fill up those cracks.
After all, those two cities have a regional reputation to uphold.
Fairfield and Vacaville have among the best-maintained streets in the Bay Area, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission's 2003 "State of the System" report. They tied for eighth out of 102 cities and counties.
What this means for residents is some of the smoothest drives in the region - and fewer trips to the mechanic to get their cars put back into alignment.
"The city of Vacaville does put a priority on street maintenance," Public Works Project Engineer James Loomis said.
But there's a huge chuckhole on the road to further improvements - funding for pavement problems in coming years is expected to fall far short of the need.
Transportation leaders estimate Solano County and its cities will need $938 million over 25 years to maintain 1,600 miles of road. About $465 million should be available.
That's half a loaf.
Keeping a road renaissance under way isn't easy. But local cities are going to try, with a slew of projects planned for this spring and summer.
After all, spring is in the air - and so is the smell of asphalt and road sealants.
Fairfield
Fairfield 15 years ago tried a new method of sealing streets with a mixture of asphalt and rubber.
That test area east of North Texas Street is still holding out. The mixture seals the street and is flexible, so it doesn't crack, Fairfield Street Manager Bill Norvas said.
Fairfield in recent years began using the method more. Norvas credits it as one reason for the city's eighth-place Bay Area road rating.
"The life you get out of it is amazing," Norvas said.
Putting down this rubberized chip seal costs $4 a square yard. That compares to reconstructing a street at $20 a square yard.
"It's cost-effective," Norvas said.
The top priority maintenance project this summer is the Travis Boulevard overcrossing of Interstate 80, Norvas said. The overcrossing at Suisun Valley and Pittman roads is also high on the list, he said.
He has a tentative list of further projects, but is uncertain how far the city's money will go. Part of that will depend on the upcoming budget sessions.
"I'd love to be able to do them all," Norvas said. "If we can't, some of them will get done and some of them won't."
Fairfield last summer said it planned to average spending $2.8 million annually on street maintenance through the decade.
But state budget woes may cost the city about $250,000 annually, Finance Director Bob Leland. Grants for major street renovations could also be in jeopardy.
Even that $2.8 million is far short of Fairfield's stated ideal of $4 million annually. This ideal will likely have to wait for better fiscal times.
"That is quite a reach," Leland said.
Vacaville
City road workers divide the city into 12 sections. Each year, they tackle the roads in a few of these sections.
This year, they are repairing streets in the Leisure Town Road area. Loomis isn't expecting any drastic repairs will be needed.
"These areas are fairly new in the city," he said.
Repairs will be done in an area west of Leisure Town Road, east of Nut Tree Road, south of Interstate 80 and north of Alamo Drive, with a few more areas to the south. Work is expected to cost about $800,000.
Vacaville has other road projects planned, as well. It will resurface Orange Drive from Lawrence Drive to Leisure Town Road.
Orange Drive, which is home to the city's auto mall, won't close down, Loomis said. The contractor will keep lanes open, he said.
Other Vacaville road projects have nothing to do with maintenance. For example, the city hopes this summer to reconstruct the Leisure Town Road interchange at a cost of $25 million. It will turn the road from two lanes to six lanes to accommodate a growing population and business district.
Suisun City
Suisun City ranked 75th on the Bay Area roads condition list.
The big road project this summer will be turning two-lane Walters Road into a four-lane segment of the Jepson Parkway. The $5 million project will take place from Bella Vista Drive to East Tabor Avenue.
There had been talk of doing the new road last year, but the project got delayed.
But there's good news for motorist - Walters Road won't be shut down during construction. Workers will build the four-lane road next to the existing two-lane version, with the latter ultimately becoming a frontage road.
Suisun City plans to spend about $600,000 on various road maintenance projects, Acting Public Works Director Gary Cullen said.
One goal is to smooth out Walnut, Maple and Elmwood streets to create better drainage, he said. The streets have settled unevenly.
A similar situation exists on Whispering Bay Lane, where a hump goes across the street and blocks drainage. The city will try to get rid of the hump.
Then there's slurry seal projects in various parts of town. That will probably be done in August and September, Cullen said.
Most slurry seal turns gray over time and people feel like the road is getting old, Cullen said. But Suisun City uses black rocks that stay black.
"It's pretty good for the appearance of the street," Cullen said.
Dixon
Dixon ranked 29th among Bay Area cities and plans to spend $600,000 this summer on street maintenance.
North Lincoln Street between Highway 113 and Stratford will get sealing work done on it. So will Industrial Way. Various streets in the older, downtown section will get varying degrees of maintenance work.
"Some of them are in fair condition," Associate Engineer Danny Uppal said. "Some are very bad."
Most of the work will be done in the late summer, he said.
Benicia ranked 25th among 102 Bay Area cities and counties in road conditions, Rio Vista 82nd and Vallejo 93rd. The rural county ranked 62nd.
Reach Barry Eberling at 425-4646 Ext. 232 or at beberling@dailyrepublic.net.
Constructing Cordelia -- Developments make it the county's 'boom area'
May 1, 2004
Constructing Cordelia -- Developments make it the county's 'boom area'
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- When the city first decided to harness the commercial potential of the Cordelia area, only a few homes were strewn across the rural countryside. Looking at the area now, after several years of exclusive attention from city planners, it's difficult to imagine a sleepy, undeveloped valley.
Elaborate office buildings are splayed across the countryside and retailers now clamor for prime spots along the freeway. Situated at one of California's most cursed traffic bottlenecks, the intersection of interstates 80 and 680, the core of Cordelia and lower Green Valley has become a pit stop for commuters.
For that reason, and because it has a generous amount of prime residential acreage, the area has developed into a thriving hub.
The commercial structure didn't immediately burst into existence. Instead, it grew deliberately at first and in stages. Mostly it followed residential development, today with a base population significant enough to attract and sustain retail business.
Frenzied construction reached a peak in 2003 as developers put up more than 180,000 square feet of office space. Most major projects were built within the last decade.
Fairfield started to push growth more than 20 years ago by annexing 2,637 acres in lower Green Valley. In July 1983, the city formed a redevelopment district that allowed it to collect incremental taxes and buy land through a redevelopment agency for later commercial use.
The city agency at one time was the largest landowner in the area. It held more than 250 acres of land, which it purchased in separate deals for about $17 million. After selling chunks to developers for two large business parks, the city still owns 78 acres in the Green Valley Corporate and Green Valley Office parks.
Recently, the city agency sold a 1.6-acre parcel to a developer who said it will be used for an Applebee's restaurant, Bank of America, Pet Club and a 10,000-square-foot retail center. The parcel is next to Costco, which also sold some of its undeveloped property in the three-party land deal.
The city agency got $200,000 for its parcel, a strip of land the city planned to use to widen I-80 but later decided against. The redevelopment property generally has been sold at or below market value to developers who conform to the city's tenant and structural requirements. In many cases, the city mandates a time frame for construction.
Although the city doesn't develop land itself, it generally controls what can be built in redevelopment districts, said Joe Lucchio, city economic development project manager.
"The city had a vision for what should go out there," said Lucchio, who has worked on the Cordelia Project Area for almost 10 years. "The whole purpose of redevelopment is to get what you want."
Retailers lured by growth
More retail space will become available when developers get further along in their master plans, which in some cases call for dozens more office buildings and retail centers. But right now, lower Green Valley doesn't have any newly constructed retail facilities waiting to be filled, said Deb Karpo, retail broker for Colliers International.
The next large retail project will be on land bordering I-80 on the north, Karpo said. The property, owned by Harvey Shein, had been a part of a 24-acre parcel occupied by a truck stop. The truck stop was destroyed last year, and the city purchased seven acres for roadway improvements.
The remaining 17 acres has been planned as a mixed-use project, with both retail and high-density residential development.
"The property is very visible," Karpo said. "There's a lot of different options for the land out there, and it's got some great frontage."
Future retail opportunities in the area will be limited only by the amount of land designated for that type of use and the city's insistence on controlling what type of businesses are welcome, Karpo said.
Even so, space has filled fast, she added.
"There are a lot of moving parts right now," she said. "It's hard to announce anything, because everything changes so quickly and some of it isn't nailed down yet."
Office development feels Bay Area slowdown
Developers who lease office complexes have slowed plans to build more office facilities until supply dwindles, meantime concentrating on red-hot retail projects.
It seems a glut of office space in other Bay Area communities has cut off demand for offices here, even in the city's fastest-growing area.
"The leasing market for offices has been slow," said Tim Schroeder, vice president of Quadrangle Development. "The Bay Area economy has impacted us. Vacancies in Concord, Walnut Creek and Pleasanton affect our market here."
Rather than start construction immediately on a third office building on its land in the Green Valley Corporate Park, Quadrangle has decided to put it off until next year, Schroeder said. The company still has empty space in its first multi-tenant office building, although a recent lease agreement will bring their vacancy to less than 3 percent.
Office space will fill first in the Bay Area, then demand will increase in outlying areas, Lucchio said.
"So it's not going to develop here as quickly," he said.
Quadrangle still plans to begin construction of a Marriott-based Extended Stay hotel and a restaurant later this year, Schroeder said. Both buildings have been included in the Green Valley Corporate Park master plan, which calls for more than 20 buildings on 132-acres of land.
Venture Corporation said it will build four buildings for office condos later this year at the Green Valley Corporate Park.
Construction will begin this summer, and the properties are expected to hit the market before winter, said Robert Eves, president of Venture.
"The site plan is complete," he said. "Construction will take six months. We'll just put 'em up."
Selling office space, rather than leasing, gives Venture an edge in the market, Eves said.
Garaventa Properties, owner of the 122-acre Fairfield Corporate Commons, may build another facility later this year, although no plans have been submitted to the city, Lucchio said. Garaventa already has one office building in the Commons, but the next one reportedly will be a retail center.
Homes first, commerce follows
The original smattering of homes in old Cordelia and the early residential developments at Cordelia Villages were miles away from the nearest shopping centers in Vallejo and Fairfield. Residents at the time often complained about commuting for groceries, said Bob Rossi, a spokesman for Seeno Homes, a longtime homebuilder in Cordelia Villages.
"Twenty years ago homeowners were wondering why there were no supermarkets," Rossi said. "But nobody builds a store that size and then hangs a 'For Rent' sign on the door. Until enough people live in the area, a supermarket won't just move in."
Price Club, now Costco, opened in the early 1990s as the first major retailer in the greater Cordelia area. Ethan Allen followed in 1997 as the area's first clothier, and later projects included Safeway, TJ Maxx and several retail stores in Green Valley Crossing.
Napa Tahoe Specialty Development oversaw the 167,000-square-foot Green Valley Crossing project, which reached near capacity within two years. Napa Tahoe also was the purchaser in the recent land deal with the city agency and Costco.
Napa Tahoe immediately sold two of the four parcels, one to Applebee's and the other to Pet Club. It plans to lease one piece to Bank of America and keep one for the retail center, a company official said.
"I'm bullish about (lower Green Valley)," said Richard Heller of Napa Tahoe.
The 4,000 homes in the area should provide a consistent base of shoppers, retailers said. Millions of weekly commuters and the projected creation of up to 4,000 new office jobs provide retailers with plenty of targets, Karpo said.
"Retail has been more stable than the office market," Karpo said.
Dwindled interest in office space hasn't shaken the city's confidence in its painstakingly developed Cordelia Area Project, which has become a pet project of planners. It also has retained favor among brokers as a showcase when trying to sell or lease property.
"It's the boom area of Solano County," said Steve Spencer of Premier Commercial. "It's been touted for years, and all the streets and infrastructure are set for massive growth."
Some residents who bought homes before offices sprouted say they want construction to stop.
"Enough is enough," said Ruth Clawson, a lower Green Valley homeowner for 10 years. "We bought here partly because of the rural nature of the area. We knew then that it would be developed, but this is going to be higher density than we originally were told."
Traffic makes it difficult to get from one side of the interstate to the other, said Monica Brown, a teacher at Green Valley Middle School who has owned a home in Cordelia since 1991.
"Adding office space and retail in Green Valley doesn't help me if I can't get to the other side of the interstate," Brown said. "The practical part of me says it's good because it brings higher paying jobs, but that drives up home prices to the point that our children won't be able to afford to buy a home here.
"The other part of me wants to preserve open space."
When the city first took over the Cordelia redevelopment, the land was considered "blight," a somewhat unfair description for green, rolling hillsides and farmland. Even Lucchio doesn't like to call it that.
"There actually isn't much that anyone could have considered blight in Cordelia," Lucchio said. "What the redevelopment agency did could be called parcel assemblage to make the property usable."
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Constructing Cordelia -- Developments make it the county's 'boom area'
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- When the city first decided to harness the commercial potential of the Cordelia area, only a few homes were strewn across the rural countryside. Looking at the area now, after several years of exclusive attention from city planners, it's difficult to imagine a sleepy, undeveloped valley.
Elaborate office buildings are splayed across the countryside and retailers now clamor for prime spots along the freeway. Situated at one of California's most cursed traffic bottlenecks, the intersection of interstates 80 and 680, the core of Cordelia and lower Green Valley has become a pit stop for commuters.
For that reason, and because it has a generous amount of prime residential acreage, the area has developed into a thriving hub.
The commercial structure didn't immediately burst into existence. Instead, it grew deliberately at first and in stages. Mostly it followed residential development, today with a base population significant enough to attract and sustain retail business.
Frenzied construction reached a peak in 2003 as developers put up more than 180,000 square feet of office space. Most major projects were built within the last decade.
Fairfield started to push growth more than 20 years ago by annexing 2,637 acres in lower Green Valley. In July 1983, the city formed a redevelopment district that allowed it to collect incremental taxes and buy land through a redevelopment agency for later commercial use.
The city agency at one time was the largest landowner in the area. It held more than 250 acres of land, which it purchased in separate deals for about $17 million. After selling chunks to developers for two large business parks, the city still owns 78 acres in the Green Valley Corporate and Green Valley Office parks.
Recently, the city agency sold a 1.6-acre parcel to a developer who said it will be used for an Applebee's restaurant, Bank of America, Pet Club and a 10,000-square-foot retail center. The parcel is next to Costco, which also sold some of its undeveloped property in the three-party land deal.
The city agency got $200,000 for its parcel, a strip of land the city planned to use to widen I-80 but later decided against. The redevelopment property generally has been sold at or below market value to developers who conform to the city's tenant and structural requirements. In many cases, the city mandates a time frame for construction.
Although the city doesn't develop land itself, it generally controls what can be built in redevelopment districts, said Joe Lucchio, city economic development project manager.
"The city had a vision for what should go out there," said Lucchio, who has worked on the Cordelia Project Area for almost 10 years. "The whole purpose of redevelopment is to get what you want."
Retailers lured by growth
More retail space will become available when developers get further along in their master plans, which in some cases call for dozens more office buildings and retail centers. But right now, lower Green Valley doesn't have any newly constructed retail facilities waiting to be filled, said Deb Karpo, retail broker for Colliers International.
The next large retail project will be on land bordering I-80 on the north, Karpo said. The property, owned by Harvey Shein, had been a part of a 24-acre parcel occupied by a truck stop. The truck stop was destroyed last year, and the city purchased seven acres for roadway improvements.
The remaining 17 acres has been planned as a mixed-use project, with both retail and high-density residential development.
"The property is very visible," Karpo said. "There's a lot of different options for the land out there, and it's got some great frontage."
Future retail opportunities in the area will be limited only by the amount of land designated for that type of use and the city's insistence on controlling what type of businesses are welcome, Karpo said.
Even so, space has filled fast, she added.
"There are a lot of moving parts right now," she said. "It's hard to announce anything, because everything changes so quickly and some of it isn't nailed down yet."
Office development feels Bay Area slowdown
Developers who lease office complexes have slowed plans to build more office facilities until supply dwindles, meantime concentrating on red-hot retail projects.
It seems a glut of office space in other Bay Area communities has cut off demand for offices here, even in the city's fastest-growing area.
"The leasing market for offices has been slow," said Tim Schroeder, vice president of Quadrangle Development. "The Bay Area economy has impacted us. Vacancies in Concord, Walnut Creek and Pleasanton affect our market here."
Rather than start construction immediately on a third office building on its land in the Green Valley Corporate Park, Quadrangle has decided to put it off until next year, Schroeder said. The company still has empty space in its first multi-tenant office building, although a recent lease agreement will bring their vacancy to less than 3 percent.
Office space will fill first in the Bay Area, then demand will increase in outlying areas, Lucchio said.
"So it's not going to develop here as quickly," he said.
Quadrangle still plans to begin construction of a Marriott-based Extended Stay hotel and a restaurant later this year, Schroeder said. Both buildings have been included in the Green Valley Corporate Park master plan, which calls for more than 20 buildings on 132-acres of land.
Venture Corporation said it will build four buildings for office condos later this year at the Green Valley Corporate Park.
Construction will begin this summer, and the properties are expected to hit the market before winter, said Robert Eves, president of Venture.
"The site plan is complete," he said. "Construction will take six months. We'll just put 'em up."
