East Palo Alto's Ravenswood City School District is in talks to sell or exchange acres of property -- including its own headquarters -- to an office developer.
In a closed session Thursday, April 25, the Cupertino-based Sobrato Organization will negotiate with Ravenswood Superintendent Maria De La Vega over six parcels in East Palo Alto.
Under discussion will be "price and terms of payment," according to an agenda published by the school district.
The prospective transaction includes the school district's administrative headquarters, its transportation center and bus yard, a building that houses the federal low-income nutrition program known as WIC (Women, Infants and Children), a school warehouse and receiving building, the district's technology center and the nonprofit Foundation for a College Education.
Neither Sobrato CEO John M. Sobrato nor Ravenswood's De La Vega responded to requests for comment sent Tuesday morning.
De La Vega is set to retire in June. Trustees of the K-8 Ravenswood district, which serves about 4,000 mostly low-income and English-learning students in East Palo Alto and eastern Menlo Park, are searching for a new superintendent.
The Sobrato Organization manages about 7.5 million square feet of commercial office space, with tenants that include Apple, Yahoo and Netflix, as well as 30 apartment communities with 6,700 units, according to Forbes magazine.
Sobrato's philanthropic arm has contributed to numerous programs in East Palo Alto including the Ravenswood Education Foundation and the Boys & Girls Club of the Peninsula. The Sobrato family has signed the Buffett-Gates Giving Pledge, asking billionaires to promise to give away 100 percent of wealth during their lifetimes or leave it to a foundation.
Thursday's closed-door meeting is authorized under a section of California law that permits a local agency to hold a closed session "prior to the purchase, sale, exchange or lease of real property by or for the local agency to grant authority to its negotiator regarding the price and terms of payment for the purchase, sale, exchange or lease."
Three of the six parcels under discussion contain school district facilities that are contiguous with a mostly vacant lot on East Bayshore Road, where Sobrato has posted a sign advertising "Phase II" of University Plaza, described as premier "Class A" office space.
Signage for Phase I of Sobrato's University Plaza is posted on a vacant lot a few blocks away on Donohoe Street opposite IKEA, describing a "Class A office campus" with 208,000 square feet and underground parking.
The three parcels that contain the school district's headquarters -- fronting on Euclid but including property at the corner of Euclid and East Bayshore contiguous with the Sobrato Phase II lot -- are 2110, 2120 and 2160 Euclid.
The three Ravenswood parcels stretch from East Bayshore, adjacent to the Sobrato "Phase II" property, to about a quarter mile down Euclid Avenue to Bell Street Park, home of a community swimming pool and the Lewis and Joan Platt East Palo Alto Family YMCA.
The other three parcels listed for negotiation Thursday are privately held lands across town, near the corner of Pulgas Avenue and Bay Road.
One of the parcels, 2519 Pulgas, is described in a web listing by real estate broker Greg DeLong of CBRE as five acres of vacant land with entitlements for 93,000 square feet of research and development space. The price is listed as $2.75 million.
The other two, 1885 and 1891 Bay Road, are described in a similar web listing as .59 acres with 2,040 square feet of existing industrial space for a price of $750,000.
Although state law authorizes the closed negotiations it requires publication of the identities of negotiators, the properties under negotiation and the persons with whom its negotiators may negotiate.
Listed as negotiators for the school district in Thursday's talks are Superintendent De La Vega, Ravenswood's Chief Business Official Megan Curtis and lawyer Marilyn Cleveland of the education law firm Dannis Woliver Kelley.
Individuals negotiating for the Sobrato Organization were not specified.
Thursday's meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the boardroom of Ravenswood school district headquarters, 2120 Euclid Ave., East Palo Alto.
Comments
Menlo Park
on Apr 24, 2013 at 10:46 am
on Apr 24, 2013 at 10:46 am
Someone please, keep an eye on these negotiations, and make sure the people of EPA don't get ripped off--again.
East Palo Alto
on Apr 24, 2013 at 10:52 am
on Apr 24, 2013 at 10:52 am
This is not the type of re-development we want---it does not build community for our community nor does it create income for our people. It is called gentrification where people are pushed out via high housing prices etc--we need to address this folks....
East Palo Alto
on Apr 24, 2013 at 11:06 am
on Apr 24, 2013 at 11:06 am
"De La Vega is set to retire in June..."; and no longer cares about the impact to the cummunity. can we fire him before he retires? let's take a look at his retirement package. That may need some adjustment as well.
