North Bay Business Journal- Report: Vallejo’s Mare Island adds 85 jobs in first half
August 14 2018NORTH BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL
August 14, 2018, 12:03PM
Vallejo's Mare Island industrial zone added 85 new permanent jobs in the first half of this year, according to a new employment survey.
That continues more than two and a half years of sustained job growth the highest level of employment in the area since the former Navy base closed in 1996, according to Lennar Mare Island, the redeveloper of the commercial portion of the island.
There are now over 2,600 jobs on Mare Island, employed by more than 105 businesses occupying in excess of 3.8 million square feet of space, the company said in an announcement Monday.
The job growth has came primarily from the expansion of existing businesses, including Factory_OS, Mare Island Dry Dock and Earthquake Protection Services. Factory_OS opened on the island in the second half of last year and started rolling out manufactured housing earlier this year. Earthquake Protection Services is preparing to start construction on another building at its site, which already has over a half-million square feet of space.
all of whom continue to make significant investments on Mare Island and throughout the greater Vallejo community. Their commitment to incorporating innovative technology into each aspect of their respective business continues to lead to new employment opportunities.
“Mare Island has always been a place where businesses could thrive, and the proof is in the consistent jobs gains we are experiencing each year,” said Ed Moser, a spokesman for Lennar Mare Island.
The renovation of existing building and redevelopment of sites amounts to millions of dollars the company spends each year on infrastructure, building upgrades and tenant improvements, the company said. It employs some of the hundreds of construction workers, contractors and subcontractors currently working on the island. Also not part of the survey are more than 1,400 students who attend Touro University.
“We are seeing great things happening all over Vallejo, and Mare Island is no exception,” said Vallejo Mayor Bob Sampayan. “With LMI continuing to show strong growth and the progress that the city is making on the North Mare Island development, we have a very bright future ahead of us.”
North of Lennar Mare Island's holdings, on Aug. 3 the city began the building demolitions in earnest on the 157-acre North Mare Island area to prepare for redevelopment. Vacant and tired buildings are being cleared as the city continues exclusive negotiations with the Nimitz Group, led by Napa Valley vintners and distillers, to create over 1 million square feet of film studios, wine and beverage production, and office space.
The first phases of the development are anticipated to generate up to 1,500 jobs, with additional employment added as the project expands over time.
"Development of the northern part of the island is the final step in restoring Mare Island as an economic engine of the San Francisco Bay Area," the city said in a statement.
The City Council in June approved the first phase of demolition, conducted by Ferma Corporation. It involves six buildings on the northwest corner of G Street and Walnut Avenue (Buildings 897, 995, 997, 999, 1013, and 1015). Demolition activities over the next 45-60 days includes demolition of existing structures, foundations, and abandoned utilities, removing all rubbish and debris, and finally grading the finished site.
Hazardous-material abatement and mitigation work was completed in July, with final inspection and clearance by ATC, the city's environmental consultant.
The demolition is partly paid for with $1.2 million from a $4.7 million approved U.S. Department of Housing & Urban DevelopmentSection 108 loan. HUD 108 loans are primarily used to facilitate economic development projects that create employment.