Selling office space, rather than leasing, gives Venture an edge in the market, Eves said.
Garaventa Properties, owner of the 122-acre Fairfield Corporate Commons, may build another facility later this year, although no plans have been submitted to the city, Lucchio said. Garaventa already has one office building in the Commons, but the next one reportedly will be a retail center.
Homes first, commerce follows
The original smattering of homes in old Cordelia and the early residential developments at Cordelia Villages were miles away from the nearest shopping centers in Vallejo and Fairfield. Residents at the time often complained about commuting for groceries, said Bob Rossi, a spokesman for Seeno Homes, a longtime homebuilder in Cordelia Villages.
"Twenty years ago homeowners were wondering why there were no supermarkets," Rossi said. "But nobody builds a store that size and then hangs a 'For Rent' sign on the door. Until enough people live in the area, a supermarket won't just move in."
Price Club, now Costco, opened in the early 1990s as the first major retailer in the greater Cordelia area. Ethan Allen followed in 1997 as the area's first clothier, and later projects included Safeway, TJ Maxx and several retail stores in Green Valley Crossing.
Napa Tahoe Specialty Development oversaw the 167,000-square-foot Green Valley Crossing project, which reached near capacity within two years. Napa Tahoe also was the purchaser in the recent land deal with the city agency and Costco.
Napa Tahoe immediately sold two of the four parcels, one to Applebee's and the other to Pet Club. It plans to lease one piece to Bank of America and keep one for the retail center, a company official said.
"I'm bullish about (lower Green Valley)," said Richard Heller of Napa Tahoe.
The 4,000 homes in the area should provide a consistent base of shoppers, retailers said. Millions of weekly commuters and the projected creation of up to 4,000 new office jobs provide retailers with plenty of targets, Karpo said.
"Retail has been more stable than the office market," Karpo said.
Dwindled interest in office space hasn't shaken the city's confidence in its painstakingly developed Cordelia Area Project, which has become a pet project of planners. It also has retained favor among brokers as a showcase when trying to sell or lease property.
"It's the boom area of Solano County," said Steve Spencer of Premier Commercial. "It's been touted for years, and all the streets and infrastructure are set for massive growth."
Some residents who bought homes before offices sprouted say they want construction to stop.
"Enough is enough," said Ruth Clawson, a lower Green Valley homeowner for 10 years. "We bought here partly because of the rural nature of the area. We knew then that it would be developed, but this is going to be higher density than we originally were told."
Traffic makes it difficult to get from one side of the interstate to the other, said Monica Brown, a teacher at Green Valley Middle School who has owned a home in Cordelia since 1991.
"Adding office space and retail in Green Valley doesn't help me if I can't get to the other side of the interstate," Brown said. "The practical part of me says it's good because it brings higher paying jobs, but that drives up home prices to the point that our children won't be able to afford to buy a home here.
"The other part of me wants to preserve open space."
When the city first took over the Cordelia redevelopment, the land was considered "blight," a somewhat unfair description for green, rolling hillsides and farmland. Even Lucchio doesn't like to call it that.
"There actually isn't much that anyone could have considered blight in Cordelia," Lucchio said. "What the redevelopment agency did could be called parcel assemblage to make the property usable."
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Suisun City's West Side Redevelopment Story
May 1, 2004
Suisun City's west side redevelopment story
By Ian Thompson
SUISUN CITY -- Residents can learn about the city's plans to rejuvenate Main Street's west side at a public workshop hosted by the Suisun City Redevelopment Agency Tuesday.
City officials wouldn't discuss specifics, but Redevelopment Director Randy Starbuck said "there are a lot of really great ideas" people need to see. Roma Design Group, a consulting firm Mayor Jim Spering has met with, will present a number of alternatives.
The overall goal is to entice private businesses into the second phase of the city's campaign to rejuvenate Suisun City's old town.
An advisory group of homeowners, developers, business members and city officials will discuss the ideas to see which will be the most effective, Starbuck said.
Earlier this year, the agency met with residents and business groups such as the Waterfront Business Improvement District to talk about what they want to see done.
The agency is pushing forward what its leaders call the Downtown Phase II plan to jump-start redevelopment of Main Street's west side.
In the past, the agency poured millions into improving the waterfront area from Victorian Harbor to Main Street in an attempt to bring in new businesses.
Main Street's west side has largely been overshadowed by the extensive waterfront projects with the exception of the Railroad Plaza and the train station.
City leaders had hoped that massive waterfront redevelopment with new buildings, parking lots, a new marina and new businesses would inspire economic growth on the west side.
With few exceptions, that failed despite the repeated agency efforts that largely included offering loans to renovate storefront facades.
The Tuesday presentation will include not only ideas Roma created, but a lot of ideas from residents and the business community, Starbuck said.
Starbuck expects the Downtown Phase II plan will come together quickly because "we want to see some of these things start coming out of the ground in 2005."
Starbuck will look for private sector funding to drive the project forward but said the agency has the money to pay for whatever public improvements are needed.
The Suisun City Council, Redevelopment Agency, Planning Commission, and Parks and Recreation Commission meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Suisun City Council chamber, 701 Civic Center Blvd.
Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.
At a glance
Who: Suisun City Council, Redevelopment Agency, Planning Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission
What: Workshop on plans to rejuvenate growth on the west side of Main Street.
Where: Suisun City Council Chamber
When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
Info: 421-7309
Suisun City's west side redevelopment story
By Ian Thompson
SUISUN CITY -- Residents can learn about the city's plans to rejuvenate Main Street's west side at a public workshop hosted by the Suisun City Redevelopment Agency Tuesday.
City officials wouldn't discuss specifics, but Redevelopment Director Randy Starbuck said "there are a lot of really great ideas" people need to see. Roma Design Group, a consulting firm Mayor Jim Spering has met with, will present a number of alternatives.
The overall goal is to entice private businesses into the second phase of the city's campaign to rejuvenate Suisun City's old town.
An advisory group of homeowners, developers, business members and city officials will discuss the ideas to see which will be the most effective, Starbuck said.
Earlier this year, the agency met with residents and business groups such as the Waterfront Business Improvement District to talk about what they want to see done.
The agency is pushing forward what its leaders call the Downtown Phase II plan to jump-start redevelopment of Main Street's west side.
In the past, the agency poured millions into improving the waterfront area from Victorian Harbor to Main Street in an attempt to bring in new businesses.
Main Street's west side has largely been overshadowed by the extensive waterfront projects with the exception of the Railroad Plaza and the train station.
City leaders had hoped that massive waterfront redevelopment with new buildings, parking lots, a new marina and new businesses would inspire economic growth on the west side.
With few exceptions, that failed despite the repeated agency efforts that largely included offering loans to renovate storefront facades.
The Tuesday presentation will include not only ideas Roma created, but a lot of ideas from residents and the business community, Starbuck said.
Starbuck expects the Downtown Phase II plan will come together quickly because "we want to see some of these things start coming out of the ground in 2005."
Starbuck will look for private sector funding to drive the project forward but said the agency has the money to pay for whatever public improvements are needed.
The Suisun City Council, Redevelopment Agency, Planning Commission, and Parks and Recreation Commission meet at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Suisun City Council chamber, 701 Civic Center Blvd.
Reach Ian Thompson at 427-6976 or at ithompson@dailyrepublic.net.
At a glance
Who: Suisun City Council, Redevelopment Agency, Planning Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission
What: Workshop on plans to rejuvenate growth on the west side of Main Street.
Where: Suisun City Council Chamber
When: 6:30 p.m. Tuesday
Info: 421-7309
North Valley Bancorp Acquires Yolo Bank
Business
April 26, 2004
North Valley acquires Yolo Bank
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Yolo Community Bank, with locations in Roseville, Fairfield and Woodland, will be acquired by North Valley Bancorp, the companies announced April 26.
Privately-hold Yolo Community Bank will keep its name under the agreement and will become a subsidiary of North Valley Bancorp, a company with assets of $730 million.
Yolo Community Bank shareholders will receive $9.5 million in cash and 741,000 shares of North Valley Bancorp's common stock. The deal was valued at $23.4 million for the $105 million Yolo Community Bank.
North Valley's stock was valued at $17.09 a share before the deal was announced. It closed Friday at $16.83.
The company will operate 23 branches with $835 million in assets.
Directors for both companies unanimously approved the deal, which is expected to close in the third quarter of this year, North Valley Bancorp said.
John DiMichele, president and CEO of Yolo Community Bank, will continue in those roles and will become vice president of the Yolo Community Bank holding company, said Mark Day, of Yolo Community Bank. DiMichele said being taken over was not part of the company's original plan.
"Although this is a departure from our original vision of staying independent, we are very excited about this new partnership," DiMichele said.
North Valley Bancorp wanted to open a branch office in Woodland, and this works out better, said Michael Cushman, company president and CEO.
"This partnership is a wonderful opportunity to gain entry into two key markets in addition to Woodland," Cushman said, "and avoid the dilutive affect of a de novo branch."
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
April 26, 2004
North Valley acquires Yolo Bank
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Yolo Community Bank, with locations in Roseville, Fairfield and Woodland, will be acquired by North Valley Bancorp, the companies announced April 26.
Privately-hold Yolo Community Bank will keep its name under the agreement and will become a subsidiary of North Valley Bancorp, a company with assets of $730 million.
Yolo Community Bank shareholders will receive $9.5 million in cash and 741,000 shares of North Valley Bancorp's common stock. The deal was valued at $23.4 million for the $105 million Yolo Community Bank.
North Valley's stock was valued at $17.09 a share before the deal was announced. It closed Friday at $16.83.
The company will operate 23 branches with $835 million in assets.
Directors for both companies unanimously approved the deal, which is expected to close in the third quarter of this year, North Valley Bancorp said.
John DiMichele, president and CEO of Yolo Community Bank, will continue in those roles and will become vice president of the Yolo Community Bank holding company, said Mark Day, of Yolo Community Bank. DiMichele said being taken over was not part of the company's original plan.
"Although this is a departure from our original vision of staying independent, we are very excited about this new partnership," DiMichele said.
North Valley Bancorp wanted to open a branch office in Woodland, and this works out better, said Michael Cushman, company president and CEO.
"This partnership is a wonderful opportunity to gain entry into two key markets in addition to Woodland," Cushman said, "and avoid the dilutive affect of a de novo branch."
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Solano Community College Plans to Expand Biotechnology Program
Business
May 2, 2004
Teaching to the market's demands--Solano Community College plans to expand biotechnology program
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Anticipating a need for technicians in the regional biotech industry, Solano Community College has decided to expand its 7-year-old biotech training program, administrators said Wednesday.
The college plans to hire a new biotech professor before the fall semester and is considering offering a second biotech class, said Dave Redfield, dean of math and science. He said the college also has been exploring a partnership with the science department at University of California, Davis, another training ground for regional biotech firms.
The goal is to double the number of students enrolled in the biotech program, said Jim DeKloe, biotech professor at SCC. In recent years, the program has averaged about 20 students a semester.
"We're trying to ramp up," DeKloe said. "Our pipeline hasn't been big enough to meet the needs of regional industry."
Since Genentech, the world's No. 2 biotech firm, announced plans for a $600 million expansion of its Vacaville manufacturing facility, college administrators have been scoping out opportunities to meet the company's future employment needs. Genentech estimated it would need 500 more workers by 2009 when the expansion becomes operational.
Chiron, another Vacaville biotech manufacturer, is also undergoing a $20 million expansion that will increase its workforce capacity.
In all there are four biotech companies in Vacaville, three of which recruit locally. Beyond that, SCC students have unequaled opportunities for job placement in the core of the Bay Area, which hosts the largest biotech cluster in the world.
"Not only are we thinking about how we can put 500 students here in the next five years, but we're looking to the Bay Area," DeKloe said. "A lot of the companies there are moving toward manufacturing, and their needs will be for technicians, not (research and development)."
DeKloe, who has in the past gone on sabbatical to probe the industry's employee needs, said he will be leaving again for a year to study with biotech businesses. He doesn't expect to teach this fall or in the spring semester.
His planned return to SCC next year - he says he has every intention of coming back - will then double the biotech teaching staff, said Dave Redfield, dean of math and science. The name of the new instructor will be released following hiring approval from the college Board of Trustees, Redfield said.
"The idea, while (DeKloe) is doing additional training, is to keep identical curriculum," Redfield said. Any new curriculum would be determined when DeKloe returns, he said.
The biotech curriculum at SCC focuses on production training for students who will go on to positions in manufacturing divisions. The college provides some research and development training, but those positions often require post-graduate degrees.
Some SCC biotech students enroll in the program after earning baccalaureate degrees because they lack technical training, DeKloe said.
"A lot of graduates, some from major universities, have knowledge but no skills," he said. "They get that training here and then go out and find a job, sometimes before they complete the program."
The biotech program adds equipment on an ongoing basis and has started to shift slightly toward research and development instruction. Some of the incubator equipment used in the biotech lab, a smaller version of the kind used by biotech firms, costs more than $200,000, DeKloe said.
"It really does replicate the industry," he said of the program he started in 1997 in what had been the old metal shop at the campus vocational building.
Continuous improvements have transformed the shop into a full-scale lab with room to expand. College spending, corporate donations and grants pay for equipment upgrades that amount to "tens of thousands of dollars" every year, DeKloe said.
Other small colleges have balked at introducing similar curriculum. Price intimidates them, despite more opportunities for student job placement, DeKloe said.
"We've done the obvious, which often is most elusive," he said. "We went to industry and asked what they needed in terms of training. We gave them a clean slate and they filled it."
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
May 2, 2004
Teaching to the market's demands--Solano Community College plans to expand biotechnology program
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Anticipating a need for technicians in the regional biotech industry, Solano Community College has decided to expand its 7-year-old biotech training program, administrators said Wednesday.
The college plans to hire a new biotech professor before the fall semester and is considering offering a second biotech class, said Dave Redfield, dean of math and science. He said the college also has been exploring a partnership with the science department at University of California, Davis, another training ground for regional biotech firms.
The goal is to double the number of students enrolled in the biotech program, said Jim DeKloe, biotech professor at SCC. In recent years, the program has averaged about 20 students a semester.
"We're trying to ramp up," DeKloe said. "Our pipeline hasn't been big enough to meet the needs of regional industry."
Since Genentech, the world's No. 2 biotech firm, announced plans for a $600 million expansion of its Vacaville manufacturing facility, college administrators have been scoping out opportunities to meet the company's future employment needs. Genentech estimated it would need 500 more workers by 2009 when the expansion becomes operational.
Chiron, another Vacaville biotech manufacturer, is also undergoing a $20 million expansion that will increase its workforce capacity.
In all there are four biotech companies in Vacaville, three of which recruit locally. Beyond that, SCC students have unequaled opportunities for job placement in the core of the Bay Area, which hosts the largest biotech cluster in the world.
"Not only are we thinking about how we can put 500 students here in the next five years, but we're looking to the Bay Area," DeKloe said. "A lot of the companies there are moving toward manufacturing, and their needs will be for technicians, not (research and development)."
DeKloe, who has in the past gone on sabbatical to probe the industry's employee needs, said he will be leaving again for a year to study with biotech businesses. He doesn't expect to teach this fall or in the spring semester.
His planned return to SCC next year - he says he has every intention of coming back - will then double the biotech teaching staff, said Dave Redfield, dean of math and science. The name of the new instructor will be released following hiring approval from the college Board of Trustees, Redfield said.
"The idea, while (DeKloe) is doing additional training, is to keep identical curriculum," Redfield said. Any new curriculum would be determined when DeKloe returns, he said.
The biotech curriculum at SCC focuses on production training for students who will go on to positions in manufacturing divisions. The college provides some research and development training, but those positions often require post-graduate degrees.
Some SCC biotech students enroll in the program after earning baccalaureate degrees because they lack technical training, DeKloe said.
"A lot of graduates, some from major universities, have knowledge but no skills," he said. "They get that training here and then go out and find a job, sometimes before they complete the program."
The biotech program adds equipment on an ongoing basis and has started to shift slightly toward research and development instruction. Some of the incubator equipment used in the biotech lab, a smaller version of the kind used by biotech firms, costs more than $200,000, DeKloe said.
"It really does replicate the industry," he said of the program he started in 1997 in what had been the old metal shop at the campus vocational building.
Continuous improvements have transformed the shop into a full-scale lab with room to expand. College spending, corporate donations and grants pay for equipment upgrades that amount to "tens of thousands of dollars" every year, DeKloe said.
Other small colleges have balked at introducing similar curriculum. Price intimidates them, despite more opportunities for student job placement, DeKloe said.
"We've done the obvious, which often is most elusive," he said. "We went to industry and asked what they needed in terms of training. We gave them a clean slate and they filled it."
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Solano County County Finances Solid
May 2, 2004
County finances solid -- for now
By Robin Miller/City Editor
Solano's budget is in relatively sound financial condition but caution is the word of the day for county officials.
That's the message being sent to the Solano County Board of Supervisors in a third quarter financial report to be considered at 9 a.m. Tuesday, when the board holds its regular meeting.
