CREW SV welcomes new members at 237 @ First
CREW SV welcomed a bumper crop of new members with a peek behind the scenes at how one of San Jose's newest office campuses came together.
South Bay Development's 237 @ First played host to CREW's New Member Event, where recently inducted members learn how to get the most out of their membership in CREW, the premiere networking organization dedicated to advancing women in commercial real estate globally.
"When I joined CREW, I had never been on a board and I never thought I would become president," said Jennifer Anderson, CREW SV's president and a partner with Bozzuto & Associates Insurance Services. She highlighted how getting involved with CREW's committees provides a chance to develop leadership skills in addition to building a network.
After a round of introductions, attendees enjoyed an interactive panel discussion with the team that developed the 615,000 SF office project: Mark Regoli, Partner with South Bay; David Andris, vice president with South Bay; Jackson Derler, principal with HMH; Chris Shaffer, senior managing director a Newmark Knight Frank; and Tim Barnes, Project Architect, Studio G.
South Bay started the project on spec, and executives admitted it was a bit of a tough sell at first. Most development was on the other side of Highway 237, and there wasn't much within walking distance. "We were trying to sell a dream," Andris said.
The message? "We used HMH's plans for outdoor amenities. We really sold the future Topgolf coming in next door. And we sold the Highway 237 signage - you have 42 million cars a year," he said. "We used all of those to sell the dream and get tenants to come out here."
HMH's Derler also beefed up the outdoor amenities and landscaping to give tours an extra oomph. He stressed the stakes have been raised in 2019. Bocce courts? So last year. "The experience starts with the driveway," he said. "You have to be impressed, otherwise people will turn around."
Fast forward, and the project is now home to Bloom Energy's headquarters as well as an outpost of SPACES - the hip coworking brand from Regus. (Bloom moved in at the beginning of the year; SPACES is under construction.) South Bay sold off a portion of the site for a Homewood Suites, which has become an attractive amenity in a region starved for business-travel accommodations. Building 2 is rapidly reaching shell completion.
With two signed leases at the campus, touring activity is strong, said Shaffer. That's thanks to increasing costs in submarkets closer to Palo Alto. "The price has become so expensive up the road, even just three miles," he said.
The event on March 26 was spearheaded by the Membership Committee, headed by Sethena Leiker, a director with Cushman & Wakefield. For inquiries on membership, contact Sethena Leiker.
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