 |
 |
June 25, 2008
Leading Bay Area Civic and Real Estate Leaders Discuss the REAL (e)State of SOMA's Emerging Midtown Redux: The Momentum Builds
On Wednesday, June 25, 2008, at the SoMa Grand, GG+A Principal Nina Gruen participated in a panel moderated by SocketSite founder Adam Koval. The panel, also including members of the CMCBD (Central Market Community Benefit District), Trinity Properties and the City of San Francisco, discussed and addressed a variety of questions and topics including:
- the impact of the Community Benefit District on the neighborhood;
- how the district becomes a neighborhood;
- the inside scoop on neighborhood residential, retail and restaurant development activity; and
- the greening of SoMa's Midtown.
May 22, 2008
GG+A Wins Second Award for its PSSC Development
The California Redevelopment Association awarded the 2008 Award of Excellence to Gruen Gruen + Associates (GG+A) and the two principals of GG+A for the remediation and development the 84-acre Pacific States Steel Corporation (PSSC) site in Union City, California. The League of California Cities had awarded this same project its 2007 Helen Putnam Award for Excellence in Planning and Environmental Quality.
In response to a suit filled by retired steel workers from PSSC, GG+A and Nina and Claude Gruen were appointed Special Masters to the United States District Court, Northern District of California. GG+A was charged with creating value from the former steel company’s only asset -- the site of the now wrecked steel works. The retired steelworkers had not received medical payments called for under their pension plans since the mill ceased operation in 1978. The property was highly contaminated, landlocked, and had been off the tax base since the plant closed.
The GG+A team led a process that began with the remediation of the difficult site, and continued to develop it into a new transit-oriented neighborhood with 329 single family homes and 219 townhomes. Development is complete on all but 8 acres of the now fully cleaned site. The steelworkers have been paid more than $6 million in retroactive medical payments and their plan is now fully funded. More than $8 million has already been paid other creditors, and the project will enable the Special Masters to pay all first tier creditors. The award-winning project is currently generating more than $3 million per year in property tax.
September 27, 2007
On Thursday, September 27, 2007, Aaron N. Gruen presented "Get to the Bottom Line: Development Economics for Real Estate Attorneys" at the State Bar of California Annual Meeting in Anaheim, California.
October 1, 2007
On Tuesday, October 1, 2007, Aaron N. Gruen gave a presentation at the Illinois Public Airport Association's annual fall conference in Galena, Illinois. The presentation focused on estimating the fiscal and economic impacts and economic development effects of reliever airports as well as generating revenue from real estate assets.
May 10, 2007
At the Urban Land Institute Spring Meeting in Chicago on May 10, 2007, Aaron N. Gruen served as a moderator of a presentation by Professor Robert Bruegmann of the University of Illinois at Chicago on "Sprawl: A Compact History".
April 19, 2007
As a panelist at the April 19, 2007 University of Southern California Symposium on Real Estate Law and Business, Dr. Claude Gruen responded to Professor Robert Shiller's presentation characterizing housing price increases as the result of irrational exuberance.
November 30, 2006
Aaron Gruen gave a presentation and led an interactive workshop on demographic and cultural impacts on retail development opportunities at the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Center-Build Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona.
October 19, 2006
Aaron Gruen served as a panelist on the Colorado Community College System Lowry Campus Redevelopment Project Analysis Session at the Urban Land Institute Fall Conference in Denver, Colorado.
January 1, 2006 [read more]
Claude and Nina Gruen spoke to the Council for Design Excellence at Arizona State University on the topic of "Sustainable Urban Cores: How to Create Successful Downtowns."
December 2, 2005 [read more]
Claude Gruen spoke at the 'Eminent Domain In California', a one day seminar in Oakland, California.
October 2, 2005
Aaron Gruen moderated a panel on debt financing for the Small Scale Development Council at the Urban Land Institute meeting in Los Angeles, California.
September 9, 2005 [read more]
Nina Gruen was recognized for her services and expertise as a member of the Airspace Advisory Committee.
June 10, 2005
Claude Gruen presented a course on "Real Estate Finance and Project Analysis," an advanced finance course that focused on deal structuring, at the ULI School in San Francisco.
April 28, 2005
Aaron Gruen gave a presentation to the Small Scale Development Council at the Urban Land Institute's Spring Meeting in San Antonio, Texas, on "Making a Mint from Mature Markets."
January 13, 2005 & February 16, 2005
On January 13, Aaron Gruen spoke before the Northbrook (IL) Chamber of Commerce and Industry Board Retreat. His topic was "Key Shifts and What They Mean for Successful Places and Development Opportunities and Challenges." At the February 16 Lunch & Learn series, he spoke on "Retail Demand and Supply Trends and What Developers, Retailers and Communities Can Do About Them."