The report anticipates a general fund balance for the county of $19,336,180. County Administrator Michael Johnson recommends that the board accept the findings and set hearings for June 28 to debate next year's final budget.
In his report to the board, Johnson said that while the budget situation is sound, there are too many uncertainties at the state level to allow local officials to relax.
"Given the continuing uncertainties surrounding the state's fiscal situation, nothing is certain," he wrote in a report to the board.
He noted that if the county plans for potential shortfalls in state funding, its current sound financial position will help it to address any long-term problems. For example, the third-quarter report assumes that the county will not receive backfill payments from the state for a three-month gap in vehicle license fees. By not counting on those funds, the county will keep itself out of a situation in which it comes up short of funds, Johnson said.
"If we take this approach, we shouldn't have to resort to across-the-board reductions that would continue low-priority programs at the expense of higher priorities," he wrote. "This strategy should also preclude the necessity for the mass layoffs anticipated by other agencies."
Johnson added that during the first nine months of the current fiscal year, most county departments have "performed well in controlling expenditures and are projecting to stay within or very close to their budgets."
Robin Miller can be reached at citydesk@thereporter.com.
County finances solid -- for now
By Robin Miller/City Editor
Solano's budget is in relatively sound financial condition but caution is the word of the day for county officials.
That's the message being sent to the Solano County Board of Supervisors in a third quarter financial report to be considered at 9 a.m. Tuesday, when the board holds its regular meeting.
The report anticipates a general fund balance for the county of $19,336,180. County Administrator Michael Johnson recommends that the board accept the findings and set hearings for June 28 to debate next year's final budget.
In his report to the board, Johnson said that while the budget situation is sound, there are too many uncertainties at the state level to allow local officials to relax.
"Given the continuing uncertainties surrounding the state's fiscal situation, nothing is certain," he wrote in a report to the board.
He noted that if the county plans for potential shortfalls in state funding, its current sound financial position will help it to address any long-term problems. For example, the third-quarter report assumes that the county will not receive backfill payments from the state for a three-month gap in vehicle license fees. By not counting on those funds, the county will keep itself out of a situation in which it comes up short of funds, Johnson said.
"If we take this approach, we shouldn't have to resort to across-the-board reductions that would continue low-priority programs at the expense of higher priorities," he wrote. "This strategy should also preclude the necessity for the mass layoffs anticipated by other agencies."
Johnson added that during the first nine months of the current fiscal year, most county departments have "performed well in controlling expenditures and are projecting to stay within or very close to their budgets."
Robin Miller can be reached at citydesk@thereporter.com.
Anheuser-Busch sinks $100 million in brewery building revamp
This renovation's for you ...
May 2, 2004
Company sinks $100 million in brewery building revamp
By Mary Lynch/Staff Writer
Two trails of steam rising from Fairfield's Budweiser brewery tell Anheuser-Busch Brewmaster Michael Poley that one beer brewing kettle is on the boil, while another is cooling.
That steam announces, too, that it's beer business as usual at the 700,000 square-foot plant even as it is undergoing a $100 million modernization that will upgrade the brewing and packaging operations of the 27-year old facility.
Though not an expansion, the re-furbishing project signals that the company is committed to the prosperity and longevity of the Fairfield plant that brews more than 4 million barrels of beer annually, employs some 450 people and attracts upwards of 40,000 visitors per year.
"We believe in being a very stable employer," said Kevin Finger, plant manager. "We believe in the future of the Fairfield plant. We're happy with the sales results and the productivity in this area, and in the overall performance of the plant."
Improvements to the brewing operations and to the packaging and warehousing operations that sit on 170 of the sprawling 318-acre Anheuser-Busch campus comprise the two phases of the project expected to reach completion in mid-2005.
Upgrades to the brewing center of the plant, which began last August, are in full swing, proceeding from the inside out, it seems.
Two enormous brewing kettles are already in place - each with a capacity for 800 barrels, or 24,800 gallons, of beer.
A new lauter tub will also be installed, which separates the fermentable liquid from the barley malt grains used in the brewing process, according to Brewmaster Poley.
To the right of the cherry-red Budweiser sign whose glow falls over nearby Interstate 80, a new 85-foot brewhouse is under construction.
The word "Brewhouse" will top the addition and share the front of the plant once construction is complete early next year.
Late this summer, the company will begin improvement to its packaging and warehousing operations. High-speed bottling and canning equipment will be installed, and warehousing facilities will be upgraded.
This, the more expensive phase of the modernization project, is expected to be complete and operational by March 2005, the plant manager said.
"We're always looking for ways to improve the quality and efficiency of our operations," he said.
The equipment switch-over has been carefully planned not to disrupt production or affect quality in any way, Finger assured.
The changes, he added, will not affect employment opportunities at the plant.
"We are extremely proud of our accomplishments here in Fairfield," Finger said. "The modernization project represents a real commitment to the city, to Northern California, and to our employees. It offers increased opportunities for our employees, and it reflects their accomplishments of the past 27 years."
With 450 employees, Anheuser-Busch is one of Fairfield's largest employers.
The Fairfield plant, which began brewing beer in 1976, is one of 12 Anheuser-Busch breweries in the United States, and one of two in California. Daily, 90 trucks leave the plant to deliver beer to Alaska, Northern Nevada, Northern California, Oregon and Washington.
As for possible additional upgrades and expansions in the future, Finger said the focus now is on the current modernization project.
"As a company we always look at our sales and production patterns to look for the right area to expand. We have no plans now for this facility."
Mary Lynch can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
Anheuser-Busch at a Glance
Fairfield Brewery Address: 3101 Busch Drive
Plant Manager: Kevin Finger
Resident Brewmaster: Michael Poley
Employees: 475
Facility Size: 700,000 square feet on 170 acres of 318 total acres
Brands Produced: Budweiser, Bud Light, Natural Light, Busch, Busch Light
Corporate Headquarters: St. Louis, Mo.
Sales: Anheuser-Busch reported 2003 gross sales of $16.3 billion and net sales of $14 billion.
Rank: Anheuser-Busch is the world's largest brewer.
May 2, 2004
Company sinks $100 million in brewery building revamp
By Mary Lynch/Staff Writer
Two trails of steam rising from Fairfield's Budweiser brewery tell Anheuser-Busch Brewmaster Michael Poley that one beer brewing kettle is on the boil, while another is cooling.
That steam announces, too, that it's beer business as usual at the 700,000 square-foot plant even as it is undergoing a $100 million modernization that will upgrade the brewing and packaging operations of the 27-year old facility.
Though not an expansion, the re-furbishing project signals that the company is committed to the prosperity and longevity of the Fairfield plant that brews more than 4 million barrels of beer annually, employs some 450 people and attracts upwards of 40,000 visitors per year.
"We believe in being a very stable employer," said Kevin Finger, plant manager. "We believe in the future of the Fairfield plant. We're happy with the sales results and the productivity in this area, and in the overall performance of the plant."
Improvements to the brewing operations and to the packaging and warehousing operations that sit on 170 of the sprawling 318-acre Anheuser-Busch campus comprise the two phases of the project expected to reach completion in mid-2005.
Upgrades to the brewing center of the plant, which began last August, are in full swing, proceeding from the inside out, it seems.
Two enormous brewing kettles are already in place - each with a capacity for 800 barrels, or 24,800 gallons, of beer.
A new lauter tub will also be installed, which separates the fermentable liquid from the barley malt grains used in the brewing process, according to Brewmaster Poley.
To the right of the cherry-red Budweiser sign whose glow falls over nearby Interstate 80, a new 85-foot brewhouse is under construction.
The word "Brewhouse" will top the addition and share the front of the plant once construction is complete early next year.
Late this summer, the company will begin improvement to its packaging and warehousing operations. High-speed bottling and canning equipment will be installed, and warehousing facilities will be upgraded.
This, the more expensive phase of the modernization project, is expected to be complete and operational by March 2005, the plant manager said.
"We're always looking for ways to improve the quality and efficiency of our operations," he said.
The equipment switch-over has been carefully planned not to disrupt production or affect quality in any way, Finger assured.
The changes, he added, will not affect employment opportunities at the plant.
"We are extremely proud of our accomplishments here in Fairfield," Finger said. "The modernization project represents a real commitment to the city, to Northern California, and to our employees. It offers increased opportunities for our employees, and it reflects their accomplishments of the past 27 years."
With 450 employees, Anheuser-Busch is one of Fairfield's largest employers.
The Fairfield plant, which began brewing beer in 1976, is one of 12 Anheuser-Busch breweries in the United States, and one of two in California. Daily, 90 trucks leave the plant to deliver beer to Alaska, Northern Nevada, Northern California, Oregon and Washington.
As for possible additional upgrades and expansions in the future, Finger said the focus now is on the current modernization project.
"As a company we always look at our sales and production patterns to look for the right area to expand. We have no plans now for this facility."
Mary Lynch can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
Anheuser-Busch at a Glance
Fairfield Brewery Address: 3101 Busch Drive
Plant Manager: Kevin Finger
Resident Brewmaster: Michael Poley
Employees: 475
Facility Size: 700,000 square feet on 170 acres of 318 total acres
Brands Produced: Budweiser, Bud Light, Natural Light, Busch, Busch Light
Corporate Headquarters: St. Louis, Mo.
Sales: Anheuser-Busch reported 2003 gross sales of $16.3 billion and net sales of $14 billion.
Rank: Anheuser-Busch is the world's largest brewer.
Rivendale Homes Purchased 4.6 Acres of Land at Leisure Town Road
April 30, 2004
Rivendale Homes recently purchased 4.6 acres of land at Leisure Town Road and Sequoia Drive in Vacaville from Bethany Lutheran Church, according to Premier Commercial, which helped in the transaction.
Rivendale Homes recently purchased 4.6 acres of land at Leisure Town Road and Sequoia Drive in Vacaville from Bethany Lutheran Church, according to Premier Commercial, which helped in the transaction.
Sunne Wright McPeak keynote speaker at the 2004 Annual Dinner for the Solano EDC
April 30, 2004
State Economic leader to speak at EDC dinner
FAIRFIELD -- Sunne Wright McPeak, secretary of the state's Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, will be the keynote speaker at the 2004 Annual Dinner for the Solano EDC held May 20 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfield.
Wright McPeak directs California's largest government agency which includes Caltrans, the CHP, DMV, and the Department of Corporations. She was appointed to her cabinet-level post by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in November 2003.
The dinner and program begins at 6:30 p.m., with registration at 5:30 p.m. The cost is $75 per person and $425 for a table of six.
For more information or to secure tickets, call 864-1855.
State Economic leader to speak at EDC dinner
FAIRFIELD -- Sunne Wright McPeak, secretary of the state's Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, will be the keynote speaker at the 2004 Annual Dinner for the Solano EDC held May 20 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Fairfield.
Wright McPeak directs California's largest government agency which includes Caltrans, the CHP, DMV, and the Department of Corporations. She was appointed to her cabinet-level post by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in November 2003.
The dinner and program begins at 6:30 p.m., with registration at 5:30 p.m. The cost is $75 per person and $425 for a table of six.
For more information or to secure tickets, call 864-1855.
Building Boom at Vacaville's City's Boundaries
April 28, 2004
Building boom at city's boundaries
Developers offer plans with something for most - single- family homes, apartments and senior housing to large lots for custom homes.
By Kevin Clerici/Staff Writer
Vacaville's City Council welcomed three new neighborhoods Tuesday which are anticipated to house thousands in coming years. Housing in the neighborhoods covers a range of choices from multifamily apartments and smaller homes, to seniors-only houses, to spacious one-acre lots for large custom homes. Most of the homes would be constructed in two areas bordering existing neighborhoods located at the city's edge.
The Council's approvals signal the culmination of years of work and project review. Apparently the scores of neighborhood meetings held to address concerns were effective, as no one spoke against the proposals.
The largest of the developments, dubbed the "Southtown" project, involves plans for roughly 1,200 housing units, including single-family homes, cluster homes and apartments on some 260 acres of agricultural land between Leisure Town and Nut Tree roads just outside Vacaville's southeastern boundary. A secondary project in the same neighborhood as the Southtown development calls for 240 small-lot and cluster-type units and a self-storage facility. Officials say the smaller homes should benefit first-time home buyers or those looking to downsize, while also providing critical housing options to those who work at nearby Travis Air Force Base.
Both projects have a number of benefits, including roadway and interchange improvements, and a new,fully equipped fire station. They also would add about 14 acres of new public parks and open space with a network of trails and greenbelts. "I can't wait to see it happen," Vice Mayor Pauline Clancy said.
In contrast, three separate but contiguous housing developments just outside of the city's northeastern boundary will feature larger, "rural" lots with custom and semi-custom homes. The neighborhood will feature roughly 290 homes, open space and public trail systems - all of which would be built over the next few years. "That's the two elements we are missing most - the larger custom lots and small, more affordable homes," Mayor Len Augustine said.
Like the projects to the south of the city, the plans for the northern area would require land annexation as well as new sewer, water and storm drain systems. Developers hope to begin construction in early 2005. They have agreed to pay school mitigation fees in order to cover the cost of providing schools to serve the new housing areas.
Lastly, the council approved an 84-unit, seniors-only subdivision on Leisure Town Road and Maple Road. The subdivision also features a recreation center and a detention basin expected to ease drainage problems that have plagued the surrounding neighborhood for years.
Kevin Clerici can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.
Building boom at city's boundaries
Developers offer plans with something for most - single- family homes, apartments and senior housing to large lots for custom homes.
By Kevin Clerici/Staff Writer
Vacaville's City Council welcomed three new neighborhoods Tuesday which are anticipated to house thousands in coming years. Housing in the neighborhoods covers a range of choices from multifamily apartments and smaller homes, to seniors-only houses, to spacious one-acre lots for large custom homes. Most of the homes would be constructed in two areas bordering existing neighborhoods located at the city's edge.
The Council's approvals signal the culmination of years of work and project review. Apparently the scores of neighborhood meetings held to address concerns were effective, as no one spoke against the proposals.
The largest of the developments, dubbed the "Southtown" project, involves plans for roughly 1,200 housing units, including single-family homes, cluster homes and apartments on some 260 acres of agricultural land between Leisure Town and Nut Tree roads just outside Vacaville's southeastern boundary. A secondary project in the same neighborhood as the Southtown development calls for 240 small-lot and cluster-type units and a self-storage facility. Officials say the smaller homes should benefit first-time home buyers or those looking to downsize, while also providing critical housing options to those who work at nearby Travis Air Force Base.
Both projects have a number of benefits, including roadway and interchange improvements, and a new,fully equipped fire station. They also would add about 14 acres of new public parks and open space with a network of trails and greenbelts. "I can't wait to see it happen," Vice Mayor Pauline Clancy said.
In contrast, three separate but contiguous housing developments just outside of the city's northeastern boundary will feature larger, "rural" lots with custom and semi-custom homes. The neighborhood will feature roughly 290 homes, open space and public trail systems - all of which would be built over the next few years. "That's the two elements we are missing most - the larger custom lots and small, more affordable homes," Mayor Len Augustine said.
Like the projects to the south of the city, the plans for the northern area would require land annexation as well as new sewer, water and storm drain systems. Developers hope to begin construction in early 2005. They have agreed to pay school mitigation fees in order to cover the cost of providing schools to serve the new housing areas.
Lastly, the council approved an 84-unit, seniors-only subdivision on Leisure Town Road and Maple Road. The subdivision also features a recreation center and a detention basin expected to ease drainage problems that have plagued the surrounding neighborhood for years.
Kevin Clerici can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com.
"SolanoProspector" Scouting business locations on the Net
Business
April 30, 2004
Scouting business locations on the Net
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Want to open a business but don't have a location picked out yet? Got a location in mind, but not sure what type of business the surrounding customer base might support?
Those and similar questions can be answered by a city service called Properties Online, a database of available properties in Fairfield. The software provides site-specific demographic information based on census figures and statistics generated by companies that track consumer spending.
Cities traditionally have fished for companies by marketing quality of life, residential opportunities, workforce education levels, tax refunds and below-market loans. While these hooks still apply, fierce competition to lure low-impact high-revenue companies has caused some cities to make their bait more visible.
A representative of the company that markets the software gave a presentation Thursday at the Center for Creative Arts. The service has been available on the city's Web site for about two months.
"Basically it's information on a map," said Mario Ubalde, spokesman for GIS Planning. "It geocodes each property that would meet your needs.
"The way we live our lives, the streets we take and the business decisions we make all depend on the little things."
The city paid $25,000 to San Francisco-based GIS Planning for the software. It's free for use by accessing the economic development link on the city's Web site or logging on to www.gisplanning.net/fairfield/.
Here's how it works:
After accessing the Online Properties link, users type in the kind of property they are looking for, including lot size or building area, zoning limitations and whether they want to buy or lease. Further probing reveals household demographics within a user-defined proximity, as well as competing or complementing businesses in that area.
