What Does It Take To Turn A Decades-Long Dream Into Reality?

Universal Paragon's Brisbane Baylands project is finally underway. “It’s been a long process…over a decade,” says Universal Paragon director of development Jonathan Scharfman. Jonathan will be among our expert speakers at Bisnow's San Francisco Peninsula Boom event Aug. 17.

Originally conceived in the '90s, the plan was to transform “blighted land into a transformative regional asset,” Jonathan tells us. As construction begins, we sat down with him to discuss the project's history, how he worked with various stakeholders to get all the necessary approvals, and the importance of patience in real estate development.

Bisnow: How long ago was the Baylands project conceived?

Jonathan: Soon after the property was acquired in 1989. However, we quickly realized that the entitlements and community outreach for a brownfield redevelopment of this scale would take some time. After some 1990s missteps, the current plan was conceived in 2004 and refined through 2011 in response to community input, environmental review process, market conditions and project feasibility benchmarks.

Bisnow: What pieces needed to fall in line before things got to where they are today?

Jonathan: Community outreach is key. We spent the first few years presenting various ideas and seeking input from the community—from Brisbane residents of all ages, from business leaders and stakeholders, from elected officials, from environmentalists, artists and from any individual or member of a local group who expressed interest in meeting with us. The goal was to discover what our community wanted to see on this important opportunity site, while addressing the region’s and state’s priorities. We also enlisted a deep bench of highly qualified consultants to address the site’s multitude of technical and design challenges in a way that helps achieve Brisbane’s desire for a place that exemplifies sustainability.

Bisnow: What is the idea behind having residential and office space so close to each other?

Jonathan: The Baylands development plan follows the guidelines of SB 375 and the Sustainable Communities Strategy, which promotes compact, mixed-use commercial and residential development. Our goal is to (entice) workers in the office space to live in the residential nearby, thereby reducing transportation-related pollution, which makes up 40% of California’s greenhouse gas emissions and negatively impacts people’s health.

Bisnow: What planning or technological innovations will the project incorporate?

Jonathan: We want to make Brisbane Baylands a model of sustainable development by using, to the greatest extent possible, the latest green-building design and construction techniques and by drawing energy from on-site energy generation and storage.

Bisnow: What have you learned executing this project that surprised you?

Jonathan: How much patience it requires! Local priorities are extremely difficult to reconcile with regional ones, and it’s our job to build a feasible bridge between the two.

Hear more from Jonathan about the Brisbane Baylands project and from our other speakers at Bisnow’s San Francisco Peninsula Boom event Aug. 17.