CASE STUDY: Bay Street

Emeryville, California

We transformed an industrial brownfield into a successful retail, entertainment, dining and residential “urban village.”  The project revitalized the Emeryville community and took advantage of its ideal location across the bay from San Francisco, California.

The Opportunity

In 2001, an industrial brownfield in Emeryville, California was ripe for redevelopment.  The parcel of land was centrally located to serve San Francisco and its affluent suburbs.  We had the opportunity to acquire the land of favorable terms because the local community wanted an experienced developer like Madison Marquette to redevelop the site. 

The Vision

Our vision was to create an “urban village.”  Bay Street would be a mixed-use project that would serve as a focal point for the Emeryville community.  A “main street” would be created with dynamic national and local retailers on the ground level.  A movie theatre and new dining options would be clustered on a second level to create an entertainment anchor for the street.  Common areas and pedestrian-friendly walkways would encourage visitors to congregate and enjoy local events.  Bay Street would be a truly special place.

The Challenges

Bay Street posed many challenges, including environment and construction barriers associated with converting the brownfield into a safe, public destination.  We also faced the traditional challenges associated with creating the ideal mix of tenants that would appeal to both local residents and visitors from neighboring communities. 

The Result

Bay Street opened in 2004 with great fanfare.  It included 400,000 square feet of some of the nation’s top retail, such as AMC Entertainment, Apple, Banana Republic, Barnes & Noble, P.F. Chang’s, Pottery Barn, The Gap and Williams-Sonoma.  Shortly thereafter, the residential portion built atop the retail was completed and new residents began to populate Bay Street.   Today, it is the pride of Emeryville and has sparked an economic resurgence in the community.  Its success helped us secure development right for an adjacent parcel where we will soon begin the next phase of the project.