Online properties uses aerial photos to give up-close views of neighborhoods and city blocks. It also gives traffic counts, household demographics, race, income distribution and consumer expenditures.
"In terms of economic development it's the single greatest tool a city could provide," said Joe Lucchio, city economic development project manager.
Prior to the new system, the city had used an obscure online property locator that often contained old information. With Online Properties, which functions much like a multiple listing service for commercial property, it will be to the advantage of commercial brokers to post and update their commercial listings, Lucchio said.
"When someone contacts me about office space, this is the first place I'm going to look," he said. "It allows us to respond much quicker to site selection consultants and brokers."
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
ON THE WEB GRAPHIC:
www.gisplanning.net/fairfield
April 30, 2004
Scouting business locations on the Net
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Want to open a business but don't have a location picked out yet? Got a location in mind, but not sure what type of business the surrounding customer base might support?
Those and similar questions can be answered by a city service called Properties Online, a database of available properties in Fairfield. The software provides site-specific demographic information based on census figures and statistics generated by companies that track consumer spending.
Cities traditionally have fished for companies by marketing quality of life, residential opportunities, workforce education levels, tax refunds and below-market loans. While these hooks still apply, fierce competition to lure low-impact high-revenue companies has caused some cities to make their bait more visible.
A representative of the company that markets the software gave a presentation Thursday at the Center for Creative Arts. The service has been available on the city's Web site for about two months.
"Basically it's information on a map," said Mario Ubalde, spokesman for GIS Planning. "It geocodes each property that would meet your needs.
"The way we live our lives, the streets we take and the business decisions we make all depend on the little things."
The city paid $25,000 to San Francisco-based GIS Planning for the software. It's free for use by accessing the economic development link on the city's Web site or logging on to www.gisplanning.net/fairfield/.
Here's how it works:
After accessing the Online Properties link, users type in the kind of property they are looking for, including lot size or building area, zoning limitations and whether they want to buy or lease. Further probing reveals household demographics within a user-defined proximity, as well as competing or complementing businesses in that area.
Online properties uses aerial photos to give up-close views of neighborhoods and city blocks. It also gives traffic counts, household demographics, race, income distribution and consumer expenditures.
"In terms of economic development it's the single greatest tool a city could provide," said Joe Lucchio, city economic development project manager.
Prior to the new system, the city had used an obscure online property locator that often contained old information. With Online Properties, which functions much like a multiple listing service for commercial property, it will be to the advantage of commercial brokers to post and update their commercial listings, Lucchio said.
"When someone contacts me about office space, this is the first place I'm going to look," he said. "It allows us to respond much quicker to site selection consultants and brokers."
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
ON THE WEB GRAPHIC:
www.gisplanning.net/fairfield
Record quarter at Ball Corp
Business
April 30, 2004
Record quarter at Ball Corp.
By Marla J. Pugh
FAIRFIELD -- Ball Corp., which has a food and beverage packaging facility in Fairfield, recently reported record first quarter net earnings of $46.8 million, or 82 cents per diluted share, on sales of $1.23 billion.
The numbers reflect almost a 49 percent increase in earnings and a 15 percent increase in sales compared to the first quarter of 2003.
Sales increased in all three of the company's business segments, and segment earnings rose in all but aerospace and technologies, where 2003 first quarter earnings were exceptionally strong due to completion and milestone payments the company received on a major satellite, according to a company press release.
Another contributor to the company's record first-quarter results was a strong demand for beverage cans in North America and Europe, Chairman and CEO R. David Hoover said in a press release. Improvement in Ball's metal food can business and the strength of the euro against the U.S. dollar relative to the first quarter of 2003 also helped.
Ball's stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BLL. It closed at $65.72 per share Thursday, down from an opening of $67.50
April 30, 2004
Record quarter at Ball Corp.
By Marla J. Pugh
FAIRFIELD -- Ball Corp., which has a food and beverage packaging facility in Fairfield, recently reported record first quarter net earnings of $46.8 million, or 82 cents per diluted share, on sales of $1.23 billion.
The numbers reflect almost a 49 percent increase in earnings and a 15 percent increase in sales compared to the first quarter of 2003.
Sales increased in all three of the company's business segments, and segment earnings rose in all but aerospace and technologies, where 2003 first quarter earnings were exceptionally strong due to completion and milestone payments the company received on a major satellite, according to a company press release.
Another contributor to the company's record first-quarter results was a strong demand for beverage cans in North America and Europe, Chairman and CEO R. David Hoover said in a press release. Improvement in Ball's metal food can business and the strength of the euro against the U.S. dollar relative to the first quarter of 2003 also helped.
Ball's stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol BLL. It closed at $65.72 per share Thursday, down from an opening of $67.50
Earnings Reports Brighten Local Business Landscape
Business
April 30, 2004
Earnings reports brighten business landscape
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Several public companies with operations in Solano County released first-quarter financial results on Wednesday, with jet maker Boeing and Hilton Hotels leading the way on a turnaround in the travel industry.
Anheuser-Busch, which has a brewery in Fairfield, and Vacaville biotech company Large Scale Biology also released quarterly results.
Boeing
Boeing, which occupies an office at Fairfield Corporate Commons and a maintenance facility at Travis Air Force Base, reported unexpected gains in revenue from its military and space division and forecasted a rise in commercial jet sales in 2005.
The No. 2 commercial jet maker reported earnings of $623 million, 77 cents per share, versus a loss of $478 million, 60 cents per share, in the same period last year. The first-quarter 2003 results reflected a charge of $913 million for goodwill impairment.
Boeing's military and space unit now outperforms its commercial jetliner counterpart. Projected for further growth, the military and space unit increased revenue by 18 percent for a first-quarter total of $7.4 billion.
The Chicago-based company's first-quarter revenue hit 13 billion, a 6 percent jump from last year.
Hilton Hotels
A week after three major hotel chains raised outlooks for this year, Hilton Hotels said more business and group travelers contributed to higher-than-expected earnings.
Hilton's income quadrupled to $37 million, 10 cents a share, from $9 million, 2 cents a share, during the same period a year ago.
The Hilton Hotel family includes eight brands, including Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn which have locations in Fairfield.
The Beverly Hills-based company's first-quarter revenue jumped to $994 million from $909 million a year ago. Revenue per available room, a reflection of occupancy and room costs, rose 2.9 percent, Hilton said.
Hilton reported a 5 percent increase in quarterly operating costs associated with rising employee insurance and medical benefits.
Anheuser-Busch
Driven by growth in domestic and international beer sales, Anheuser-Busch reported 13.4 percent earnings growth in the first quarter. The company has a Budweiser plant in Fairfield.
Anheuser-Busch earned $550 million, 66 cents per share, compared to $485 million, 57 cents per share, during the same period a year ago.
It was the world's largest brewing company's 22nd consecutive quarter of double-digit earnings growth, noted Patrick Stokes, Anheuser-Busch president.
Consolidated beer sales increased by 6 percent to $4 billion from $3.8 billion in the same period a year ago, a result of higher revenue per barrel and higher sales volume, the company said. Domestic revenue was up by more than 3 percent due to price hikes and a consumer shift to more expensive Michelob beers, Anheuser-Busch said.
International sales increased most notably in Canada and China, the company said.
Stokes said the St. Louis-based company will issue a quarterly dividend of 22 cents per share.
Large Scale Biology
Large Scale Biology, a Vacaville-based biotech company, reported a first-quarter loss of $4.3 million, or 16 cents per share.
Founded in 1987, Large Scale Biology develops treatments and diagnostic products to identify and treat disease. Its research and development facilities and corporate offices are in Vacaville; the manufacturing plant is in Owensboro, Kentucky.
The company recently reached an agreement with Sigma-Aldrich Corporation to commercially distribute its plant-produced Aprotininª treatment, a product marketed within the life science industry.
Large Scale Biology also has begun researching other treatments, the company said, but it has yet to generate significant revenue from its pharmaceutical products.
It ended the quarter with $11.2 million in cash, and executives said they have been pleased with progress of product development.
"We are convinced (Large Scale Biology) has made significant steps in restoring shareholder value," said Kevin Ryan, Large Scale Biology president and CEO.
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
April 30, 2004
Earnings reports brighten business landscape
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Several public companies with operations in Solano County released first-quarter financial results on Wednesday, with jet maker Boeing and Hilton Hotels leading the way on a turnaround in the travel industry.
Anheuser-Busch, which has a brewery in Fairfield, and Vacaville biotech company Large Scale Biology also released quarterly results.
Boeing
Boeing, which occupies an office at Fairfield Corporate Commons and a maintenance facility at Travis Air Force Base, reported unexpected gains in revenue from its military and space division and forecasted a rise in commercial jet sales in 2005.
The No. 2 commercial jet maker reported earnings of $623 million, 77 cents per share, versus a loss of $478 million, 60 cents per share, in the same period last year. The first-quarter 2003 results reflected a charge of $913 million for goodwill impairment.
Boeing's military and space unit now outperforms its commercial jetliner counterpart. Projected for further growth, the military and space unit increased revenue by 18 percent for a first-quarter total of $7.4 billion.
The Chicago-based company's first-quarter revenue hit 13 billion, a 6 percent jump from last year.
Hilton Hotels
A week after three major hotel chains raised outlooks for this year, Hilton Hotels said more business and group travelers contributed to higher-than-expected earnings.
Hilton's income quadrupled to $37 million, 10 cents a share, from $9 million, 2 cents a share, during the same period a year ago.
The Hilton Hotel family includes eight brands, including Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn which have locations in Fairfield.
The Beverly Hills-based company's first-quarter revenue jumped to $994 million from $909 million a year ago. Revenue per available room, a reflection of occupancy and room costs, rose 2.9 percent, Hilton said.
Hilton reported a 5 percent increase in quarterly operating costs associated with rising employee insurance and medical benefits.
Anheuser-Busch
Driven by growth in domestic and international beer sales, Anheuser-Busch reported 13.4 percent earnings growth in the first quarter. The company has a Budweiser plant in Fairfield.
Anheuser-Busch earned $550 million, 66 cents per share, compared to $485 million, 57 cents per share, during the same period a year ago.
It was the world's largest brewing company's 22nd consecutive quarter of double-digit earnings growth, noted Patrick Stokes, Anheuser-Busch president.
Consolidated beer sales increased by 6 percent to $4 billion from $3.8 billion in the same period a year ago, a result of higher revenue per barrel and higher sales volume, the company said. Domestic revenue was up by more than 3 percent due to price hikes and a consumer shift to more expensive Michelob beers, Anheuser-Busch said.
International sales increased most notably in Canada and China, the company said.
Stokes said the St. Louis-based company will issue a quarterly dividend of 22 cents per share.
Large Scale Biology
Large Scale Biology, a Vacaville-based biotech company, reported a first-quarter loss of $4.3 million, or 16 cents per share.
Founded in 1987, Large Scale Biology develops treatments and diagnostic products to identify and treat disease. Its research and development facilities and corporate offices are in Vacaville; the manufacturing plant is in Owensboro, Kentucky.
The company recently reached an agreement with Sigma-Aldrich Corporation to commercially distribute its plant-produced Aprotininª treatment, a product marketed within the life science industry.
Large Scale Biology also has begun researching other treatments, the company said, but it has yet to generate significant revenue from its pharmaceutical products.
It ended the quarter with $11.2 million in cash, and executives said they have been pleased with progress of product development.
"We are convinced (Large Scale Biology) has made significant steps in restoring shareholder value," said Kevin Ryan, Large Scale Biology president and CEO.
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Monday, July 19, 2004
Housing Projects go Forward in Vacaville
Summary
Housing projects go forward
By Reporter Staff
A bevy of environmental impact reports on proposed housing developments in and around Vacaville will be the focus of discussion when the City Council meets Tuesday.
Vacaville. Southtown developer Western Pacific Housing also has touted the project
Development agreements for three separate but contiguous housing developments just outside of the city's northeastern boundary. The projects include:
which consists of 221 lots on 143.62 acres west of Shelton Lane and Browns Valley Road?
the Knoll Creek development, proposed by Richard Lamphere, which
consists of 38 lots on 22.66 acres south of McMurtry Lane;
Prior to discussion of the projects, the City Council will hear a report by the Vacaville Unified School District about developer fees in the city.
April 25, 2004
Housing projects go forward
By Reporter Staff
A bevy of environmental impact reports on proposed housing developments in and around Vacaville will be the focus of discussion when the City Council meets Tuesday.
The council meets at 7 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 650 Merchant St. in
Vacaville. The largest of the development proposals, dubbed the "Southtown" project, involves plans for about 1,200 housing units, including single-family homes and apartments on some 260 acres of county agricultural land between Leisure Town and Nut Tree roads just outside Vacaville's southeastern boundary.
Adjacent to the Southtown project, the so-called "Moody" property calls for developing 240 small-lot and cluster-type units and a self-storage facility. Because the two proposed projects are adjacent to each other, just one environmental impact report has been prepared, according to a staff report to the council.
"New sewer, water, and storm-drain systems as well as extensions of
existing systems and a variety of roadway and intersection improvements will be required in conjunction with the development of the Southtown and Moody project areas," the staff report states. The land also will have to be annexed to the city.
Both projects have a number of benefits for the community, city
Staffers noted. In particular, developers would pay for roadway and intersection improvements, and a new, fully equipped fire station. They also would add about 14 acres of new public parks and open space with a network of trails and greenbelts.
Southtown developer Western Pacific Housing also has touted the project
As providing affordable housing for young military families from Travis
Air Force Base.
Also on Tuesday's agenda are the environmental impact report and
Development agreements for three separate but contiguous housing developments just outside of the city's northeastern boundary. The projects include:
• the Reynolds Ranch development, proposed by R.W. Hertle and Sons,
which consists of 221 lots on 143.62 acres west of Shelton Lane and Browns Valley Road?
• the Knoll Creek development, proposed by Richard Lamphere, which
consists of 38 lots on 22.66 acres south of McMurtry Lane;
• and the Rogers Ranch development, proposed by Bryant Stocking, which consists of 28 lots on 10.2 acres on the north side of McMurtry Lane to the west of the Rogers Ranch.
Like the projects to the south of the city, the plans for the northern
Area would require land annexation as well as new sewer, water and storm drain systems.
Prior to discussion of the projects, the City Council will hear a report by the Vacaville Unified School District about developer fees in the city. Part of that discussion will include proposals to add language to city agreements with various developers to pay school mitigation fees in order to cover the cost of providing schools to serve the new housing areas.
Housing projects go forward
By Reporter Staff
A bevy of environmental impact reports on proposed housing developments in and around Vacaville will be the focus of discussion when the City Council meets Tuesday.
Vacaville. Southtown developer Western Pacific Housing also has touted the project
Development agreements for three separate but contiguous housing developments just outside of the city's northeastern boundary. The projects include:
which consists of 221 lots on 143.62 acres west of Shelton Lane and Browns Valley Road?
the Knoll Creek development, proposed by Richard Lamphere, which
consists of 38 lots on 22.66 acres south of McMurtry Lane;
Prior to discussion of the projects, the City Council will hear a report by the Vacaville Unified School District about developer fees in the city.
April 25, 2004
Housing projects go forward
By Reporter Staff
A bevy of environmental impact reports on proposed housing developments in and around Vacaville will be the focus of discussion when the City Council meets Tuesday.
The council meets at 7 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 650 Merchant St. in
Vacaville. The largest of the development proposals, dubbed the "Southtown" project, involves plans for about 1,200 housing units, including single-family homes and apartments on some 260 acres of county agricultural land between Leisure Town and Nut Tree roads just outside Vacaville's southeastern boundary.
Adjacent to the Southtown project, the so-called "Moody" property calls for developing 240 small-lot and cluster-type units and a self-storage facility. Because the two proposed projects are adjacent to each other, just one environmental impact report has been prepared, according to a staff report to the council.
"New sewer, water, and storm-drain systems as well as extensions of
existing systems and a variety of roadway and intersection improvements will be required in conjunction with the development of the Southtown and Moody project areas," the staff report states. The land also will have to be annexed to the city.
Both projects have a number of benefits for the community, city
Staffers noted. In particular, developers would pay for roadway and intersection improvements, and a new, fully equipped fire station. They also would add about 14 acres of new public parks and open space with a network of trails and greenbelts.
Southtown developer Western Pacific Housing also has touted the project
As providing affordable housing for young military families from Travis
Air Force Base.
Also on Tuesday's agenda are the environmental impact report and
Development agreements for three separate but contiguous housing developments just outside of the city's northeastern boundary. The projects include:
• the Reynolds Ranch development, proposed by R.W. Hertle and Sons,
which consists of 221 lots on 143.62 acres west of Shelton Lane and Browns Valley Road?
• the Knoll Creek development, proposed by Richard Lamphere, which
consists of 38 lots on 22.66 acres south of McMurtry Lane;
• and the Rogers Ranch development, proposed by Bryant Stocking, which consists of 28 lots on 10.2 acres on the north side of McMurtry Lane to the west of the Rogers Ranch.
Like the projects to the south of the city, the plans for the northern
Area would require land annexation as well as new sewer, water and storm drain systems.
