Bishop Ranch - From the Ground Up
Forty years ago, if you drove by Bishop Ranch on Highway 680, you wouldn't be able to exit at Bollinger Canyon.
Sunset Development Company built that six years later and it was the first privately funded interchange in California.
In 1978, the 585-acre parcel Bishop Ranch currently inhabits, was little more than a field. The former ranch was acquired that year by the Sunset Development Company to serve as the bedrock upon which they would execute their vision of the suburban office park.
Fast forward to 2018 and Sunset is still actively involved in the development of their community. The park now includes over 600 companies, many of them Fortune 500, an artificial lake, a startup accelerator, over nine million square feet of office space, and San Ramon's newest asset, City Center Bishop Ranch.
With its innovative retail offerings, plentiful amenities, forward-thinking environmental practices, and a number of the world's most influential companies, it is no surprise the park is home to over 30,000 of the Tri-Valley's highly educated workforce.
2600 Bishop Ranch is the Bay Area's largest office building.
City Center
Today marks the Grand Opening of the premier office park's much anticipated retail venture, City Center Bishop Ranch. The "modern public square," a name the community has effectively impressed upon the space, is chock full of shopping, dining, and entertainment options.
According to the project’s marketing materials, City Center will offer over 390,000 of its neighbors (who by the way have an aggregate income of over $2 billion) the opportunity to gather, connect, and experience life together.
The neighbors expected to most indulge in these amenities are, of course, Bishop Ranch's 30,000 + employees who work just next door. As the park continues to grow and attract new tenants, so will the enterprises surrounding the state's largest mixed-use business facility.
On tap among other businesses are a 10-screen movie theater, Chef Charles Phan's revered restaurant The Slanted Door, and the first Tri-Valley location of the iconic gym, Equinox.
As Alex Mehran Jr., Chairman and CEO of Sunset Development Company, says "City Center is a long-term investment in the Tri-Valley, a region that's become a hub for business innovation and creativity."
Tenants
Since 1982 the largest tenant of the park has been Chevron. The energy company dominates the south side of the park. Chevron was headquartered in San Francisco for over 100 years, but as economic conditions and transportation options began to favor the Tri-Valley the executive team moved the headquarters to San Ramon in 2003.
Multiple other Fortune 500 companies also have a presence in the park.
Major leases in the park:
AT&T
PG&E
SAP
Toyota
Rodan+Fields
Blackberry
With offices ranging from 150 square feet to 500,000 + square feet, Bishop Ranch does not discriminate as all businesses large or small are welcome.
The park even offers turnkey office solutions through BR Ready; a program that offers flexible leases intended for small businesses that, when ready to expand, can conveniently move their team into a larger space within the park.
The smallest office spaces you're likely to find are those in the Bishop Ranch Intelligence Innovation Acceleration BRIIA is a co-working space where many small teams launching startups share the former AT&T executive offices. Entrepreneur Les Schmidt and his team offer mentorship to businesses focused exclusively on Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or Language Processing. The inaugural cohort graduated five companies in December 2017.
Bishop Ranch stands to benefit from BRIIA's program. Once these companies become acquainted with the plush amenities of the park and see the amount of office space available, they will see no reason to leave as they continue to grow.
In the words of the Sunset Development team "Bishop Ranch provides plenty of space and flexibility to accommodate the explosively expanding industry needs of the Tri-Valley region."
Bishop Ranch with Highway 680 running left to right. Chevron HQ in red.
Commuter Benefits
Bishop Ranch is often acclaimed for its transportation initiatives that eliminate the equivalent impact of 10,000 automobiles on any given day. Free bus passes are provided (valued at $2 million annually), incentives are offered for carpooling, and there's even a service that will fill your vehicle with gas while you're in your office.
Tenants will find comfort in the fact that the park has an office dedicated to working with employees to deliver tailored transportation options, and will most likely be surprised by the generous offerings.
Amenities
In addition to the handsome commuter benefits, workers have their fill of year-round event and dining options. Thursday farmer's markets, frequent visits from food trucks, discounts on local businesses, and an annual Holi Festival to name a few.
When organizations demand large meeting spaces, the Roundhouse Market & Conference Center answers with a 300 person auditorium, lecture halls, dining options, and outdoor space that fronts the waters of 2600's lake, interrupted only by the property's occasional Duffy boat rides.
Throw in fitness facilities, bike lockers, and 24/7 security and it's easy to see why the park continues to receive praise and attract top talent.
Sustainability
Bishop Ranch has earned a reputation for its approach to sustainability. The property is largely LEED-certified and every effort, from transit concerns to watering the plants, is diligently carried out with respect to the environment
Companies frequently cite the development's low environmental impact as a value aligned with their own. In pursuit of this, Bishop Ranch often exceeds minimum LEED requirements. Evidence of this exercised caution can be seen in the hub of the campus, 2600 Bishop Ranch, which is the largest LEED-certified building in California.
Commitment to the Tri-Valley
The Mehran family and the Sunset Development team have realized their vision of developing a world-class suburban office park and in doing so have attracted an impressive workforce. Their early and steadfast commitment to the 680 corridor is invaluable and we expect Bishop Ranch will continue to be an asset for companies of all sizes for many years. To browse the park's available space you can check out their lease options here.
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