Are you reading this Mr. De La Vega?
Midtown
on Apr 24, 2013 at 11:16 am
on Apr 24, 2013 at 11:16 am
We need more affordable office space here on the mid-peninsula - great news.
Menlo Park
on Apr 24, 2013 at 11:45 am
on Apr 24, 2013 at 11:45 am
@SqFt:
You are right.
Let's re-dedicate Greer Park and use the land to build offices there. Then you could walk to work!
@Raymond:
de la Vega is a She.
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 24, 2013 at 12:08 pm
on Apr 24, 2013 at 12:08 pm
@Raymond - you have to admit it is kind of funny that you blast Maria De La Vega for not caring about the community, but you don't even know whether your own school superintendant is a man or a woman. How much attention do you really pay to your community?
@ML - it is not like they are closing schools or parks, or housing for offices, this is a vacant lot, and some small warehouses. If it brings in more business to EPA, it will be to EPA's benefit. Maybe it is gentrification, but it will help every EPA homeowner. It will help the EPA businesses that will get more customers, and there will be more jobs in the city.
East Palo Alto
on Apr 24, 2013 at 1:17 pm
on Apr 24, 2013 at 1:17 pm
I have no problem with space in EPA being improved upon. What I have a problem with is space being utilized to attract a new population of people to the detriment of existing residents. There must be a healthy balance. Ravenswood is a radically under-performing school district. How will the proceeds of this sale improve the education of youth in the community? There is a large segment of rental housing available in the West Park area of EPA. How is adding more rental property, especially high priced ones, going to improve housing options for the predominantly middle to lower-middle class community? There are many home-based businesses that could benefit from retail exposure-will they be afforded a reasonable chance to open up shop? This is not about keeping EPA hood or celebrating poverty it's about forcibly removing a deeply rooted community and extinguishing a culture that has fought to prevail in the midst of significant internal and external pressures. The example of the "New Homes" is a clear indication of what we can expect-the people there sought to criminalize being a young black or brown male, exclude the community and profit off of chaos they intentionally ignored. De la Vega is most certainly profiting in some form or fashion and must be made to face consequences for her traitorous misrepresentation of the community who put her in place to serve them.
another community
on Apr 24, 2013 at 2:15 pm
on Apr 24, 2013 at 2:15 pm
The article mentions the name:MARIA De La Vega. Are men named Maria? Reminds me of the song, "A Boy Named Sue".
The post identifying Maria as a man indicates how com box people give opinions and cast shadows on issues without knowing, or caring, about all the facts. I will assume Maria is a woman.
East Palo Alto
on Apr 24, 2013 at 3:16 pm
on Apr 24, 2013 at 3:16 pm
This is totally off-topic, but yes, there are men named Maria, & it's then pronounced like Mario, but w/an a at the end instead of an o. Example: Rainer Maria Rilke.
Back on-topic: I don't know what to think of all of this. I think it's all cause for concern, given our history of being ripped off, but we also need revenue & an improved school district.
How does this happen as painlessly as possible w/out a big uptick in gentrification that drives people out? I'm for gentrification that only drives out the scumbags!
Menlo Park
on Apr 24, 2013 at 4:34 pm
on Apr 24, 2013 at 4:34 pm
@Hmmm:
With all due respect, you don't know what you are talking about. Maria is always female.
But let's keep this discussion on the subject at hand, and leave language to the experts.
East Palo Alto
on Apr 24, 2013 at 5:01 pm
on Apr 24, 2013 at 5:01 pm
ML - then how do you explain that Rainer Maria Rilke is male? I've also met men w/the first name of Maria, and it's pronounced like Mario, but w/an a at the end instead of an o. My family in Europe knows several men named Maria, which is how I met them. While it's traditionally used as a middle name for men, there are exceptions:
Web Link
And speaking of staying on-topic, why don't you correct the others who went off-topic, Mr/Ms Topic Police?
another community
on Apr 24, 2013 at 7:27 pm
on Apr 24, 2013 at 7:27 pm
@Hmmm - May I add a speculation to your latest on/off topic police question - Is it possible that some assume that the on/off topic "classification" privilege accompanies, somehow, the commenter's zip code/residence? Far fetched speculation, of course.