Prior to discussion of the projects, the City Council will hear a report by the Vacaville Unified School District about developer fees in the city. Part of that discussion will include proposals to add language to city agreements with various developers to pay school mitigation fees in order to cover the cost of providing schools to serve the new housing areas.
Vacaville - ranks No. 9 on Inc. Magazine's List of the Top 25 Cities
Summary
Vacaville lauded as good place to live, work
One of the top places in America to work and to live.
Includes Vacaville - ranks No. 9 on Inc. Magazine's list of the Top 25 Cities for Doing Business in America in the "Medium Cities" category.
Ranking just above Modesto's No. 10 ranking. The national magazine, in its March issue, noted that California's once-peripheral inland cities - such as Vallejo, Fairfield and Vacaville – are growing. Relocate-America officials said that on its best-places-to-live list,
Mary Lynch can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
April 24, 2004
Vacaville lauded as good place to live, work
By Mary Lynch/Staff Writer
Local business owners and their employees can give themselves a pat on the back. Make that two, if they also happen to live in Vacaville.
They live in a place named on two recently released national lists as
one of the top places in America to work and to live.
The Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa metropolitan statistical area - which
Includes Vacaville - ranks No. 9 on Inc. Magazine's list of the Top 25 Cities for Doing Business in America in the "Medium Cities" category.
The area was one of five California sites in that category's Top 25,
Ranking just above Modesto's No. 10 ranking. Stockton came in at No. 11. Fresno and Bakersfield were fourth and fifth, respectively.
Those who both work and live in Vacaville may have the best deal of all. The city was ranked as one of the "Top 100 Places to Live" in 2004 by Relocate-America, a Michigan-based Web site that helps consumers find places to dwell.
"The real surprise of this is that California did as well as it did
given its reputation as a difficult place to do business," said Mike Palombo, Vacaville's economic development manager.
The national magazine, in its March issue, noted that California's once-peripheral inland cities - such as Vallejo, Fairfield and Vacaville – are growing. Reasonably priced housing attracts people fleeing the high cost of living in such urban centers as San Francisco. The newcomers, in turn, offer employers a talented labor pool. The cost of doing business in these medium cities, with a job base of between 150,000 to 450,000, can be lower, too, the magazine noted.
The magazine ranked San Jose the worst metro area for doing business, as it still struggles to rise from the ashes of the dot-com flameout of the late 1990s. Faring only slightly better, San Francisco was ranked as the seventh worst.
Relocate-America officials said that on its best-places-to-live list,
Cities are nominated by current or past residents for such things as safety, schools, affordable housing and economic opportunities.
Mary Lynch can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
Top 25 Cities for Doing Business in America
If you're looking for cities large, medium, and small where job growth is robust and economies are strong, head to the ones on this year's Top Cities list. Fort Lauderdale, anyone?
From: Inc, March 2004 | Page 93 By: Joel Kotkin
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://pf.inc.com/magazine/20040301/top25.html
Frank Sinatra never wrote a song about Newark or Green Bay, nor has Madonna ever bought a house in either city. But these are among the unexpected places where businesses are adding jobs most rapidly and many people are moving in search of new lives, creating tremendous opportunities for entrepreneurs.
The Top Cities in America for doing business are not at all where most people think, and there's good data to back that up. This year Inc. publishes an exclusive Top Cities list, using a brand-new methodology that we believe to be the most objective, reliable system used anywhere for ranking fertile ground for companies.
For the most part, the top cities aren't found on the fashionable coasts, nor in the biggest, most famous metro areas, but in more prosaic places, including many in the Midwest, that found a way to grow in a tough economy and now seem poised for rapid expansion as the recovery comes in. Especially notable are cities--large, medium, and small--spread throughout the still booming Southeast, including No. 1 ranked Atlanta and a score of Florida cities of various sizes.
"Atlanta is amazing," notes Ray Wallace, president of W. Ray Wallace & Associates, an Inc. 500 firm that does financial consulting from suburban Alpharetta, Ga. "The opportunities are here and small businesses are here. People from all over the South come to Atlanta like to Mecca."
If the late 1990s were all about a gold rush--quick success, stock market fireworks, sex and the city--the prevailing trends almost midway through the more somber 2000s suggest a whole other dimension to what makes the entrepreneurial economy hum in such underhyped business havens as No. 5 (small city) Sioux Falls, S.D., No. 4 (medium) Fresno, Calif., and No. 11 (small) Bismarck, N.D.
Of course, there are some high-tech, high-priced holdovers relatively high on the list, including No. 15 (large) San Diego, No. 19 (large) Austin, and No. 13 (large) greater Washington, D.C., but those places have been high up on the growth curve for more than a decade. Perhaps most revealing are those denizens at the bottom of the list (see "10 Worst Metro Areas" on page 97), including No. 9 worst Boston, No. 8 worst Portland, Oreg., No. 7 worst San Francisco, and No. 6 worst New York City. Dead last (the No. 1 worst large metro area) is San Jose, home of Silicon Valley, the megawatt center of late '90s business hype. In the bygone era, these were the cities that had the sizzle. No more.
The Rankings
For a complete ranking of 277 large, medium, and small cities, and a separate ranking of the top cities by major industries, see our best cities index .
How did Inc. arrive at these conclusions? Not by subjective criteria, such as proximity to research universities or a hospitable climate. The central premise behind the Top Cities rankings is that current and historical job growth is the most objective indicator of a region's economic vitality for entrepreneurs. More than three-quarters of all new jobs are created by small business, according to the Small Business Administration, so a region showing strong job growth is in all likelihood a hotbed of entrepreneurship. The impact on business of a city's educational and training systems, housing and living costs, taxes, regulatory burdens, and quality of life--factors commonly measured by other "hot lists" to identify strong economies--are all ultimately reflected by job growth.
A strong history of creating new jobs means that regional businesses have expanded, created new demand, and pushed up areawide disposable incomes. In contrast, companies don't form or hire new workers when a region's regulatory climate, costs, or work force capabilities aren't conducive to expansion.
Regions that consistently generate jobs in a broad range of industries rank at the top of the list. Those with poor and worsening job growth and increasingly undiversified economies do less well in the rankings. As the recent technology bust and manufacturing cutbacks indicate, overreliance on a single sector risks painful, long-term setbacks. Unbalanced growth can also indicate whether even once prospering areas are developing anti-industrial land use or other slow- or no-growth regulatory policies.
Inc. measured current-year employment growth in more than 250 regions (as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) as well as current trends in the annual average growth over the past three years, and compared employment expansion in the first half versus the second half of the last decade. Job growth factors account for approximately two-thirds of the final score for each city and the balance among industries accounts for approximately one-third of the final score.
So what kind of places are working best in George Bush's America? They are predominantly suburban and, perhaps most importantly, relatively affordable, particularly in terms of housing prices, cost of living, and business costs. These are places, notes Brookings Institution demographer William Frey, where younger families, including many well-educated people as well as upwardly mobile immigrants and even singles, are now migrating in large numbers.
Perhaps the most predictable bottom line in this current economic expansion is, well, the bottom line. Places kindest to business costs, whether in terms of office rents, taxes, or regulatory environments, seem to be doing best. "When people depend on debt to finance operations, they look at things differently than when it's equity," suggests Andrew Segal, of Boxer Property, a Houston-based real estate investment firm with holdings in several "second tier" cities. "Business now has to look for a more reasonable place. The ugly ducklings are beginning to look better."
Few people in the growth areas, of course, would consider themselves "ugly ducklings," but they certainly tend to have economies that are grayer and less specialized than the '90s hotshots. Total dependence on high tech, once considered a boon, has turned out to be a disaster.
In the mid to late '90s, suggests Leslie Parks, former economic development director for San Jose, inflated stock prices created a false economy that drove up real estate prices and the cost of managerial and technical talent while driving out more middle-class, blue-collar activities from the region. "Economic diversity is a constant challenge here," Parks adds. "A lot of people did not want basic industries. They thought high tech could solve everything."
Atlanta: Leading the Pack
The leading large city on the list, Atlanta, epitomizes the characteristics of economic diversity and affordability. Spread out over 28 counties in north-central Georgia, Atlanta's region includes over 4.5 million people, only 420,000 of whom live in the city itself. It combines the advantages seen in smaller communities with an array of assets--such as top-flight universities, major corporate headquarters, and a world-class airport--usually only found in leading global cities.
This vast archipelago of largely suburban communities also houses a relatively diverse economic structure. Atlanta is not wedded to technology like San Jose, or financial services like New York City and Boston. While the recession pummeled some of Atlanta's key industries--including information technology and construction--the area's well-rounded economy has allowed it to take full advantage of the current, broad-based recovery.
"Atlanta has one of the most diversified economies in the country," points out Mark Vitner, a senior economist who studies the Southeast for Charlotte-based Wachovia. "Whatever the new thing turns out to be, Atlanta will be in the forefront. They are very adaptable."
Affordability, Vitner notes, has been the other pillar of the region's success. Although not cheap by southern standards, Atlanta's cost of living, particularly housing, is much lower than that in places like Boston, New York City, Seattle, or San Francisco. This has made Atlanta an excellent spot to start a business, allowing lower costs and salaries for start-ups.
Atlanta turned out to be a far better choice than San Francisco for the headquarters of the fast-growing, 250-employee Cendian Inc., which opted for the Georgia metropolis over a series of other cities, including the fabled city by the bay. "Affordability killed us with the Bay Area," says CEO Mark Kaiser. "San Francisco is a delightful place to live, but way too expensive."
Atlanta may lack some of the Bay Area's edginess and physical beauty, Kaiser adds, but in addition to reasonable housing prices, it also presents many lifestyle options, including an increasingly lively central city and diverse suburban areas, which allows the firm to compete for talent across a broad spectrum of skills, from top management to technicians. At the same time, Atlanta's airport and long history as an area of logistics expertise, best epitomized by UPS, help the firm in its primary business of providing logistical support for the chemical industry worldwide.
"Atlanta," Kaiser sums up, "gives you a lot for the buck."
Affordability
The theme of affordability was repeated often by many firms located in the cities that ranked high on the list. It helps explain the remarkable performance of places like No. 4 (large) San Antonio and No. 26 (medium) McAllen, Texas, all of central Florida, and much of inland California. "San Antonio is a very good sell for families," says Keith Frederick, founder of SecureInfo, a San Antonio computer security firm with 145 employees. "You can get a new three-bedroom starter house here with a two-car garage for $60,000. And it's actually a super environment for operational experience. This is one of the few places I can get the kind of talent I need."
Indeed, Inc. 's data shows many fast-growing cities, such as No. 5 (small) Sioux Falls, S.D., No. 15 (small) Fargo, N.D., and No. 8 (large) Jacksonville, Fla., also saw rapid expansion of financial and business-professional service industries, which require a work force with a high level of education. In contrast, many of the traditional hotbeds for these professional industries (e.g., Boston, New York City, San Jose) have suffered either negative or slow growth during the past few years.
These trends were particularly notable in Florida, the state that more than any other dominates our list. A remarkable six of the top 25 cities on the large list, including No. 5 West Palm Beach, No. 7 Fort Lauderdale, No. 8 Jacksonville, No. 11 Orlando, No. 14 Tampa-St. Petersburg, and No. 22 Miami, are from the Sunshine State.
Florida, suggests Donald DiFrisco, executive vice president of Palm Beach Gardens-based Cross Match Technologies, has become increasingly attractive to information workers given the rapid housing inflation in places like the Bay Area and Boston. Corporate relocations of the 1980s and 1990s--including companies such as Motorola and Nokia--also have left a repository of talent that can be used by fast-growing, smaller firms.
Sarasota, No. 3 on the medium cities list, has become rich with what Reuben Ben-Aire, CEO of MadahCom, calls "early retirees." Many people in their 50s came to Florida to retire but, for financial reasons or out of boredom, have reentered the work force. "These people have everything you want including experience," says the 60-year-old entrepreneur, who moved his firm from New York City in July 2002 and has since gone from four to 30 employees. "They like being here and they know it costs less. Every dollar they make here is simply worth more."
The Inland Empire
An even more surprising group of top-flight cities can be found in California, whose coastal economy, particularly in the Bay Area, has been struggling since the end of the dot-com craze. Here the biggest entry is No. 2 Riverside-San Bernardino, a region with more than 3 million people east of Los Angeles. In many ways, the region, known as the Inland Empire, is the polar opposite of places like San Jose--its economic drivers are mundane industries such as housing construction, warehousing, and diversified manufacturing.
Yet even here the key high-end growth industries, such as technology, financial and business services, are expanding at strong rates. This, suggests local economist John Husing, is being driven in part by sky-rocketing housing costs on the coast of California. Skilled workers with families are responding by moving. Since 1990, Husing notes, more than 660,000 people have moved into the inland. The bulk of this growth comes from ethnic minorities, predominantly Latinos, whose numbers swelled by 500,000, and Asians. Both groups see the inland as the one place in southern California where their hard work can be rewarded with a middle-class lifestyle. They keep coming. Between 2000 and 2020 the inland is expected to add another 1.5 million people, more than the growth forecast for all but five states. Such growth provides business opportunities to entrepreneurs.
"What we have here are families, and families create growth," says Ramon Alvarez, the father of three and owner of the nation's only Latino-owned Jaguar dealership, in Riverside, Calif. "You see a lot of upward mobility around here. I see a run of growth that could last for 10 or 15 years."
"It's Econ 101," observes Bart Hill, CEO of San Joaquin Bank, a fast-growing financial institution based in Bakersfield, Calif. "It's just much cheaper to do business here than on the coast." Hill has seen a rapid growth in manufacturing, health, and financial service firms in his area. But there are even signs that some of California's vaunted technology industry may be moving inland. Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Stockton, and other smaller inland communities have been picking up high-end jobs for years. Even such perennial hard cases as Fresno have become attractive to knowledge workers, according to Lance Donny, CEO of Brightcode, a small software service firm located in the longtime agricultural center.
"I recruit people who find a five-minute commute, and the ability to get a great house, pretty attractive," Donny explains. "After 2000, we found we had plenty of resumes. You can pay people a little less because they also pay less for rent, which leaves us with a nice profit."
But California is not the only place where this shift to the periphery is increasingly obvious. Brookings demographer Frey calls this process, appropriately enough, "Jerseyfication" and ties it to the growth of areas surrounding the expensive major cities of the Northeast, including such high-fliers as northern New Jersey, the upper Hudson Valley in New York, Long Island, and the southern New Jersey areas near Philadelphia, as well as the Maryland-Virginia regions around the nation's capital.
"These are areas near old high-fliers and major cities that have become too expensive for families to move into," Frey says. "They have the advantage of being reasonably affordable but still close enough to tap into the big-city economies."
The Midwest
Another surprising trend on the list has been the general rebound of the Midwest and Great Plains. Frey says his studies indicate there was a flight from dense cities in the immediate post 9/11 year. This trend has helped some long-suffering large midwestern cities--such as No. 32 St. Louis, No. 28 Louisville, No. 29 Kansas City, and No. 30 Cincinnati. The longtime outmigration of people, particularly skilled workers, from the Midwest, Frey suggests, has significantly slowed. Indeed, recent Census data reveals that the Midwest has done relatively well attracting new knowledge workers. "People are saying maybe it makes sense to move to Omaha or Kansas City," suggests Ernie Goss, a regional economist based at Creighton University in Omaha. Places such as Fargo, N.D., or Sioux Falls, S.D., have among the best-educated young people in the country, he says. This appeal is critical with entrepreneurs trying to get skill sets that are hard to find in small communities.
Lyndon Hurley, whose Sioux Falls-based Hurco Technologies makes equipment for sewer and water systems, finds that even if his company is short on welders, workers are willing to relocate. "We get e-mails from people all over the country who want to come here," he reports. But it's not just traditional manufacturing that is doing well in these places. Sioux Falls and Fargo, in North Dakota, have also developed substantial technology industries. In the past such areas exported their young talent; now they are keeping more and bringing some back.
The Internet is part of the reason, suggests Michael Chambers, CEO of Aldevron, a Fargo-based biotech firm. Digital technology has overcome these areas' traditional sense of isolation from "the centers of action." Even the smallest town is wired now, says Chambers, whose firm has grown from 12 to 30 employees since its founding in 1998. "Its now not about being remote, but choosing to live in a place that makes sense from a personal point of view." Indeed, so strong is the business revival in Fargo, Sioux Falls, and some other Great Plains communities that their populations and employment rates are growing faster than the national average--something that has rarely been seen over the last half century. These places may not be the next Atlanta, but with good cost structures and devoted entrepreneurs they are becoming, in very real ways, prominent centers in the rapidly shifting geography of America's business. I
Sustained growth in the Southeast left formerly hot cities such as San Francisco, New York City, and Boston behind.
1. Atlanta "Hotlanta" is precisely that, the hottest of the hot economies of the country. Pummeled in the early days of the 2000 recession, the sprawling Georgia metropolis has roared back, mostly on the basis of its strong service sector, pro-business culture, and a relatively affordable housing environment in comparison with other big-time cities.
