Bay Meadows

Things are changing at lightning-speed at Bay Meadows. Blink and there are new buildings rising up, new amenities emerging and memorable experiences underway.

We talked to Scott Giddens, Bay Meadows team member and wearer of many hats in the construction realm, to hear about hot construction projects happening now and in the near future. Here’s what we learned.

Q. Scott, we last spoke with you in February. Can you tell us about what construction progress has taken place since then?
The community garden, Persimmon Park, is about 85% complete and due to be finished on August 15^th. There are 99 plots for use by the residents to lease and grow their gardens.

The park will have great amenities, including a 36’ long communal dining table that will be a place where the farm to table philosophy can be experienced, maybe with a traveling chef or a dining party demonstration. The gardens will also have public art both for viewing and some for participating, like a children’s play structure set up as a playground. There will also be more intimate seating areas and a barbeque area. Star Apple Edible Gardens will run the garden and maintain plots. Their staff is already offering “Dig It,” monthly workshops for the greater community on everything from fermentation to growing winter veggies. We’re about to plant four demonstration plots with fall vegetables.

Q. The Nueva School is under construction; what are some unique features of the school’s construction?
The school is building its own structure and it is an incredibly sustainably designed facility. They have a state of the art theater and hydroponic floor system that will use water piping in the floor slabs to heat and cool the building. Classes at Nueva School start in September.

Q. With Field House, Wilson Meany is building and developing these apartments, is that right? How does that differ for you, from having Shea or TRI Pointe Homes as the home-builder?
Yes, we are developing and constructing Field House with our own forces. With Ameila, Landsdowne, Canterbury and some of the other tuck-under product, we sold parcels to the homebuilders and they are developing those parcels. For those projects, the home builders are responsible for contracting with designers, engineers, contractors, etc to develop the projects to meet applicable planning approvals.

We, in the role as the master developer for Bay Meadows, have an oversight role to ensure the home-builders comply with the project approvals. In the role as the developer for Field House, we  have the obligation for contracting with the project team to design and construct the project and for managing the project on a day to day basis to meet the planning approvals.

Q. What’s happening in the next few months?
We are working with the city to develop the Linear Parks project. This is adjacent to Field House and we expect to start construction mid August. The project is a series of three park segments that run north and south. Linear Parks will include great amenities such as public art, seating areas and a bocce court.

Construction can be fun! New homeowners at Canterbury. Snap a selfie playing in Bay Meadows’ parks and you could win! 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 in our Fame x Frame Photo Contest. You could WIN $50 or our Grand Prize of $500 at the end of 2014 and be featured in a live pop-up photo gallery exhibit. Click here for official rules. Each month, Bay Meadows will select one photo to WIN a $50 gift card at Whole Foods Market San Mateo. Simply hop on instagram or twitter at tag us using #baymeadowslife or submit up to 10 photos per month to photos@BayMeadows.com .

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