East Palo Alto
on Apr 24, 2013 at 7:38 pm
on Apr 24, 2013 at 7:38 pm
Well, it could be VF! But since I grew up in PA & MP, I am not cowed! I also own a home in *gasp* Europe! Yes, Europe, which is also the continent from which the men I've met named Maria have hailed. What a coincidence.
So what are your thoughts on this latest development, excuse the pun?
another community
on Apr 24, 2013 at 8:39 pm
on Apr 24, 2013 at 8:39 pm
Sorry, Hmmm. I have very little "insight" as to this particular issue. I did not grow up in PA proximity, and am not familiar with prior sales mentioned above. It just seems to me that in many cases, keeping school land proved to be a wise long term decision. I wonder if there is a way to have the non profit (or others) use/rent/lease the area, the way many other schools were "outsourced", years ago, when enrollment declined.
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 24, 2013 at 10:47 pm
on Apr 24, 2013 at 10:47 pm
@joshua - how does building office space on a vacant lot hurt existing residents?
Palo Verde
on Apr 24, 2013 at 10:50 pm
on Apr 24, 2013 at 10:50 pm
All quiet on the western front. (Name that author.)
another community
on Apr 25, 2013 at 7:41 am
on Apr 25, 2013 at 7:41 am
@Musical - yes, Maria is part of the name, and it was a man who wrote the book. The book depicts many sounds, none is the "sound of music". Also - I am pretty sure that music was not heard when his books were burnt, unless those who brunt his (and other) books had music played while burring. Burning books was not the worse. Music was played in other sites, later.
Menlo Park
on Apr 25, 2013 at 8:08 am
on Apr 25, 2013 at 8:08 am
East Palo Alto should learn a lesson from Palo Alto's past mistakes in selling off school property for a one-time profit. Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
East Palo Alto
on Apr 25, 2013 at 3:08 pm
on Apr 25, 2013 at 3:08 pm
village fool - no biggie re the lack of insight. I'd have to know more about the deal to form an opinion. As it stands, what little I know has an upside & downside, as most things do. The other property dealings - at Bay Rd, ditto. It's weird, because it's industrial on the border of residential, which is where I have a concern. It's near the new, lovely Cooley Landing Park. I think we have to be balanced w/our development plans, keeping an eye on affordable living & revenue - it's a delicate balance. Both are important to residents & we've had some good, thoughtful development happen because we're being careful. The city gov't does hear from residents & lately have done pretty well to balance all factors. I hope that lasts!
Menlo Park
on Apr 25, 2013 at 9:07 pm
on Apr 25, 2013 at 9:07 pm
Yes of course Ms. De La Vega is definatley a woman and really had no positive reason for being chosen for the position other than being latina,...under her watch Ravenswood school district has not evolved. In the meantime if any of you take the time to look at all the Developement enroute,...In East Palo Alto you would know whats being developed. Prior to 2014. I am not at liberty to tell you. But,..many of your comments typed one key word,...and its right on point. Now get involved with your community stewards (Council Members)and developers alike. besides its posted at all city halls on huge poster boards (as a diplay of future planning). More businesses more tax revenue for East Palo Alto,...advocate for what you don't like,... Jackie Spier is our Congresswoman,we have many county supervisors,..and only five council members, But you have 100% of advocay in your favor,..your tool "petitions for recalls" and votes ,no votes votes,and no votes.
East Palo Alto
on Apr 26, 2013 at 11:03 am
on Apr 26, 2013 at 11:03 am
@ MR. Fischer---I'd love to hear more--and understand some of the avenues you are talking about. Growth is not the problem--but how do we grow in ways that work for our community--and not to the exclusion of it.
East Palo Alto
on Apr 29, 2013 at 4:44 pm
on Apr 29, 2013 at 4:44 pm
I am personally troubled by this as I feel that education should be at the forefront of the EPA Community. I realize as well that East Palo Alto sits in a prime location for both commercial and real estate initiatives but the fact remains the same that with all the development, long time residents will be forced to either leave or struggle even more with trying to keep up with a higher society that obviously intends to make it's presence felt. Decisions like this should be made only if it will be of benefit to everyone and I really cannot see how that it possible without affecting most of the residents here. This is only my personal opinion. I respect all stances that were taken here in regards to this matter. Hopefully it will all work out for the very best.