2. Riverside-San Bernardino California's premier hot spot has been criticized as the epitome of urban sprawl and for creating mostly "crummy jobs."
But it's also been the Golden State's economic Energizer Bunny: The low-cost haven keeps on growing in population, attracting emigrants from the coast.
3. Las Vegas At first hurt by the downturn in tourism after 9/11, the Nevada metropolis has gotten its groove back. Although tourism remains the linchpin, the area is creating jobs in high-end sectors and even manufacturing, in large part because of an exodus from more expensive locales on the Western Seaboard.
4. San Antonio Largely unnoticed amidst the mega-hype surrounding media favorite Austin, this more affordable Texas city has benefited from steady population growth, a diversifying economy, and a strong military presence.
5. West Palm Beach This part of Florida is getting crowded, so relatively low prices could soon be a thing of the past. Right now, the perceived high quality of life and reasonable housing prices make this area an almost irresistible lure.
6. Southern New Jersey , New Jersey
7. Fort Lauderdale- Hollywood-Pompano Beach , Florida
8. Jacksonville , Florida
9. Newark , New Jersey
10. Suburban Maryland-D.C. , Maryland
11. Orlando , Florida
12. Phoenix , Arizona
13. Washington MSA , District of Columbia
14. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater , Florida
15. San Diego , California
16. Nassau-Suffolk , New York
17. Richmond-Petersburg , Virginia
18. New Orleans , Louisiana
19. Austin , Texas
20. Northern Virginia , Virginia
21. Middlesex-Somerset- Hunterdon , New Jersey
22. Miami-Hialeah , Florida
23. Orange County , California
24. Oklahoma City , Oklahoma
25. Albany-Schenectady-Troy , New York
With job bases from 150,000 to 450,000, the midsize cities include a strong showing from the Inland Empire, driven by escapees from the California coast
1. Green Bay The Packers may provide name recognition to this Wisconsin city, but locals swear to the quality of life, a diversified economy, and a hardworking, skilled labor force.
It lacks the population-driven growth of Sunbelt cities such as Las Vegas or Atlanta, but it is an excellent place to start and expand a business.
2. Madison Cold weather didn't stop Wisconsin from packing a one-two punch among midsize cities. Madison is peculiarly well suited for the service-driven economic expansion. As state capital and locale of one of the region's top universities, its population is exceptionally well educated.
3. Sarasota This may well be Florida's "next big thing," an affordable coastal region that attracts many skilled, middle-class emigrants from the north. A sizable tech work force has made this among the fastest-growing areas for information-based industries. And there's always the beach.
4. Fresno California's economy is driven by real estate affordability and population growth, but here it's particularly spurred on by Latino and Asian immigration. A key issue, as in other growth centers, will be creating a bigger high-end service, manufacturing, and information sector.
5. Bakersfield Like Fresno, but with perhaps stronger prospects. Sprawl has made the old Merle Haggard Okie capital a distant suburb of pricey Los Angeles, and people actually commute over the mountains. A good choice for firms seeking to expand close to southern California, without the price tag.
6. Reno , Nevada
7. Albuquerque , New Mexico
8. Tucson , Arizona
9. Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa , California
10. Modesto , California
11. Stockton , California
12. Fort Myers-Cape Coral , Florida
13. Corpus Christi , Texas
14. Syracuse , New York
15. Springfield , Missouri
16. Monmouth-Ocean , New Jersey
17. Westchester County , New York
18. Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle , Pennsylvania
19. Baton Rouge , Louisiana
20. Daytona Beach , Florida
21. Jackson , Mississippi
22. Lancaster , Pennsylvania
23. Portland , Maine
24. Boise City , Idaho
25. Akron , Ohio
Small cities (job bases up to 150,000) have suffered from years of dwindling population. Their affordability is reversing the trend
1. Montpelier With classic Yankee humility, George Malek, executive vice president of the Central Vermont Chamber, could not bring himself to boast about his region's top ranking. He cited instead his city's burgeoning insurance industry and the advantages of being a state capital and home to several small colleges.
2. Missoula Montana's nice scenery and the local university go a long way in a small place. Missoula's population has almost doubled in the past 30 years, and many newcomers have started businesses. Financial and professional business services, as well as information, have all made solid gains.
3. Casper With 66,000 people in this Wyoming region, Casper is small even by small-town standards. But its business services industries--in particular, financial services--made strong showings. Another sign that professional service sectors are declustering from traditional urban centers.
4. Rockland County Although not cheap by midwestern or southern standards, its housing prices are bargain basement compared with areas closer to New York City. Population growth has been three times the New York average since 2000, while information and business services have shown solid growth.
5. Sioux Falls This South Dakota small city is picking up population, a far cry from the out-migration of years past. There's a skilled work force for financial and professional services and an emerging information and biological sciences sector. Both are attracting investment dollars.
6. Waco , Texas
7. Burlington , Vermont
8. Dutchess County , New York
9. Anchorage , Alaska
10. Manchester , New Hampshire
11. Bismarck , North Dakota
12. Bryan-College Station , Texas
13. Danbury , Connecticut
14. Altoona , Pennsylvania
15. Fargo-Moorhead , North Dakota
16. Las Cruces , New Mexico
17. La Crosse , Wisconsin
18. Newburgh , New York
19. Albany , Georgia
20. Medford , Oregon
21. Utica-Rome , New York
22. Lake Charles , Louisiana
23. Bristol , Virginia
24. Fort Smith , Arkansas
25. Enid , Oklahoma
10 Worst Metro Areas
These large cities suffer from unaffordable housing, overreliance on single industries, and often, poor quality of life for the middle class upon whom entrepreneurs rely.
1. San Jose Silicon Valley's decline is a tale of hubris, bad timing, high costs, and overconcentration in high tech. San Jose still has massive talent and a great infrastructure for high-tech entrepreneurs, but a view toward diversifying the economy seems long overdue.
Grand Rapids (2), Greenville-Spartanburg (3), Dayton (4), Rochester, N.Y. (5), Milwaukee (12) Pick your poison: metal furniture, auto parts, textiles, fiber optics. These cities all were huge losers in the manufacturing decline of the past five years, a reversal that seems very slow in ending. All these areas are victims of the rise of offshore manufacturing in China and Mexico.
New York City (6), San Francisco (7), Boston (9) Call these the lost "bubble children" of the 1990s. Pumped up on dot-com steroids, these areas neglected to keep costs down and thought the high-tech/financial service nexus would sustain their growth. It didn't, as jobs in these industries dropped precipitously, particularly after 2000. The Big Apple, with its immigrant base and strong cultural industries, is far from dead but the new growth seems to be heading to the ex-urbs.
Portland (8), Raleigh-Durham (13) These towns have been "cities of the future" for years. Too bad the future is more complicated than envisioned. High costs and the antibusiness mood in Portland has hurt it. Raleigh-Durham's overconcentration on tech is a problem, but the basic cost structure is still not impossible. Bet on a better showing from the Carolina region within a year or two.
Philadelphia (10), Hartford (11) Two long-term losers in terms of jobs and population remain down on the list. Glittery recovery of Philadelphia's downtown has not made up for high costs, political problems, and continued decay in outlying neighborhoods. Hartford's city is still shrinking, and Connecticut remains a fairly expensive place to do business, but the area's bucolic archipelago of small towns and fancy suburbs could recover quickly from the recession.
How The 2004 Top Cities Were Selected
The rankings are derived from three-month rolling averages of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics "state and area" unadjusted employment data reported from January 1993 to September 2003. The data reflect the new North American Industry Classification System categories, including total nonfarm employment, manufacturing, financial services, business and professional services, educational and health services, information, retail and wholesale trade, transportation and utilities, leisure and hospitality, and government.
All areas for which full data sets and uniform area definitions were available from the BLS for the past 10 years--277 regions in total--were included in the analysis. This approach excluded construction sector data, which was not reported for many of the regions in the BLS database, and the Denver and Boulder areas, which were redefined in January 2003.
"Large" areas include those with a current nonfarm employment base of at least 450,000 jobs. "Medium" areas range from 150,000 to 450,000 jobs. "Small" areas have as many as 150,000 jobs. The growth index is calculated from a normalized, weighted summary of: 1) the current year's employment growth rate (weighted by two points); 2) the sum of 1998-2003 and 1993-1998 employment growth rates multiplied by the ratio of the 1993-1998 growth rate over the 1998-2003 growth rate (two points); and 3) the difference between the current year's growth rate and the average 2000-2003 growth rate (half a point).
The balance index is calculated from a normalized, weighted summary of: 1) the standard deviation of each area's current percentage mix of major employment sectors (one point); 2) the standard deviation of each area's percentage of total 1998-2003 growth generated by each sector (one point); and 3) the standard deviation of each sector's recession period (2000-2003) growth rate (half a point).
To compute the final rankings, the growth index was weighted by 4.5 of a total of seven points, and the balance index by 2.5 of seven points. Full growth and balance index data for all 277 regions can be found on Inc.com. -David Friedman
Joel Kotkin, the author of The New Geography: How the Digital Revolution is Reshaping the American Landscape , is a Senior Fellow at the Davenport Institute for Public Policy at Pepperdine University. He is writing a book on the future of cities for Modern Library.
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Vacaville lauded as good place to live, work
One of the top places in America to work and to live.
Includes Vacaville - ranks No. 9 on Inc. Magazine's list of the Top 25 Cities for Doing Business in America in the "Medium Cities" category.
Ranking just above Modesto's No. 10 ranking. The national magazine, in its March issue, noted that California's once-peripheral inland cities - such as Vallejo, Fairfield and Vacaville – are growing. Relocate-America officials said that on its best-places-to-live list,
Mary Lynch can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
April 24, 2004
Vacaville lauded as good place to live, work
By Mary Lynch/Staff Writer
Local business owners and their employees can give themselves a pat on the back. Make that two, if they also happen to live in Vacaville.
They live in a place named on two recently released national lists as
one of the top places in America to work and to live.
The Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa metropolitan statistical area - which
Includes Vacaville - ranks No. 9 on Inc. Magazine's list of the Top 25 Cities for Doing Business in America in the "Medium Cities" category.
The area was one of five California sites in that category's Top 25,
Ranking just above Modesto's No. 10 ranking. Stockton came in at No. 11. Fresno and Bakersfield were fourth and fifth, respectively.
Those who both work and live in Vacaville may have the best deal of all. The city was ranked as one of the "Top 100 Places to Live" in 2004 by Relocate-America, a Michigan-based Web site that helps consumers find places to dwell.
"The real surprise of this is that California did as well as it did
given its reputation as a difficult place to do business," said Mike Palombo, Vacaville's economic development manager.
The national magazine, in its March issue, noted that California's once-peripheral inland cities - such as Vallejo, Fairfield and Vacaville – are growing. Reasonably priced housing attracts people fleeing the high cost of living in such urban centers as San Francisco. The newcomers, in turn, offer employers a talented labor pool. The cost of doing business in these medium cities, with a job base of between 150,000 to 450,000, can be lower, too, the magazine noted.
The magazine ranked San Jose the worst metro area for doing business, as it still struggles to rise from the ashes of the dot-com flameout of the late 1990s. Faring only slightly better, San Francisco was ranked as the seventh worst.
Relocate-America officials said that on its best-places-to-live list,
Cities are nominated by current or past residents for such things as safety, schools, affordable housing and economic opportunities.
Mary Lynch can be reached at business@thereporter.com.
Top 25 Cities for Doing Business in America
If you're looking for cities large, medium, and small where job growth is robust and economies are strong, head to the ones on this year's Top Cities list. Fort Lauderdale, anyone?
From: Inc, March 2004 | Page 93 By: Joel Kotkin
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http://pf.inc.com/magazine/20040301/top25.html
Frank Sinatra never wrote a song about Newark or Green Bay, nor has Madonna ever bought a house in either city. But these are among the unexpected places where businesses are adding jobs most rapidly and many people are moving in search of new lives, creating tremendous opportunities for entrepreneurs.
The Top Cities in America for doing business are not at all where most people think, and there's good data to back that up. This year Inc. publishes an exclusive Top Cities list, using a brand-new methodology that we believe to be the most objective, reliable system used anywhere for ranking fertile ground for companies.
For the most part, the top cities aren't found on the fashionable coasts, nor in the biggest, most famous metro areas, but in more prosaic places, including many in the Midwest, that found a way to grow in a tough economy and now seem poised for rapid expansion as the recovery comes in. Especially notable are cities--large, medium, and small--spread throughout the still booming Southeast, including No. 1 ranked Atlanta and a score of Florida cities of various sizes.
"Atlanta is amazing," notes Ray Wallace, president of W. Ray Wallace & Associates, an Inc. 500 firm that does financial consulting from suburban Alpharetta, Ga. "The opportunities are here and small businesses are here. People from all over the South come to Atlanta like to Mecca."
If the late 1990s were all about a gold rush--quick success, stock market fireworks, sex and the city--the prevailing trends almost midway through the more somber 2000s suggest a whole other dimension to what makes the entrepreneurial economy hum in such underhyped business havens as No. 5 (small city) Sioux Falls, S.D., No. 4 (medium) Fresno, Calif., and No. 11 (small) Bismarck, N.D.
Of course, there are some high-tech, high-priced holdovers relatively high on the list, including No. 15 (large) San Diego, No. 19 (large) Austin, and No. 13 (large) greater Washington, D.C., but those places have been high up on the growth curve for more than a decade. Perhaps most revealing are those denizens at the bottom of the list (see "10 Worst Metro Areas" on page 97), including No. 9 worst Boston, No. 8 worst Portland, Oreg., No. 7 worst San Francisco, and No. 6 worst New York City. Dead last (the No. 1 worst large metro area) is San Jose, home of Silicon Valley, the megawatt center of late '90s business hype. In the bygone era, these were the cities that had the sizzle. No more.
The Rankings
For a complete ranking of 277 large, medium, and small cities, and a separate ranking of the top cities by major industries, see our best cities index .
How did Inc. arrive at these conclusions? Not by subjective criteria, such as proximity to research universities or a hospitable climate. The central premise behind the Top Cities rankings is that current and historical job growth is the most objective indicator of a region's economic vitality for entrepreneurs. More than three-quarters of all new jobs are created by small business, according to the Small Business Administration, so a region showing strong job growth is in all likelihood a hotbed of entrepreneurship. The impact on business of a city's educational and training systems, housing and living costs, taxes, regulatory burdens, and quality of life--factors commonly measured by other "hot lists" to identify strong economies--are all ultimately reflected by job growth.
A strong history of creating new jobs means that regional businesses have expanded, created new demand, and pushed up areawide disposable incomes. In contrast, companies don't form or hire new workers when a region's regulatory climate, costs, or work force capabilities aren't conducive to expansion.
Regions that consistently generate jobs in a broad range of industries rank at the top of the list. Those with poor and worsening job growth and increasingly undiversified economies do less well in the rankings. As the recent technology bust and manufacturing cutbacks indicate, overreliance on a single sector risks painful, long-term setbacks. Unbalanced growth can also indicate whether even once prospering areas are developing anti-industrial land use or other slow- or no-growth regulatory policies.
Inc. measured current-year employment growth in more than 250 regions (as defined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics) as well as current trends in the annual average growth over the past three years, and compared employment expansion in the first half versus the second half of the last decade. Job growth factors account for approximately two-thirds of the final score for each city and the balance among industries accounts for approximately one-third of the final score.
So what kind of places are working best in George Bush's America? They are predominantly suburban and, perhaps most importantly, relatively affordable, particularly in terms of housing prices, cost of living, and business costs. These are places, notes Brookings Institution demographer William Frey, where younger families, including many well-educated people as well as upwardly mobile immigrants and even singles, are now migrating in large numbers.
Perhaps the most predictable bottom line in this current economic expansion is, well, the bottom line. Places kindest to business costs, whether in terms of office rents, taxes, or regulatory environments, seem to be doing best. "When people depend on debt to finance operations, they look at things differently than when it's equity," suggests Andrew Segal, of Boxer Property, a Houston-based real estate investment firm with holdings in several "second tier" cities. "Business now has to look for a more reasonable place. The ugly ducklings are beginning to look better."
Few people in the growth areas, of course, would consider themselves "ugly ducklings," but they certainly tend to have economies that are grayer and less specialized than the '90s hotshots. Total dependence on high tech, once considered a boon, has turned out to be a disaster.
In the mid to late '90s, suggests Leslie Parks, former economic development director for San Jose, inflated stock prices created a false economy that drove up real estate prices and the cost of managerial and technical talent while driving out more middle-class, blue-collar activities from the region. "Economic diversity is a constant challenge here," Parks adds. "A lot of people did not want basic industries. They thought high tech could solve everything."
Atlanta: Leading the Pack
The leading large city on the list, Atlanta, epitomizes the characteristics of economic diversity and affordability. Spread out over 28 counties in north-central Georgia, Atlanta's region includes over 4.5 million people, only 420,000 of whom live in the city itself. It combines the advantages seen in smaller communities with an array of assets--such as top-flight universities, major corporate headquarters, and a world-class airport--usually only found in leading global cities.
