Opus West Opens San Diego Office

SAN DIEGO-The Phoenix, AZ-based developer Opus West is continuing its expansion across Southern California with the opening of a new location in San Diego. The office, which officially opened yesterday, is being headed up by director of real estate Chris Wood. A 20-year veteran of the San Diego real estate industry, Wood will head up new development efforts throughout the San Diego region for Opus West. He tells GlobeSt.com that he plans to develop light industrial; suburban, mid-rise and medical office; retail; mixed-use multifamily; and corporate build-to-suit projects. “It’s a natural fit, with Opus West’s headquarters in Phoenix and our main Southern California hub in Irvine, that we should be active in the (San Diego) market,” Wood tells GlobeSt.com. “One of the keys, though, is that it’s a smaller market and you have to be able to react quickly, so if you are not in the market, you’re not going to get the deal,” he adds, explaining “that’s why Opus needed to open an office here and hired someone like me, who has been here for 20 years.”Prior to joining Opus West, Wood was a principal and senior vice president at Trammell Crow Co. There, he oversaw acquisition, development and marketing of institutional-quality office, R&D and industrial properties, as well as local, third-party brokerage operations. His previous career experience also includes an 11-year stint with Colliers Iliff Thorn in La Jolla. Coinciding with the opening of the San Diego office, Opus West is breaking ground on an industrial park in Otay Mesa. Known as Opus Crossings, the project is slated to encompass a total of 320,000 sf.