Next month,H.G. Fenton Co. will break ground on Fenton Technology Park, a 1 million-square-foot master-planned business community in Sorrento Mesa that over the next several years will add up to 5,000 new jobs, including the new corporate headquarters for Biosite Inc. (Nasdaq: BSTE).

Fenton Technology Park is being developed by H.G. Fenton Co. on a 130.9-acre parcel located midway between Interstate 805 and Interstate 15, and between Mira Mesa Boulevard (to the north) and Miramar Road (to the south). It is central San Diego County's newest -- and one of the only -- master-planned business parks to be developed in the foreseeable future.

"With a limited supply of employment land remaining in the central area of San Diego County, H.G. Fenton Co.'s conversion of this site into planned development will help meet near-term demand for buildable lots, build-to-suit and build-to-own facilities, and multitenant space," said Kevin Hill, leasing director with H.G. Fenton Co. "It also dedicates 36 acres of land for permanent open space, and adds a vital linkage between Mira Mesa Boulevard and Miramar Road through the construction of a north-south extension of Camino Santa Fe."

The Fenton Technology Park site is the last remaining piece of raw land that was part of H.G. Fenton Materials Co. mining operation from the 1950s until 1998. When H.G. Fenton Co. decided to focus exclusively on real estate in the late 1990s, it sold its mining business to Hansen Aggregates but retained this portion of the site for future development.

Construction of Biosite's new headquarters at the center of Fenton Technology Park will commence later this year.

"Our goal with Fenton Technology Park is to turn an underutilized parcel of land, in one of the county's most sought-after areas, into a thoughtfully planned campus environment that will meet the needs of a broad range of users," Hill said. "Fenton Technology Park is one of the last remaining opportunities for large and growth-oriented firms to secure facilities that can accommodate their space requirements in a single contiguous location."

As evidence, Biosite recently purchased 17.7 acres of land located at the center of Fenton Technology Park for $19 million, and plans to complete the purchase of an additional 8.4 acres of adjacent land later this year. The research-based company plans to move and expand its corporate headquarters to the site, which in its entirety can accommodate up to 800,000 square feet of space.

"We are pleased to complete this transaction and look forward to beginning construction of the new headquarters later this year," said Kim Blickenstaff, Biosite president and chief executive officer. "We expect the new headquarters will provide space to meet our needs for the foreseeable future and will allow us to centralize our operations, which should enhance efficiency."

According to Allen Jones, vice president of land planning and development with H.G. Fenton Co., Fenton Technology Park represents five years of planning and is the first development to move forward under the Carroll Canyon Master Plan.

"The buildable area of Fenton Technology Park will occupy approximately 50 acres, with the remaining acreage devoted to much needed open space, protected areas for wildlife habitat and transportation improvements including the extension of Camino Santa Fe for north-south access from the site and neighboring portions of the Mira Mesa community," he said. The Camino Santa Fe extension will open with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony in October.

Fenton Technology Park is being designed with careful attention to scale and style to complement the surrounding business and open space areas, as well as to appeal to leading-edge business and technology firms.

"H.G. Fenton Co. is committed to adding value to the communities in which its projects are located and to meeting the needs of businesses by providing a variety of product and location options throughout the county," said Jones. "In keeping with this corporate goal, Fenton Technology Park will feature lower than average density for a project of this scale. Buildings will be constructed of the highest caliber materials, and designed to ensure minimal impact on views.

"Extensive landscaping will provide continuity with nearby open space areas including the 36 acres of dedicated open space that are being provided along Rattlesnake and Carroll canyons," he said. "We are also ensuring safe wildlife passage through the construction of a bridge over Rattlesnake Canyon."

As planned, remaining lots in Fenton Technology Park can be combined in several different configurations allowing sites from 1.8 acres to 25 acres. H.G. Fenton Co. will also develop approximately 150,000 square feet of multitenant industrial space to meet the needs of small- to mid-size users.

"This will be the first multitenant space to be built in the Miramar/Sorrento Mesa area in at least 10 years," Hill said. "All of our product is planned to offer flexibility so that a wide variety of users -- including the biotech sector -- have options that will meet their specialized requirements."

Grove is president of The Grove Agency.

Related Link

H.G. Fenton Co.: www.hgfenton.co