Jack Rogers, GlobeSt Journalist Profile

Articles

San Diego Unveils Sweeping Mixed-Use Plan for Civic Center Redo

6 days ago | globest.com | Jack Rogers

Local civic leaders working with an urban planning consultant have unveiled an ambitious plan to redevelop six blocks of city-owned real estate into a mixed-use hub with a “world-class” public space in the heart of downtown San Diego. The sweeping plan envisions a redo of the city’s Civic Center into an arts and educational hub that will include thousands of residential units in multiple high-rises, as well as shops, restaurants and a hotel, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
Nvidia’s Property Binge Continues with $123M Santa Clara Buy

1 week ago | globest.com | Jack Rogers

As its market cap approaches $3 trillion, AI chip titan Nvidia continues to grow its Silicon Valley real estate footprint exponentially. Last week, the company added a 10-building, 13-acre business park on the south side of Walsh Avenue in Santa Clara in an all-cash deal for $123 million, SiliconValley.com reported. The property, located on San Tomas Expressway across from Nvidia’s main headquarters, is 251,000 square feet and includes offices and flex warehouse space.
San Francisco Industrial, Multifamily Owners Now Need to Screen Buildings for Seismic Risk

1 week ago | globest.com | Jack Rogers

The owners of thousands of concrete buildings in San Francisco will be required to undertake seismic screenings to determine whether their structures are at risk of collapsing during a major earthquake. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that a preliminary survey using public records, old insurance maps, and street-level images estimates the city may have up to 4,000 concrete buildings.
PCCP Grabs Oakland Apartment Portfolio at 40% Discount

1 week ago | globest.com | Jack Rogers

A private equity giant with more than $25B of assets under management has scooped up a portfolio of eight apartment complexes in Oakland for 40% less than the total assessed value of the property a year ago. Los Angeles-based PCCP purchased the eight assets, located near Lake Merritt and Interstate 580, for $62.8M from affiliates of Veritas, The Mercury News reported.
U.S.'s First Wildfire 'Resilient' Housing Project Debuts in San Diego County

1 week ago | globest.com | Jack Rogers

In the fire-prone hills of northern San Diego County, KB Home has completed a grand opening for its Dixon Trail development, a project in Escondido that the home-building giant is marketing as the first purpose-built “wildfire resilient neighborhood” in the United States. About half of what eventually will be 64 homes have been finished in the project. The foundation of every house is surrounded by a moat of gravel. Privacy fences are made from brown-tinted steel.
San Francisco Retail Hub is Reviving Even as Another Big Store Exits

1 week ago | globest.com | Jack Rogers

San Francisco’s Union Square is losing another large flagship store as an increasing number of smaller store openings signal the beginning of a recovery in the city’s downtown retail hub. Saks Fifth Avenue is closing its store at 384 Post Street on May 10, less than a year after switching to an appointment-only format when safety issues proliferated in the neighborhood.
Bay Area Developer Tapped to Plan Valero Refinery Redo

2 weeks ago | globest.com | Jack Rogers

Another huge oil refinery is preparing to close in California, freeing up 900 acres in Solano County for potential redevelopment. In fact, Valero is planning to shut down its Benicia refinery in April 2026, just a few months after Phillips 66’s Los Angeles refinery closes in the fourth quarter of 2025. Valero has tapped Oakland-based Signature Development Group to evaluate redevelopment opportunities for the Benicia refinery property, SiliconValley.com reported.
Population Rebound Spurs Plan for New Housing in San Francisco

2 weeks ago | globest.com | Jack Rogers

San Francisco’s housing needs are increasing thanks to a surge in international residents as a pandemic-era exodus ends. Out-migration from the city has dropped by 90% since 2020-2021, when it peaked as the city lost 6.7% of its population and 57,525 residents, primarily to the Sun Belt or outlying California communities.
Housing Boom in San Mateo Sparks Debate Over Renter Protections

2 weeks ago | globest.com | Jack Rogers

As San Mateo clears the way for a bevy of projects that it needs to meet its state-mandated goal for new housing, groups representing landlords are fighting a proposal to expand renter protections in the city. After voters approved Measure T last fall, allowing taller residential buildings near the Caltrain route and along El Camino Real and Highway 101, developers submitted eight housing projects encompassing nearly 3,200 new homes.
Building Permits for Housing in Los Angeles Drops by 57%

2 weeks ago | globest.com | Jack Rogers

New housing construction in Los Angeles has plunged, a trend that is likely to even worsen as a perfect storm of high interest rates, tariffs and economic uncertainty make it increasingly difficult for developers to move ahead with projects. The city approved permits for 1,325 new homes during the first three months of the year, a drop of nearly 57% from the number of permits issued during Q1 2024, according to a report from Hilgard Analytics.