This vast archipelago of largely suburban communities also houses a relatively diverse economic structure. Atlanta is not wedded to technology like San Jose, or financial services like New York City and Boston. While the recession pummeled some of Atlanta's key industries--including information technology and construction--the area's well-rounded economy has allowed it to take full advantage of the current, broad-based recovery.
"Atlanta has one of the most diversified economies in the country," points out Mark Vitner, a senior economist who studies the Southeast for Charlotte-based Wachovia. "Whatever the new thing turns out to be, Atlanta will be in the forefront. They are very adaptable."
Affordability, Vitner notes, has been the other pillar of the region's success. Although not cheap by southern standards, Atlanta's cost of living, particularly housing, is much lower than that in places like Boston, New York City, Seattle, or San Francisco. This has made Atlanta an excellent spot to start a business, allowing lower costs and salaries for start-ups.
Atlanta turned out to be a far better choice than San Francisco for the headquarters of the fast-growing, 250-employee Cendian Inc., which opted for the Georgia metropolis over a series of other cities, including the fabled city by the bay. "Affordability killed us with the Bay Area," says CEO Mark Kaiser. "San Francisco is a delightful place to live, but way too expensive."
Atlanta may lack some of the Bay Area's edginess and physical beauty, Kaiser adds, but in addition to reasonable housing prices, it also presents many lifestyle options, including an increasingly lively central city and diverse suburban areas, which allows the firm to compete for talent across a broad spectrum of skills, from top management to technicians. At the same time, Atlanta's airport and long history as an area of logistics expertise, best epitomized by UPS, help the firm in its primary business of providing logistical support for the chemical industry worldwide.
"Atlanta," Kaiser sums up, "gives you a lot for the buck."
Affordability
The theme of affordability was repeated often by many firms located in the cities that ranked high on the list. It helps explain the remarkable performance of places like No. 4 (large) San Antonio and No. 26 (medium) McAllen, Texas, all of central Florida, and much of inland California. "San Antonio is a very good sell for families," says Keith Frederick, founder of SecureInfo, a San Antonio computer security firm with 145 employees. "You can get a new three-bedroom starter house here with a two-car garage for $60,000. And it's actually a super environment for operational experience. This is one of the few places I can get the kind of talent I need."
Indeed, Inc. 's data shows many fast-growing cities, such as No. 5 (small) Sioux Falls, S.D., No. 15 (small) Fargo, N.D., and No. 8 (large) Jacksonville, Fla., also saw rapid expansion of financial and business-professional service industries, which require a work force with a high level of education. In contrast, many of the traditional hotbeds for these professional industries (e.g., Boston, New York City, San Jose) have suffered either negative or slow growth during the past few years.
These trends were particularly notable in Florida, the state that more than any other dominates our list. A remarkable six of the top 25 cities on the large list, including No. 5 West Palm Beach, No. 7 Fort Lauderdale, No. 8 Jacksonville, No. 11 Orlando, No. 14 Tampa-St. Petersburg, and No. 22 Miami, are from the Sunshine State.
Florida, suggests Donald DiFrisco, executive vice president of Palm Beach Gardens-based Cross Match Technologies, has become increasingly attractive to information workers given the rapid housing inflation in places like the Bay Area and Boston. Corporate relocations of the 1980s and 1990s--including companies such as Motorola and Nokia--also have left a repository of talent that can be used by fast-growing, smaller firms.
Sarasota, No. 3 on the medium cities list, has become rich with what Reuben Ben-Aire, CEO of MadahCom, calls "early retirees." Many people in their 50s came to Florida to retire but, for financial reasons or out of boredom, have reentered the work force. "These people have everything you want including experience," says the 60-year-old entrepreneur, who moved his firm from New York City in July 2002 and has since gone from four to 30 employees. "They like being here and they know it costs less. Every dollar they make here is simply worth more."
The Inland Empire
An even more surprising group of top-flight cities can be found in California, whose coastal economy, particularly in the Bay Area, has been struggling since the end of the dot-com craze. Here the biggest entry is No. 2 Riverside-San Bernardino, a region with more than 3 million people east of Los Angeles. In many ways, the region, known as the Inland Empire, is the polar opposite of places like San Jose--its economic drivers are mundane industries such as housing construction, warehousing, and diversified manufacturing.
Yet even here the key high-end growth industries, such as technology, financial and business services, are expanding at strong rates. This, suggests local economist John Husing, is being driven in part by sky-rocketing housing costs on the coast of California. Skilled workers with families are responding by moving. Since 1990, Husing notes, more than 660,000 people have moved into the inland. The bulk of this growth comes from ethnic minorities, predominantly Latinos, whose numbers swelled by 500,000, and Asians. Both groups see the inland as the one place in southern California where their hard work can be rewarded with a middle-class lifestyle. They keep coming. Between 2000 and 2020 the inland is expected to add another 1.5 million people, more than the growth forecast for all but five states. Such growth provides business opportunities to entrepreneurs.
"What we have here are families, and families create growth," says Ramon Alvarez, the father of three and owner of the nation's only Latino-owned Jaguar dealership, in Riverside, Calif. "You see a lot of upward mobility around here. I see a run of growth that could last for 10 or 15 years."
"It's Econ 101," observes Bart Hill, CEO of San Joaquin Bank, a fast-growing financial institution based in Bakersfield, Calif. "It's just much cheaper to do business here than on the coast." Hill has seen a rapid growth in manufacturing, health, and financial service firms in his area. But there are even signs that some of California's vaunted technology industry may be moving inland. Sacramento, Santa Rosa, Stockton, and other smaller inland communities have been picking up high-end jobs for years. Even such perennial hard cases as Fresno have become attractive to knowledge workers, according to Lance Donny, CEO of Brightcode, a small software service firm located in the longtime agricultural center.
"I recruit people who find a five-minute commute, and the ability to get a great house, pretty attractive," Donny explains. "After 2000, we found we had plenty of resumes. You can pay people a little less because they also pay less for rent, which leaves us with a nice profit."
But California is not the only place where this shift to the periphery is increasingly obvious. Brookings demographer Frey calls this process, appropriately enough, "Jerseyfication" and ties it to the growth of areas surrounding the expensive major cities of the Northeast, including such high-fliers as northern New Jersey, the upper Hudson Valley in New York, Long Island, and the southern New Jersey areas near Philadelphia, as well as the Maryland-Virginia regions around the nation's capital.
"These are areas near old high-fliers and major cities that have become too expensive for families to move into," Frey says. "They have the advantage of being reasonably affordable but still close enough to tap into the big-city economies."
The Midwest
Another surprising trend on the list has been the general rebound of the Midwest and Great Plains. Frey says his studies indicate there was a flight from dense cities in the immediate post 9/11 year. This trend has helped some long-suffering large midwestern cities--such as No. 32 St. Louis, No. 28 Louisville, No. 29 Kansas City, and No. 30 Cincinnati. The longtime outmigration of people, particularly skilled workers, from the Midwest, Frey suggests, has significantly slowed. Indeed, recent Census data reveals that the Midwest has done relatively well attracting new knowledge workers. "People are saying maybe it makes sense to move to Omaha or Kansas City," suggests Ernie Goss, a regional economist based at Creighton University in Omaha. Places such as Fargo, N.D., or Sioux Falls, S.D., have among the best-educated young people in the country, he says. This appeal is critical with entrepreneurs trying to get skill sets that are hard to find in small communities.
Lyndon Hurley, whose Sioux Falls-based Hurco Technologies makes equipment for sewer and water systems, finds that even if his company is short on welders, workers are willing to relocate. "We get e-mails from people all over the country who want to come here," he reports. But it's not just traditional manufacturing that is doing well in these places. Sioux Falls and Fargo, in North Dakota, have also developed substantial technology industries. In the past such areas exported their young talent; now they are keeping more and bringing some back.
The Internet is part of the reason, suggests Michael Chambers, CEO of Aldevron, a Fargo-based biotech firm. Digital technology has overcome these areas' traditional sense of isolation from "the centers of action." Even the smallest town is wired now, says Chambers, whose firm has grown from 12 to 30 employees since its founding in 1998. "Its now not about being remote, but choosing to live in a place that makes sense from a personal point of view." Indeed, so strong is the business revival in Fargo, Sioux Falls, and some other Great Plains communities that their populations and employment rates are growing faster than the national average--something that has rarely been seen over the last half century. These places may not be the next Atlanta, but with good cost structures and devoted entrepreneurs they are becoming, in very real ways, prominent centers in the rapidly shifting geography of America's business. I
Sustained growth in the Southeast left formerly hot cities such as San Francisco, New York City, and Boston behind.
1. Atlanta "Hotlanta" is precisely that, the hottest of the hot economies of the country. Pummeled in the early days of the 2000 recession, the sprawling Georgia metropolis has roared back, mostly on the basis of its strong service sector, pro-business culture, and a relatively affordable housing environment in comparison with other big-time cities.
2. Riverside-San Bernardino California's premier hot spot has been criticized as the epitome of urban sprawl and for creating mostly "crummy jobs."
But it's also been the Golden State's economic Energizer Bunny: The low-cost haven keeps on growing in population, attracting emigrants from the coast.
3. Las Vegas At first hurt by the downturn in tourism after 9/11, the Nevada metropolis has gotten its groove back. Although tourism remains the linchpin, the area is creating jobs in high-end sectors and even manufacturing, in large part because of an exodus from more expensive locales on the Western Seaboard.
4. San Antonio Largely unnoticed amidst the mega-hype surrounding media favorite Austin, this more affordable Texas city has benefited from steady population growth, a diversifying economy, and a strong military presence.
5. West Palm Beach This part of Florida is getting crowded, so relatively low prices could soon be a thing of the past. Right now, the perceived high quality of life and reasonable housing prices make this area an almost irresistible lure.
6. Southern New Jersey , New Jersey
7. Fort Lauderdale- Hollywood-Pompano Beach , Florida
8. Jacksonville , Florida
9. Newark , New Jersey
10. Suburban Maryland-D.C. , Maryland
11. Orlando , Florida
12. Phoenix , Arizona
13. Washington MSA , District of Columbia
14. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater , Florida
15. San Diego , California
16. Nassau-Suffolk , New York
17. Richmond-Petersburg , Virginia
18. New Orleans , Louisiana
19. Austin , Texas
20. Northern Virginia , Virginia
21. Middlesex-Somerset- Hunterdon , New Jersey
22. Miami-Hialeah , Florida
23. Orange County , California
24. Oklahoma City , Oklahoma
25. Albany-Schenectady-Troy , New York
With job bases from 150,000 to 450,000, the midsize cities include a strong showing from the Inland Empire, driven by escapees from the California coast
1. Green Bay The Packers may provide name recognition to this Wisconsin city, but locals swear to the quality of life, a diversified economy, and a hardworking, skilled labor force.
It lacks the population-driven growth of Sunbelt cities such as Las Vegas or Atlanta, but it is an excellent place to start and expand a business.
2. Madison Cold weather didn't stop Wisconsin from packing a one-two punch among midsize cities. Madison is peculiarly well suited for the service-driven economic expansion. As state capital and locale of one of the region's top universities, its population is exceptionally well educated.
3. Sarasota This may well be Florida's "next big thing," an affordable coastal region that attracts many skilled, middle-class emigrants from the north. A sizable tech work force has made this among the fastest-growing areas for information-based industries. And there's always the beach.
4. Fresno California's economy is driven by real estate affordability and population growth, but here it's particularly spurred on by Latino and Asian immigration. A key issue, as in other growth centers, will be creating a bigger high-end service, manufacturing, and information sector.
5. Bakersfield Like Fresno, but with perhaps stronger prospects. Sprawl has made the old Merle Haggard Okie capital a distant suburb of pricey Los Angeles, and people actually commute over the mountains. A good choice for firms seeking to expand close to southern California, without the price tag.
6. Reno , Nevada
7. Albuquerque , New Mexico
8. Tucson , Arizona
9. Vallejo-Fairfield-Napa , California
10. Modesto , California
11. Stockton , California
12. Fort Myers-Cape Coral , Florida
13. Corpus Christi , Texas
14. Syracuse , New York
15. Springfield , Missouri
16. Monmouth-Ocean , New Jersey
17. Westchester County , New York
18. Harrisburg-Lebanon-Carlisle , Pennsylvania
19. Baton Rouge , Louisiana
20. Daytona Beach , Florida
21. Jackson , Mississippi
22. Lancaster , Pennsylvania
23. Portland , Maine
24. Boise City , Idaho
25. Akron , Ohio
Small cities (job bases up to 150,000) have suffered from years of dwindling population. Their affordability is reversing the trend
1. Montpelier With classic Yankee humility, George Malek, executive vice president of the Central Vermont Chamber, could not bring himself to boast about his region's top ranking. He cited instead his city's burgeoning insurance industry and the advantages of being a state capital and home to several small colleges.
2. Missoula Montana's nice scenery and the local university go a long way in a small place. Missoula's population has almost doubled in the past 30 years, and many newcomers have started businesses. Financial and professional business services, as well as information, have all made solid gains.
3. Casper With 66,000 people in this Wyoming region, Casper is small even by small-town standards. But its business services industries--in particular, financial services--made strong showings. Another sign that professional service sectors are declustering from traditional urban centers.
4. Rockland County Although not cheap by midwestern or southern standards, its housing prices are bargain basement compared with areas closer to New York City. Population growth has been three times the New York average since 2000, while information and business services have shown solid growth.
5. Sioux Falls This South Dakota small city is picking up population, a far cry from the out-migration of years past. There's a skilled work force for financial and professional services and an emerging information and biological sciences sector. Both are attracting investment dollars.
6. Waco , Texas
7. Burlington , Vermont
8. Dutchess County , New York
9. Anchorage , Alaska
10. Manchester , New Hampshire
11. Bismarck , North Dakota
12. Bryan-College Station , Texas
13. Danbury , Connecticut
14. Altoona , Pennsylvania
15. Fargo-Moorhead , North Dakota
16. Las Cruces , New Mexico
17. La Crosse , Wisconsin
18. Newburgh , New York
19. Albany , Georgia
20. Medford , Oregon
21. Utica-Rome , New York
22. Lake Charles , Louisiana
23. Bristol , Virginia
24. Fort Smith , Arkansas
25. Enid , Oklahoma
10 Worst Metro Areas
These large cities suffer from unaffordable housing, overreliance on single industries, and often, poor quality of life for the middle class upon whom entrepreneurs rely.
1. San Jose Silicon Valley's decline is a tale of hubris, bad timing, high costs, and overconcentration in high tech. San Jose still has massive talent and a great infrastructure for high-tech entrepreneurs, but a view toward diversifying the economy seems long overdue.
Grand Rapids (2), Greenville-Spartanburg (3), Dayton (4), Rochester, N.Y. (5), Milwaukee (12) Pick your poison: metal furniture, auto parts, textiles, fiber optics. These cities all were huge losers in the manufacturing decline of the past five years, a reversal that seems very slow in ending. All these areas are victims of the rise of offshore manufacturing in China and Mexico.
New York City (6), San Francisco (7), Boston (9) Call these the lost "bubble children" of the 1990s. Pumped up on dot-com steroids, these areas neglected to keep costs down and thought the high-tech/financial service nexus would sustain their growth. It didn't, as jobs in these industries dropped precipitously, particularly after 2000. The Big Apple, with its immigrant base and strong cultural industries, is far from dead but the new growth seems to be heading to the ex-urbs.
Portland (8), Raleigh-Durham (13) These towns have been "cities of the future" for years. Too bad the future is more complicated than envisioned. High costs and the antibusiness mood in Portland has hurt it. Raleigh-Durham's overconcentration on tech is a problem, but the basic cost structure is still not impossible. Bet on a better showing from the Carolina region within a year or two.
Philadelphia (10), Hartford (11) Two long-term losers in terms of jobs and population remain down on the list. Glittery recovery of Philadelphia's downtown has not made up for high costs, political problems, and continued decay in outlying neighborhoods. Hartford's city is still shrinking, and Connecticut remains a fairly expensive place to do business, but the area's bucolic archipelago of small towns and fancy suburbs could recover quickly from the recession.
How The 2004 Top Cities Were Selected
The rankings are derived from three-month rolling averages of U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics "state and area" unadjusted employment data reported from January 1993 to September 2003. The data reflect the new North American Industry Classification System categories, including total nonfarm employment, manufacturing, financial services, business and professional services, educational and health services, information, retail and wholesale trade, transportation and utilities, leisure and hospitality, and government.
All areas for which full data sets and uniform area definitions were available from the BLS for the past 10 years--277 regions in total--were included in the analysis. This approach excluded construction sector data, which was not reported for many of the regions in the BLS database, and the Denver and Boulder areas, which were redefined in January 2003.
