Starck says, “The Bressi sale was a huge success. It was a lengthy and very complex land entitlement process that took four years to complete the zoning change to allow for both retail and residential. The process required a true partnership in which the buyer, seller, the City of Carlsbad and the resident stakeholders in the community all worked closely together to come up with the right vision for this project. As part of this plan, the new specialty center will provide greater housing options and supply the city with the new, high-quality retail space that this underserved community has needed for some time.”

We spoke with Starck about the Bressi Ranch residential market and why projects like this are needed there.

GlobeSt.com: How would you characterize the Bressi Ranch residential market in Carlsbad?

Starck: Bressi Ranch is a master-planned community that comprises 500 acres total, and 120 acres of that is commercial. Like anything over time, it has morphed into something different than what was originally proposed. Some of the major additions are ViaSat under construction, which is just under 500,000 square feet of office going vertical. You also have RAF Pacifica building a project called Lift, the first creative ground-up development we've seen in San Diego. (Cushman & Wakefield has been involved in both of these projects as well.) Lift will be a combination of really high-end, posh retail space on the hard corner, along with cutting-edge creative office, all kinds of outdoor amenities, rooftop decks and glass rollup doors. So these are two projects coming on line that will basically complete Bressi Ranch.

Bressi Ranch is all single-family detached housing. This will be the first multifamily project here that's for-sale only. It was a four-year process, and we had to work with the residents and the City of Carlsbad to really get something that they wanted. With all the new construction east of here, Carlsbad has about 2 million square feet of office—mostly industrial or R&D product that's going spec and is close to Bressi Ranch but east of here. That trade area is significantly underserved.

GlobeSt.com: How does this market differ from other areas of Carlsbad and San Diego in general?

Starck: It's new and a master-planned community surrounded by residential. What also makes it unique is the proximity to ViaSat's world headquarters, which has made Bressi Ranch its home. They actually put in a pedestrian walk so they could connect the campus to Bressi Ranch, so they could have it walkable and rideable via beach cruisers between buildings. ViaSat is like the Qualcomm of Carlsbad. The new construction will be in a submarket that will attract highly paid engineers.

GlobeSt.com: Why are projects like this needed in Bressi Ranch?

Starck: This Bressi Ranch area will be a central hub to serve all of these commercial and residential areas. The residential component made the site more viable, and they maxed out the retail. They didn't want to have too much traffic. The residential and retail were the right balance; this way, they could provide both and not have too dense a project.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about this project?

Starck: Some of the zoning has morphed on the eastern half of Bressi Ranch to include breweries, such as Port Brewing.

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CARLSBAD, CA—With the progress of ViaSat and RAF Pacifica's Lift project in the Bressi Ranch area of Carlsbad, the market has become underserved by retail, restaurants and other services, which Shea Homes' new specialty center will offer, Cushman & Wakefield's executive managing director Aric Starck tells GlobeSt.com. Shea recently acquired from the City of Carlsbad approximately 17.7 undeveloped land acres here to construct a new mixed-use specialty center on Palomar Airport Rd. in Bressi Ranch. The property consists of lots 29 through 32 and sold for $26.5 million; Starck and Dennis Visser of C&W's Carlsbad office represented both the buyer and the seller in the transaction.

The new specialty center is slated to consist of the development of 125 for-sale luxury condominiums, a specialty-food market, a drive-through drug store and other retail shops. The center will feature a Main St.-like entry leading to the shops and restaurants. It will be accented by patios, plazas, terraces and courtyards designed to serve s gathering places for Bressi Ranch residents and guests.

According to Kevin McCook of Shea Properties, the condominiums will sell at prices beginning in the $600,000 range, while negotiations are currently in process with multiple tenants for the commercial center, although no official leases have been executed yet.

The property is bounded by Palomar Airport Rd. to the north, El Fuerte St. to the east, Gateway Rd. to the south and the Colt Pl. cul-de-sac to the west. It sits directly across from Bressi Village retail center featuring a Trader Joe's; a Stater Bros.; some restaurants, offices and other businesses; and Mulberry at Bressi, an income-restricted neighborhood; and is adjacent to Staybridge Suites.

Starck says, “The Bressi sale was a huge success. It was a lengthy and very complex land entitlement process that took four years to complete the zoning change to allow for both retail and residential. The process required a true partnership in which the buyer, seller, the City of Carlsbad and the resident stakeholders in the community all worked closely together to come up with the right vision for this project. As part of this plan, the new specialty center will provide greater housing options and supply the city with the new, high-quality retail space that this underserved community has needed for some time.”

We spoke with Starck about the Bressi Ranch residential market and why projects like this are needed there.

GlobeSt.com: How would you characterize the Bressi Ranch residential market in Carlsbad?

Starck: Bressi Ranch is a master-planned community that comprises 500 acres total, and 120 acres of that is commercial. Like anything over time, it has morphed into something different than what was originally proposed. Some of the major additions are ViaSat under construction, which is just under 500,000 square feet of office going vertical. You also have RAF Pacifica building a project called Lift, the first creative ground-up development we've seen in San Diego. (Cushman & Wakefield has been involved in both of these projects as well.) Lift will be a combination of really high-end, posh retail space on the hard corner, along with cutting-edge creative office, all kinds of outdoor amenities, rooftop decks and glass rollup doors. So these are two projects coming on line that will basically complete Bressi Ranch.

Bressi Ranch is all single-family detached housing. This will be the first multifamily project here that's for-sale only. It was a four-year process, and we had to work with the residents and the City of Carlsbad to really get something that they wanted. With all the new construction east of here, Carlsbad has about 2 million square feet of office—mostly industrial or R&D product that's going spec and is close to Bressi Ranch but east of here. That trade area is significantly underserved.

GlobeSt.com: How does this market differ from other areas of Carlsbad and San Diego in general?

Starck: It's new and a master-planned community surrounded by residential. What also makes it unique is the proximity to ViaSat's world headquarters, which has made Bressi Ranch its home. They actually put in a pedestrian walk so they could connect the campus to Bressi Ranch, so they could have it walkable and rideable via beach cruisers between buildings. ViaSat is like the Qualcomm of Carlsbad. The new construction will be in a submarket that will attract highly paid engineers.

GlobeSt.com: Why are projects like this needed in Bressi Ranch?

Starck: This Bressi Ranch area will be a central hub to serve all of these commercial and residential areas. The residential component made the site more viable, and they maxed out the retail. They didn't want to have too much traffic. The residential and retail were the right balance; this way, they could provide both and not have too dense a project.

GlobeSt.com: What else should our readers know about this project?

Starck: Some of the zoning has morphed on the eastern half of Bressi Ranch to include breweries, such as Port Brewing.