RAF Pacifica Taking Transition To ‘Creative Industrial’ To The Next Level At Carlsbad Project

With continued popularity of creative office space, “creative industrial" is now emerging to provide creative office features and amenities to industrial users. RAF Pacifica Group principal Adam Robinson tells Bisnow his company is taking the creative industrial concept to the next level, with development of two state-of-the-art distribution facilities on an 18.4-acre parcel in the Carlsbad Raceway Business Park. Adam will be one of our speakers at our San Diego Annual Construction & Development Forum on July 28 at the Westin San Diego.

Known as “dis·trib·ute,” this project is divisible down to 10k SF to accommodate an array of business types, including the region’s entrepreneurial community. It is the first of its kind in the market, says Adam (pictured here with his children, Kellan, 7; Reed, 5; and Asher, 9).

"This product will be in a category all its own, featuring creative office elements, such as collaborative workspace, outdoor amenities, and extensive glass for natural lighting," Adam says. "It will also provide outdoor amenity space for people to gather and socialize, similar to a creative office campus environment.

“But our projects will also have the very latest in industrial upgrades, making them the highest quality, most functional industrial facilities in San Diego,” Adam adds. He says the design integrates cutting-edge industrial features, including glass exteriors, updated ESFR sprinkler systems, 30-foot clear height ceilings and high-dock loading doors. The dis·trib·ute project is slated to break ground in Q1 2017, with an estimated completion date in Q4 2017.

Carlsbad is experiencing significant growth in the technology, distribution and manufacturing sectors, which continues to increased demand for quality industrial space well beyond the market’s existing vacancy, which is just 3.7% countywide, Adam points out. “Based on these competitive and high-quality features, coupled with this project’s prime location in one of the premier employment hubs in Southern California, our team views this development project as a solid long-term investment.”

He says his firm plans to continue investing in the Carlsbad market. “We like the entrepreneurial spirit in Carlsbad, as many businesses launched in the city go on to grow and prosper,” Adam says. “We understand that as developers and owners, we have the opportunity to build creative, high-quality space that is also flexible, giving us the opportunity to expand and shrink spaces as needed in order to help tenants throughout their lifetimes.”

Pointing out no new industrial product has been built here for over a decade, he says the North County market draws commercial users from a wide range of industries, many of which are seeking industrial space with a corporate headquarters’ aesthetic. With the huge shift in demand for creative office space over the last decade, that demand is beginning to transition to the industrial sector, Adam notes.

He says his firm plans to meet this demand with high-quality industrial and office product, differentiating itself as one of San Diego’s premier developers by leveraging its local expertise, ability to identify long-term growth opportunities, and delivery of the most desirable industrial product in the market. “The innovative dis·trib·ute project is an example of our strategy to develop industrial and office properties in coastal and infill submarkets of San Diego County,” Adam says, announcing his firm plans to make multiple land acquisitions over the next 12 to 24 months.

To hear more from Adam and our other speakers, join us at Bisnow's San Diego Construction & Development Forum on July 28 at the Westin San Diego. Register here.