"Large" areas include those with a current nonfarm employment base of at least 450,000 jobs. "Medium" areas range from 150,000 to 450,000 jobs. "Small" areas have as many as 150,000 jobs. The growth index is calculated from a normalized, weighted summary of: 1) the current year's employment growth rate (weighted by two points); 2) the sum of 1998-2003 and 1993-1998 employment growth rates multiplied by the ratio of the 1993-1998 growth rate over the 1998-2003 growth rate (two points); and 3) the difference between the current year's growth rate and the average 2000-2003 growth rate (half a point).
The balance index is calculated from a normalized, weighted summary of: 1) the standard deviation of each area's current percentage mix of major employment sectors (one point); 2) the standard deviation of each area's percentage of total 1998-2003 growth generated by each sector (one point); and 3) the standard deviation of each sector's recession period (2000-2003) growth rate (half a point).
To compute the final rankings, the growth index was weighted by 4.5 of a total of seven points, and the balance index by 2.5 of seven points. Full growth and balance index data for all 277 regions can be found on Inc.com. -David Friedman
Joel Kotkin, the author of The New Geography: How the Digital Revolution is Reshaping the American Landscape , is a Senior Fellow at the Davenport Institute for Public Policy at Pepperdine University. He is writing a book on the future of cities for Modern Library.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright © 2004 Gruner + Jahr USA Publishing. All rights reserved.
Inc.com, 375 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10017.
Housing Market Strong In Solano County
Summary
Housing market strong in county
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Unless job growth in the Bay Area picks up rapidly, apartment availability and rent costs in Solano County should remain stable, said a private firm that tracks multi-family housing trends.
The county's occupancy rate has hovered between 94-95 percent since 2001, when the economy soured and a record number of apartments were built. In the growth years before the recession, shockingly few apartments were available causing occupancy rates to hit 98.3 percent in 2000 and rent costs to balloon.
Ninety-five percent occupancy, or 5 percent vacancy, has been the "golden" number, Cox said, that signals a balanced market. There are 64 apartment complexes, ranging in size from 50 to 560 units, in Solano County, according to RealFacts. Only 3 percent were built in the 1990s, and 6 percent have been built since 2000.
Suisun City had the lowest rent average, $975, with Benicia the highest at $1,138.
Business
April 23, 2004
Housing market strong in county
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Unless job growth in the Bay Area picks up rapidly, apartment availability and rent costs in Solano County should remain stable, said a private firm that tracks multi-family housing trends.
The county's occupancy rate has hovered between 94-95 percent since 2001, when the economy soured and a record number of apartments were built. In the growth years before the recession, shockingly few apartments were available causing occupancy rates to hit 98.3 percent in 2000 and rent costs to balloon.
Rent averages have been relatively stable since the "dot-bomb era," mostly due to dwindled demand for Bay Area rentals, said Gerald Cox, marketing director for RealFacts, a company that tracks multi-family housing trends for clients in the real estate industry.
"If job growth occurs at a measured pace, the (occupancy) rates are low enough to be able to absorb that," Cox said. "I don't see, for the short term anyway, Solano County getting back to occupancies of 98 percent."
Ninety-five percent occupancy, or 5 percent vacancy, has been the "golden" number, Cox said, that signals a balanced market. Higher rents typically result from vacancies of about 4 percent or less, he said.
"For a long time Solano County wasn't changing much," he said. "But it got overheated in the late 1990s by an amped local economy."
It cost $777 to rent a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in 1997, according to RealFacts. The same apartment type rented for $1,150 in 2001, and increased to $1,206 in 2004, the company said.
The county's across-the-board rent average has been stable for the past year, said RealFacts. As the economy recovers, inflation and interest rates are expected to rise, a deterrent to homebuyers and a boon to landlords, said Cox.
"With the low interest rates, everyone who felt secure in their job bought a home," he said. "It was like, if you can afford it, buy it."
There are 64 apartment complexes, ranging in size from 50 to 560 units, in Solano County, according to RealFacts. Their combined inventory includes 10,155 units.
Sixty percent of the units are in complexes built in the 1980s. Only 3 percent were built in the 1990s, and 6 percent have been built since 2000.
Fairfield and Vallejo each have 20 large apartment complexes, the most in the county. Vacaville has the most total units at 3,220. Suisun City had the lowest rent average, $975, with Benicia the highest at $1,138. Fairfield's average was $1,109, and Vacaville's was $1,059.
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Housing market strong in county
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Unless job growth in the Bay Area picks up rapidly, apartment availability and rent costs in Solano County should remain stable, said a private firm that tracks multi-family housing trends.
The county's occupancy rate has hovered between 94-95 percent since 2001, when the economy soured and a record number of apartments were built. In the growth years before the recession, shockingly few apartments were available causing occupancy rates to hit 98.3 percent in 2000 and rent costs to balloon.
Ninety-five percent occupancy, or 5 percent vacancy, has been the "golden" number, Cox said, that signals a balanced market. There are 64 apartment complexes, ranging in size from 50 to 560 units, in Solano County, according to RealFacts. Only 3 percent were built in the 1990s, and 6 percent have been built since 2000.
Suisun City had the lowest rent average, $975, with Benicia the highest at $1,138.
Business
April 23, 2004
Housing market strong in county
By Matthew Bunk
FAIRFIELD -- Unless job growth in the Bay Area picks up rapidly, apartment availability and rent costs in Solano County should remain stable, said a private firm that tracks multi-family housing trends.
The county's occupancy rate has hovered between 94-95 percent since 2001, when the economy soured and a record number of apartments were built. In the growth years before the recession, shockingly few apartments were available causing occupancy rates to hit 98.3 percent in 2000 and rent costs to balloon.
Rent averages have been relatively stable since the "dot-bomb era," mostly due to dwindled demand for Bay Area rentals, said Gerald Cox, marketing director for RealFacts, a company that tracks multi-family housing trends for clients in the real estate industry.
"If job growth occurs at a measured pace, the (occupancy) rates are low enough to be able to absorb that," Cox said. "I don't see, for the short term anyway, Solano County getting back to occupancies of 98 percent."
Ninety-five percent occupancy, or 5 percent vacancy, has been the "golden" number, Cox said, that signals a balanced market. Higher rents typically result from vacancies of about 4 percent or less, he said.
"For a long time Solano County wasn't changing much," he said. "But it got overheated in the late 1990s by an amped local economy."
It cost $777 to rent a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in 1997, according to RealFacts. The same apartment type rented for $1,150 in 2001, and increased to $1,206 in 2004, the company said.
The county's across-the-board rent average has been stable for the past year, said RealFacts. As the economy recovers, inflation and interest rates are expected to rise, a deterrent to homebuyers and a boon to landlords, said Cox.
"With the low interest rates, everyone who felt secure in their job bought a home," he said. "It was like, if you can afford it, buy it."
There are 64 apartment complexes, ranging in size from 50 to 560 units, in Solano County, according to RealFacts. Their combined inventory includes 10,155 units.
Sixty percent of the units are in complexes built in the 1980s. Only 3 percent were built in the 1990s, and 6 percent have been built since 2000.
Fairfield and Vallejo each have 20 large apartment complexes, the most in the county. Vacaville has the most total units at 3,220. Suisun City had the lowest rent average, $975, with Benicia the highest at $1,138. Fairfield's average was $1,109, and Vacaville's was $1,059.
Reach Matthew Bunk at 425-4646 Ext. 267 or mbunk@dailyrepublic.net.
Sunday, July 04, 2004
Solano's Got It! . . . The Best That Northern Califorina Has To Offer!
Welcome!
Stay up to date on new developments planned, announced or underway in Solano County, California.
Come back often and you will find articles, photos and interviews with the key players making Solano County's economy grow.
Considering a move? We're ready to help!
Solano County is adjacent to Napa and strategically located between the two major Northern California markets of San Francisco and the State Capitol of Sacramento. Our diverse economic base, highly skilled workforce, and strong business climate position us to access millions of consumers in Northern California markets while positioning you to access major world markets.
Our Team Solano is composed of dedicated economic and community development staff specialists and key business and community volunteers who will confidentially help you obtain all the facts you need to thoroughly evaluate Solano County and Northern California absolutely free. This customized service saves you countless hours while providing a full complement of services including:
* One-Stop Confidential Assistance
* Site & Building Information
* Customized Confidential Property Tours
* Build-to-Suit/Design-Build Contacts
* Coordination of State and Local Assistance
* Introductions to business & community leaders
* Access to Regulatory Authorities
* Labor Market Analysis
* Employee Recruitment Assistance
* Job-Training Assistance
* Financial Contacts/Introductions
* Custom Research Request
Call Mike Ammann at Team Solano toll free 1-(888) 864-1855 or mike@solanoedc.org Mike's located at 424 C Executive Court North, Fairfield, CA 94534-4018
To link to a Yahoo map of this location click here
Stay up to date on new developments planned, announced or underway in Solano County, California.
Come back often and you will find articles, photos and interviews with the key players making Solano County's economy grow.
Considering a move? We're ready to help!
Solano County is adjacent to Napa and strategically located between the two major Northern California markets of San Francisco and the State Capitol of Sacramento. Our diverse economic base, highly skilled workforce, and strong business climate position us to access millions of consumers in Northern California markets while positioning you to access major world markets.
Our Team Solano is composed of dedicated economic and community development staff specialists and key business and community volunteers who will confidentially help you obtain all the facts you need to thoroughly evaluate Solano County and Northern California absolutely free. This customized service saves you countless hours while providing a full complement of services including:
* One-Stop Confidential Assistance
* Site & Building Information
* Customized Confidential Property Tours
* Build-to-Suit/Design-Build Contacts
* Coordination of State and Local Assistance
* Introductions to business & community leaders
* Access to Regulatory Authorities
* Labor Market Analysis
* Employee Recruitment Assistance
* Job-Training Assistance
* Financial Contacts/Introductions
* Custom Research Request
Call Mike Ammann at Team Solano toll free 1-(888) 864-1855 or mike@solanoedc.org Mike's located at 424 C Executive Court North, Fairfield, CA 94534-4018
To link to a Yahoo map of this location click here
Thursday, May 13, 2004
Dixon unveils new storm drain pond
May 31, 2004
Dixon ready to unveil new storm drain pond
By Yasmin Assemi
DIXON -- Dixon just got a little more green.
After months of weather-related delays, the city will finally unveil its largest storm drain pond project.
The 750,000-cubic-yard pond cost the city nearly $4.5 million and provides habitat for wildlife, while increasing storm runoff capacity needed for new development.
The pond is important to the city's farmers and homes because it will help drain excess rains that could damage crops and property - and prevent flooding damage.
The storm drain, complete with a wildlife habitat area supporting wetlands, features various trees and shrubs surrounding the edge of the pond as well as a nature trail.
The Pond A Lateral One Improvement Project ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at the intersection of Pitt School and Porter roads Wednesday.
For more information, call City Project Manager Janet Koster at 678-7031 Ext. 304.
Reach Yasmin Assemi at 427-6953 or yassemi@dailyrepublic.net.
Dixon ready to unveil new storm drain pond
By Yasmin Assemi
DIXON -- Dixon just got a little more green.
After months of weather-related delays, the city will finally unveil its largest storm drain pond project.
The 750,000-cubic-yard pond cost the city nearly $4.5 million and provides habitat for wildlife, while increasing storm runoff capacity needed for new development.
The pond is important to the city's farmers and homes because it will help drain excess rains that could damage crops and property - and prevent flooding damage.
The storm drain, complete with a wildlife habitat area supporting wetlands, features various trees and shrubs surrounding the edge of the pond as well as a nature trail.
The Pond A Lateral One Improvement Project ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at the intersection of Pitt School and Porter roads Wednesday.
For more information, call City Project Manager Janet Koster at 678-7031 Ext. 304.
Reach Yasmin Assemi at 427-6953 or yassemi@dailyrepublic.net.
Dixon unveils new storm drain pond
May 31, 2004
Dixon ready to unveil new storm drain pond
By Yasmin Assemi
DIXON -- Dixon just got a little more green.
After months of weather-related delays, the city will finally unveil its largest storm drain pond project.
The 750,000-cubic-yard pond cost the city nearly $4.5 million and provides habitat for wildlife, while increasing storm runoff capacity needed for new development.
The pond is important to the city's farmers and homes because it will help drain excess rains that could damage crops and property - and prevent flooding damage.
The storm drain, complete with a wildlife habitat area supporting wetlands, features various trees and shrubs surrounding the edge of the pond as well as a nature trail.
The Pond A Lateral One Improvement Project ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at the intersection of Pitt School and Porter roads Wednesday.
For more information, call City Project Manager Janet Koster at 678-7031 Ext. 304.
Reach Yasmin Assemi at 427-6953 or yassemi@dailyrepublic.net.
Dixon ready to unveil new storm drain pond
By Yasmin Assemi
DIXON -- Dixon just got a little more green.
After months of weather-related delays, the city will finally unveil its largest storm drain pond project.
The 750,000-cubic-yard pond cost the city nearly $4.5 million and provides habitat for wildlife, while increasing storm runoff capacity needed for new development.
The pond is important to the city's farmers and homes because it will help drain excess rains that could damage crops and property - and prevent flooding damage.
The storm drain, complete with a wildlife habitat area supporting wetlands, features various trees and shrubs surrounding the edge of the pond as well as a nature trail.
The Pond A Lateral One Improvement Project ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at the intersection of Pitt School and Porter roads Wednesday.
For more information, call City Project Manager Janet Koster at 678-7031 Ext. 304.
Reach Yasmin Assemi at 427-6953 or yassemi@dailyrepublic.net.
Dixon unveils new storm drain pond
May 31, 2004
Dixon ready to unveil new storm drain pond
By Yasmin Assemi
DIXON -- Dixon just got a little more green.
After months of weather-related delays, the city will finally unveil its largest storm drain pond project.
The 750,000-cubic-yard pond cost the city nearly $4.5 million and provides habitat for wildlife, while increasing storm runoff capacity needed for new development.
The pond is important to the city's farmers and homes because it will help drain excess rains that could damage crops and property - and prevent flooding damage.
The storm drain, complete with a wildlife habitat area supporting wetlands, features various trees and shrubs surrounding the edge of the pond as well as a nature trail.
The Pond A Lateral One Improvement Project ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at the intersection of Pitt School and Porter roads Wednesday.
For more information, call City Project Manager Janet Koster at 678-7031 Ext. 304.
Reach Yasmin Assemi at 427-6953 or yassemi@dailyrepublic.net.
Dixon ready to unveil new storm drain pond
By Yasmin Assemi
DIXON -- Dixon just got a little more green.
After months of weather-related delays, the city will finally unveil its largest storm drain pond project.
The 750,000-cubic-yard pond cost the city nearly $4.5 million and provides habitat for wildlife, while increasing storm runoff capacity needed for new development.
The pond is important to the city's farmers and homes because it will help drain excess rains that could damage crops and property - and prevent flooding damage.
The storm drain, complete with a wildlife habitat area supporting wetlands, features various trees and shrubs surrounding the edge of the pond as well as a nature trail.
The Pond A Lateral One Improvement Project ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at the intersection of Pitt School and Porter roads Wednesday.
For more information, call City Project Manager Janet Koster at 678-7031 Ext. 304.
Reach Yasmin Assemi at 427-6953 or yassemi@dailyrepublic.net.
Dixon unveils new storm drain pond
May 31, 2004
Dixon ready to unveil new storm drain pond
By Yasmin Assemi
DIXON -- Dixon just got a little more green.
After months of weather-related delays, the city will finally unveil its largest storm drain pond project.
The 750,000-cubic-yard pond cost the city nearly $4.5 million and provides habitat for wildlife, while increasing storm runoff capacity needed for new development.
The pond is important to the city's farmers and homes because it will help drain excess rains that could damage crops and property - and prevent flooding damage.
The storm drain, complete with a wildlife habitat area supporting wetlands, features various trees and shrubs surrounding the edge of the pond as well as a nature trail.
The Pond A Lateral One Improvement Project ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at the intersection of Pitt School and Porter roads Wednesday.
For more information, call City Project Manager Janet Koster at 678-7031 Ext. 304.
Reach Yasmin Assemi at 427-6953 or yassemi@dailyrepublic.net.
Dixon ready to unveil new storm drain pond
By Yasmin Assemi
DIXON -- Dixon just got a little more green.
After months of weather-related delays, the city will finally unveil its largest storm drain pond project.
The 750,000-cubic-yard pond cost the city nearly $4.5 million and provides habitat for wildlife, while increasing storm runoff capacity needed for new development.
The pond is important to the city's farmers and homes because it will help drain excess rains that could damage crops and property - and prevent flooding damage.
The storm drain, complete with a wildlife habitat area supporting wetlands, features various trees and shrubs surrounding the edge of the pond as well as a nature trail.
The Pond A Lateral One Improvement Project ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at the intersection of Pitt School and Porter roads Wednesday.
For more information, call City Project Manager Janet Koster at 678-7031 Ext. 304.
Reach Yasmin Assemi at 427-6953 or yassemi@dailyrepublic.net.
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Solano's Got It!
The Best That Northern California Has To Offer.
