Construction, infrastructure and … baseball

As construction progresses, new homeowners, the building team and residents from the greater area are bringing a buzz of activity to the emerging community at Bay Meadows. For an update on the latest, we chatted with Bay Meadows’ team member Scott Giddens. In roles as diverse as Owner’s Rep and Construction Manager, Scott is an integral part of Bay Meadows.

How long have you been a part of Bay Meadows?
I have been working on Bay Meadows since 2008. I oversaw the demolition of the old track, as well as the development of 83 acres of infrastructure.

What’s happening in construction this month?
Now that Landsdowne and Amelia are beautifully completed and full of families and happy homeowners, we continue to make headway on other residential communities in Bay Meadows.

We broke ground on the Brightside community, directly behind the Welcome Center. Brightside is a Shea Homes development of 80 adobe-style townhomes, designed by William Hezmalhalch Associates.

Vertical construction began on Canterbury, a TriPointe Homes neighborhood of 76 townhomes directly across from our community garden, Persimmon Park. Construction of the garden and park will begin in March. The team from Star Apple Edible Gardens will develop 99 raised beds for homeowners to lease and cultivate their own edible gardens at Persimmon Park.

What’s a day-in-the-life like at Bay Meadows?
It used to be only workers here, but now that we have residents, visitors to the parks, and open streets, each day varies. It’s why I like this business.

The sheer size of the project keeps things interesting all the time. Managing all the different aspects and interacting with the various builders, the city, and the designers make it fun.

What do you think of all the activity happening now?
I just attended Momdays for the first time, on MLK Day. Over a hundred people attended the weekly family festivity. That was cool for me, because I had fun building that park. To see it used like that, by everyone, is pretty special.

What are you most excited for in the year to come?
I’m really looking forward to seeing the first harvest from Persimmon Park this summer/fall!

What’s your favorite local spot to eat?
I wish I had more time to sample all the great eating spots around Bay Meadows. The convenience, variety and quality of Whole Foods nearby is great. I just grab whatever looks good and am all set, when I return to my desk to catch up on emails and phone calls.

The few times that I do take the time for a real lunch, I go to the Fish Market over on Norfolk Street, Mama’s for Vietnamese on El Camino (love their noodle soups) or Habit Burger in the Whole Foods retail center.

What do you for fun in your leisure time?
I play in the Men’s Senior Baseball League for a couple of teams. I play in the Northern California League for the 35 and over San Jose Old Timers and I also play with the Long Island Yankees out of New York on a 50 and over tournament team. The league is actually very competitive, with players such as Jose Conseco in its ranks. We had a great 2013 season – the Yankees actually made it to the championship game of the MSBL World Series.

As we develop community, we want to see how you live or play at Bay Meadows. Share your fun lifestyle photos with our community by using #baymeadowslife. You could WIN $50 or our Grand Prize of $500 at the end of 2014 and be featured in a live pop-up gallery exhibit event.

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