As population and employment in the Bay Area continues to grow, Fremont’s Warm Springs Innovation District will be an important regional partner in providing transit connected growth and vitality. One way Fremont participates regionally is through the new Regional Economic Development Initiative “REDI” spearheaded by the Silicon Valley Chamber, which is focused on the following strategic industries: health technology, agile development & manufacturing, smart building, and transportation research & development. On October 13, 2015, the Silicon Valley Business Journal and the San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce will host the inaugural Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI) Summit. Register for the event here.

You can read more background on Warm Springs in the following summary , which was originally printed on July 31, 20015 in Silicon Valley Business Journal’s Redefining What it Means to be a Silicon Valley City Advertising Supplement on page 6.

 

Fremont’s Warm Springs Innovation District, in its ideal Silicon Valley location, sits on the edge of arguably the most innovative region in the world and is poised to become a vital zone for 21st century American industrial production. In 2014, the Fremont City Council adopted its Warm Springs/South Fremont Community Plan, which envisions an Innovation District and a significant regional opportunity for employment-focused, transit-oriented mixed-use development in South Fremont.

Warm Springs: A Bird’s Eye View

The 850-acre area is anchored by the Tesla Motors factory and a new BART station, expected to be operational by the end of the year. Now, historically vacant/underutilized industrial land is positioned to accommodate 4,000 new housing units, 10 million square feet of new commercial space, and up to 20,000 jobs over time. A look at the BART line, from downtown Oakland to the future end of the line at Berryessa in San Jose, reveals that Warm Springs is the only station that can accommodate a major employment center south of Oakland.

Who’s Claiming a Piece of the Pie?

Real estate developers and corporate users have already lined up. Medical device giant, ThermoFisher Scientific, just completed the construction of a brand new 200,000-square-foot manufacturing facility. Lennar’s approved master plan includes a mix of high density residential units, commercial/office/R&D space, a new elementary school, and significant backbone infrastructure on 110 acres north of the Tesla Factory. Toll Brothers and Valley Oak Partners are also proposing large residential development projects near the BART station.

A Sustainable Vision

All this activity is based upon an award-winning Community Plan–a document that serves as the roadmap for how Warm Springs will evolve over time. The plan has been well-received, thanks to the City’s steadfast focus on strategic urbanism, and pays particular attention to transit, land use flexibility, establishing an exciting and dynamic public realm, and incorporating a sustainable design.

Fast Forward Ten Years from Now…

The graphic rendering below shows how the Warm Springs area will transform over the next decade, including active streetscapes and taller buildings that take advantage of the views of Mission Peak.