Five years ago, the neighborhood retail center on Saich Way at Stevens Creek Boulevard in the heart of Cupertino had a fire that destroyed most of the businesses located there.  Now, developer Borelli Investment Company and contractor SiliconX Construction have received approval from the Cupertino City Council to rebuild and expand the center to 15,500 square feet of retail space.  Construction is expected to begin in the 1st quarter of 2014, with completion expected by October 2014.

Surrounded by some of the largest and most successful employers in Silicon Valley and situated across Saich Way from a busy Target store, the Saich Way Station center promises to offer its tenants not only high-quality Class “A” retail space, but also an incomparable, high-traffic location.  This desirable combination for tenants has already resulted in approximately 50% of the expanded center to be pre-leased.

“We and our team have worked very hard with the long-time family owners of the property and the City of Cupertino to design a project that complements the well-planned Cupertino community,” said Tom Purtell, Chief Operating Officer of SiliconX Construction.  “This has made the project very attractive to the retailers we’re talking to and we’re excited about the prospects for the center going forward.”

Built from the Ground Up

The construction project will involve complete demolition of the existing structures on the site, and then building the new retail center from the ground up.  There will be ample parking and extensive landscaping that will include orchard-like trees consistent with Cupertino’s heritage.  Further, because the retail center falls within Cupertino’s Heart of the City Specific Plan area, attention will be paid to ensuring that the site is friendly to both pedestrians and cyclists, with wide walkways and bike racks in front of the retail businesses.

In addition to Borelli Investment Company as developer and SiliconX Construction as general contractor, other team members on the project include FCGA Architecture as architect, and HMH Engineers as civil engineers. For information about the new Saich Way Station retail center, contact Tom Purtell at (408) 418-0099 or e-mail tom@borelli.com.

SiliconX Construction, an affiliate of Borelli Investment Company, is a full-service general contractor that provides a wide array of value-focused construction services to clients throughout Northern California.  Specialties include ground-up construction, major renovations, tenant improvements, and facilities maintenance.  For more information, call Tom Purtell at (408) 418-0099, or e-mail tom@borelli.com.  For more information about SiliconX Construction, visit siliconxconstruction.com.

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Sometimes, an architect’s expansive, creative vision can exceed an owner’s budget. It’s an unfortunate reality in today’s challenging business environment. Such was the case for Gold’s Gym in Mountain View. The sweeping upgrade for the fitness facility at 1400 North Shoreline Boulevard, adjacent to the Cinemark Century Theaters, was initially cost out at nearly twice what had been planned for the improvements.

That’s where SiliconX Construction came in. SiliconX often employs a value engineering approach, which seeks to reconcile an owner’s vision and architect’s design with the practical realities of implementing those plans to ensure an affordable result. Led by Anthony “Tony” Gonzalez, SiliconX Construction’s Director of Construction Operations and Superintendent, SiliconX collaborated closely with the fitness center’s owner and the architect to reduce the scope or substitute finishes in certain areas and adapt the plans in others to achieve a spectacular result while bringing the improvements in on budget.

“SiliconX Construction’s ingenuity and discipline were the keys to enabling us to achieve what we wanted with the finances we had available,” said Jerry McCall, owner of Gold’s Gym – Mountain View. “SiliconX created a true team atmosphere where we were working together toward the same goal, rather than being in opposition to one another as is so common with many contractors.”

Keeping the Fitness Center Open

One of the biggest challenges was making all the improvements while the gym remained operational. Members can work out at Gold’s Gym–Mountain View Mondays through Thursdays from 5 a.m. until midnight, Fridays from 5 a.m. until 10 p.m., and from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. on the weekends. SiliconX worked diligently during the seven weeks of construction to avoid interfering with individual training as well as the dozens of group sessions and fitness classes from yoga to Zumba offered at the location.

Major upgrades to the center included:

•   Complete remodel of the reception area with a new tile floor, reception counter and desk, and painting in selected areas

•   Addition of a new spin room with a glass wall that looks into the rest of the club

•   Refresh of the office/employee break room areas, including new kitchenette cabinetry and wall coverings

•   Relocation of the HVAC supply unit to suit the new wall layout

•   Remodel of both the men’s and women’s locker rooms

The latter task proved to be among the most challenging, especially the improvements in the women’s locker room. SiliconX consulted closely with Jerry to schedule the needed work in only two three-day phases, minimizing the inconvenience for Gold’s female members, while giving the SiliconX crews the access they needed.

All work was completed on time and on budget, resulting in a bright, modern, highly functional facility for Gold’s Gym’s expanding membership.

“It’s always a pleasure to work with an owner like Jerry McCall,” said Tony Gonzalez. “Together, we were able to create the vision he wanted at a cost that was affordable. The Mountain View center is now a first-class fitness facility that compares favorably with any in the area.”

No job — from tenant improvements to new construction — is too large or too small for SiliconX Construction. If you’re considering any kind of construction project and would like some initial budget numbers — or if you already have a design that you are looking to put out to bid — SiliconX will be happy to provide a no-obligation quotation.

To learn more about the improvements at Gold’s Gym – Mountain View or to obtain a quote on your next project, contact Tony at tony@siliconxconstruction.com, or call (408) 418-0099 (w) or (408) 318-1869 (c).

SiliconX Construction was a sponsor at Club Auto Sport‘s Open Door Series entitled “One Roof: A Culture of Creativity.” Cocktails and appetizers were courtesy of Silicon X, and a captivating panel discussion on real estate, events, and business ensued. The event was free, and you can look forward to seeing us at more events in the future.

If you’d like to discuss your tenant improvement or ground-up construction project, contact us today.

A Social Opportunity for Silicon Valley Professionals

One Roof: A Culture of Creativity – the topic of this month’s Open Door Series at Club Auto Sport! Enjoy cocktails and appetizers courtesy of Silicon X Construction, and a captivating panel discussion on Real Estate, Events, and Business. The event is FREE, but you must RSVP here.

New Construction Starts in December Jump 23 Percent; Annual Total for 2012 Advances 6 Percent to $463.6 Billion

New construction starts in December climbed 23% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $530.0 billion, according to McGraw-Hill Construction, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies. The sharp increase for total construction followed two months of lackluster activity, as several very large projects in December helped to lift the pace of contracting. By major sector, substantial gains in December were reported for nonresidential building and nonbuilding construction, while housing maintained the steady upward trend that’s been present for much of the past year. For all of 2012, total construction starts grew 6% to $463.6 billion, a moderate yet stronger rate of increase than what took place during 2010 (up 2%) and 2011 (up 1%).

Read the full story from McGraw Hill Construction here.