The city’s RFEI (Request for Expressions of Interest) process yielded three proposals in documents released by the city late Monday evening. There were two proposals that were expected – the Ramos, Oates, Bruner group at Mace 200 and the Hines-SKK Developments north of Sutter Davis Hospital.
There was a third from David Morris of Capital Corridor Ventures, who approached the owner of the Davis Ranch property, the Tsakopoulos family, about a donation of 200 acres of the Davis Ranch.
This is the second of three proposals – the Northwest Quadrant.
Nico Coulouras from Hines and Sotiris Kolokotronis from SKK Developments write in a letter to the city date June 23, 2014, “We know that… we must deliver holistic solutions that represent the values intrinsic to the community of Davis while building a world-class facility.”
“This project demands a team that can identify community needs, plan for and accommodate the changing space requirements of growing innovation companies in Davis, and approach community outreach with openness, sensitivity, and the best ideas,” they write.
The 207 acre site we propose for the Innovation Center, located near the corner of Highway 113 and Covell Boulevard, offers: “Closest proximity to the University campus (1-mile) and UC Davis West Village;” “Primary access to the least impacted Highway 113;” “Relatively low-quality agricultural land for development (Class III/IV soil);” “ Close proximity to underutilized Yolo County Airport and Sacramento International Airport;” and “Adjacency to Sutter Davis Hospital, which provides opportunities for health science and technology partnerships.”
The proposed development entity would be controlled by Hines and SKK, and would include The Hodgson Company, AECOM, EPS, Cunningham Engineering and Pioneer Law Group.
The team lays out their schedule: “Our team will work closely with City of Davis and County leadership to establish a responsible timetable. We will present a proposal that reflects the values and attributes outlined in this response. In collaboration with Davis City Council, numerous public meetings will be held inviting and receiving input from the community. We anticipate that this could include a vote of the citizens on the overall direction of the plan. Specific land use entitlements (including more detailed technical studies and environmental analysis) would then be prepared and submitted to the City. Additional public review would occur prior to being heard by the City Council.”
The Davis Innovation Center will “provide a desirable place to serve young technology entrepreneurs engaged in the community and eager to locate and grow their discoveries, companies, and revenues. Creating a successful, world-class innovation center in the City of Davis positions the city to capture significant economic and community benefits,” including:
- Creation of new high-paying jobs that will attract and retain high-value employees—giving more highly qualified Davis residents opportunities to live and work in the community.
- Positive far-reaching impacts on the real estate market, affecting demand for residential, commercial, and office/R&D property and increasing property values.
- Technology transfer capture from UC Davis of both small startup business and growing mid-to-large size companies, reducing loss through out-migration.
- Long-term revenue generation to help balance and stabilize the city budget.
- Close proximity to UC Davis for natural collaboration between technology businesses and research experts.
- Increased opportunities for UC Davis students to obtain internships with technology companies in close proximity to the campus.
- Attraction of out of area technology businesses (including national and international ) that desire close proximity to the intellectual, innovation and entrepreneurial resources at UC Davis.
- Adjacency to Sutter Davis Medical Campus encouraging additional technological collaboration between medical research firms and the hospital.
- Nominal traffic impacts due to close proximity to two Highway 113 interchanges—reducing regional traffic impacts and vehicle miles traveled (VMT).
- Proximity-–a short biking distance to UC Davis, Downtown Davis, existing single and multi-family housing, and neighborhood shopping—reducing greenhouse gas impacts.
- Capacity to support/expand utilities and communications infrastructure to improve services to surrounding areas.
- Opportunities to create public/open spaces close to the UC Davis campus and neighboring residential and commercial area for the enjoyment of all Davis residents.
- No development on high-quality agricultural land.
- Opportunities to integrate sustainable transportation concepts within the site and connect with the larger community context.
- Close proximity to underutilized Yolo County airport, Capitol Corridor train station and Sacramento International Airport.
- With no residential component in the project, employees will utilize existing real estate in the City.
- Additionally, the development team brings the expertise and ability to help the City address densification and repurposing of private and publicly owned assets in Downtown Davis.
—David M. Greenwald reporting
“With no residential component in the project, employees will utilize existing real estate in the City.”
so after all that, no housing. now the question that the pro-development people will have, where are we putting 15,000 to 20,000 new employees?
Where’s the mitigation? Parlin Development was offering 3-1 acres.
Clearly this team has been following the issues in Davis. This approach is very promising for that site.
This would increase sprawl and cause us to merge with Dixon, Woodland and Winters. Wait… that is your argument not mine.
How would this development connect to the university and the UCD airport?
Clearly this team has not done much homework with respect to the adjacent neighbors. Don’t they remember what happen when the university wanted to connect University Village to Russel Blvd? The pitchforks came out and they marched on city hall.
It would take a new 113 offramp/onramp, but it is not a mile away from Covell.
The Covell-113 interchange is surrounded by residential.
With access to the park from Covell, people coming to and from would drive through the residential areas and country roads. The residential population in the area will kill it dead.
In terms of access and impacts, the NWQ is much more problematic than is the east Davis land around the freeway corridor.
But let’s see where this one goes. I support it, but at this point I see it as a dead duck.
For someone who favors economic development, you sure are persistent about arguing against the one project that’s nearest to you. Your “I support it but” is probably not the best way to go about getting things done.