270,000-SF Business Park Under Way

CARLSBAD, CA-Newport Beach-based Davis Partners LLC has set plans for a 270,000-sf industrial park. The project, known as Palomar Forum West, will break ground in June and will complete construction in 2006. The business park is located on a little more than 19 acres.The project will count nine buildings, ranging from 17,000 sf to 35,000 sf with individual units being marketed for lease. The units will range in size from 700 sf to 4,000 sf and will be marketed to users described as “one step away from mom-and-pop businesses,” according to Gary Baker, vice president of design services for San Diego-based Smith Consulting Architects, the project’s designer. Baker tells Globest.com that the units represent “the first step for an independent business person to expand.” As far as the type of businesses that could fill the space, Baker says potential tenants make up a broad mix as space at the business park is being earmarked for R&D, straight industrial as well as straight office space. “The industrial product, by nature, is higher end,” Baker says, adding that lighting will play an important role in the design. “We’ll use tilt-up concrete, but add glass wherever available.” He adds that the project will also see varying shades in the concrete, giving the individual buildings a unique perspective. According to Baker, these projects (in the past) “typically lined up all of the buildings on the same plane of long, boring boxes. We’ve gone to great extent to offset the planes in the panel, popping out portions and recessing other portions to create better visuals.”Also, some of the frontage space can be used exclusively for office use. The buildings will count one and two stories and the parking space ratio on the project is set for 3.5/1,000. Lusardi Construction Co. is the general contractor while Rick Reeder, Don Grant and Andy Melzer of the Carlsbad office of Grubb & Ellis