Fremont’s Pacific Commons South Development Poised to Change the Industrial Face of Silicon Valley
In 2009, Overton Moore Properties (OMP) made its first investment in Fremont with the acquisition of 901 Page Avenue, a 500,000-square-foot building that is now leased to Tesla. In 2014, OMP bet big again in Fremont with the development of The Crossings @ 880, a 700,000-square-foot speculative industrial project that was nearly fully leased within seven months of construction. At the time, The Crossings was the biggest industrial project to be built in the Bay Area in 15 years.
Today, OMP is developing a project that is larger than the total combined footprint of its first two investments in Fremont: Pacific Commons South (PCS), a 1.8 million-square-foot advanced manufacturing, warehouse, and R&D development spanning 150 acres. Located immediately south of the Pacific Commons Shopping Center near Auto Mall Parkway and Interstate 880, the project consists of 10 buildings in total to be constructed over two development phases, with the first of the 989,000 square feet of buildings in Phase 1 to be delivered this summer.
By all measures, PCS is a massive undertaking. The project’s construction includes 140,000 cubic yards of imported soil, 8.5 miles of piping, 55,000 cubic yards of concrete, 55,000 square feet of glazing, 3.7 million pounds of rebar, 3.6 million roof nails, and 31,000 sheets of plywood. The site sees an average of more than 125 daily construction hands with more than 100 different organizations ranging from subcontractors to consultants performing work on the site throughout its development.
When approaching a project of this size, OMP carefully considers location, past experiences with city planning, and numerous other factors. Our past projects in Fremont led us to feel very comfortable pursuing this new opportunity at PCS. The City’s strong track record of working with industrial businesses on tenant improvements and its flexible industrial zoning allows for a range of uses at PCS including life sciences, e-commerce, clean tech, autonomous vehicle development, and contract manufacturing.
While we believe PCS is highly competitive simply by its scale, there are many design features that allow future tenants to operate sustainably and efficiently. Our roofs are designed to be solar-ready with a four pounds per square foot load capacity. Each building has 2-4K amps of power with the ability to expand, with clear heights ranging from 28 to 36 feet. Its buildings can also accommodate data connectivity between buildings to support a campus-like environment. Tenants who require high parking ratios have the option to expand auto parking by super parking the yard. Additionally, we have pre-installed 250 EV charging stations.
Beyond providing flexibility for tenants’ multiple internal uses, OMP also recognizes the importance of building an employee-friendly environment. With this mind, we have designed the PCS site with pedestrian-oriented walking paths that connect to the surrounding wetlands trail through multiple access points as well as the Pacific Commons Shopping Center across the street. And by incorporating roll-up doors in to the office area, we have created a seamless integration to the outdoor patio space to provide a communal break area and collaborative workspace. In addition, each building has 2.5% skylight coverage, white interiors, and clear-story glass windows to provide ample natural lighting.
We view the Pacific Commons South development as a generational acquisition where we can create a unique environment of scale that enhances the tenant experience. Whether your Silicon Valley company needs to expand or relocate to a newer facility, PCS provides a place where you can grow. For leasing opportunities, please contact Rob Shannon at Rob.Shannon@cbre.com.