Borelli Investment Company launches Building Business Network
at three office complexes to create critical alliances, encourage
discussion of common challenges and sharing of creative ideas, and
enhance business networking and synergy among owners and tenants.

San Jose,Calif.,March 29, 2010— While the economy is improving, it is clear things have not returned to “normal”. In fact, it is increasingly looking like business might not ever return to what we once thought of as “normal”. Instead, the challenging environment in which businesses operate today may be viewed as the “new normal”. It results in a business climate that is demanding and unforgiving — where success requires innovative thinking, a keen eye on costs, and the ability to adapt and quickly take advantage of good opportunities when they come along.

Winning in this “new normal” is tough enough with ample support — but for small businesses that are going it alone, long-term success may seem impossible at times. Recognizing this, Borelli Investment Company — a 55-year-old commercial real estate firm that specializes in leasing office space and selling office condos to smaller businesses — has created the Building Business Network, informal business networking groups associated with three of the projects it owns or markets: Junction Office Center, Club Auto Sport, and Fremont Business Park at Christy Street.

“Borelli Investment Company has seen a lot of ups and downs in the economy over the past 5 ½ decades,” said Ralph Borelli, chairman of Borelli Investment Company and son of the founder, his father Nelo. “We have learned two things through our experience in all kinds of business climates. First,Northern Californiain general andSilicon Valleyspecifically is a great place in which to do business — with the ability to rebound and reinvent itself after every decline. And second, if a business just hunkers down and waits for things to get better — it may not survive. HP has it right with its slogan ‘Invent’. One has to innovate for success.”

TEAM Club Auto Sport Laps the Field

In mid-2009, in the midst of one of the deepest recessions in history, the TEAM concept was originated at Club Auto Sport, a 120,000 sq. ft. office complex in North San Jose that includes car condos and a club for auto enthusiasts, as well as a dynamic business community and events center. TEAM Club Auto Sport was created to serve the diverse group of businesses — both automotive and non-automotive — that were locating within the facility.

Among the group’s many benefits are:

• Regular meetings with TEAM Club Auto Sport members and Club Auto Sport’s marketing professionals — to discuss common challenges and brainstorm creative solutions
• Unique business networking and advertising co-op opportunities
• Guidance in how to apply the latest social networking methods to create a business advantage
• Invitations to the club’s exclusive Fast Track U series of business workshops on topics from sound accounting practices to effective wealth planning
• The opportunity to contribute to TEAM Club Auto Sport’s blog to drive customers to their own web sites
• Individual mentoring, if desired
• Access to professional marketing resources

“Within my first two months as part of TEAM Club Auto Sport, I was introduced to a development family whom I now represent in the development of a 90-room hotel project in Capitola,” said Alex L. Ingram of Ingram & Associates, Inc., a facilities planning and construction management firm. “This project will provide significant fee income for me.”

“By being at Club Auto Sport, I have exceeded my business goals — and the new relationships I’ve made are creating tremendous business opportunities for us,” added Baltazar Martinez of South Valley Landscape Construction.

Borelli Investment Company launches Building Business Network at three office complexes to create critical alliances, encourage discussion of common challenges and sharing of creative ideas, and enhance business networking and synergy among owners and tenants.

San Jose, Calif., March 29, 2010 — While the economy is improving, it is clear things have not returned to “normal”.   In fact, it is increasingly looking like business might not ever return to what we once thought of as “normal”.  Instead, the challenging environment in which businesses operate today may be viewed as the “new normal”.  It results in a business climate that is demanding and unforgiving — where success requires innovative thinking, a keen eye on costs, and the ability to adapt and quickly take advantage of good opportunities when they come along.

Winning in this “new normal” is tough enough with ample support — but for small businesses that are going it alone, long-term success may seem impossible at times.  Recognizing this, Borelli Investment Company — a 55-year-old commercial real estate firm that specializes in leasing office space and selling office condos to smaller businesses — has created the Building Business Network, informal business networking groups associated with three of the projects it owns or markets: Junction Office Center, Club Auto Sport, and Fremont Business Park at Christy Street.

“Borelli Investment Company has seen a lot of ups and downs in the economy over the past 5 ½ decades,” said Ralph Borelli, chairman of Borelli Investment Company and son of the founder, his father Nelo.  “We have learned two things through our experience in all kinds of business climates. First, Northern California in general and Silicon Valley specifically is a great place in which to do business — with the ability to rebound and reinvent itself after every decline.  And second, if a business just hunkers down and waits for things to get better — it may not survive.  HP has it right with its slogan ‘Invent’.  One has to innovate for success.”

TEAM Club Auto Sport Laps the Field

In mid-2009, in the midst of one of the deepest recessions in history, the TEAM concept was originated at Club Auto Sport, a 120,000 sq. ft. office complex in North San Jose that includes car condos and a club for auto enthusiasts, as well as a dynamic business community and events center. TEAM Club Auto Sport was created to serve the diverse group of businesses — both automotive and non-automotive — that were locating within the facility.

Among the group’s many benefits are:

• Regular meetings with TEAM Club Auto Sport members and Club Auto Sport’s marketing professionals — to discuss common challenges and brainstorm creative solutions
• Unique business networking and advertising co-op opportunities
• Guidance in how to apply the latest social networking methods to create a business advantage
• Invitations to the club’s exclusive Fast Track U series of business workshops on topics from sound accounting practices to effective wealth planning
• The opportunity to contribute to TEAM Club Auto Sport’s blog to drive customers to their own web sites
• Individual mentoring, if desired
• Access to professional marketing resources

“Within my first two months as part of TEAM Club Auto Sport, I was introduced to a development family whom I now represent in the development of a 90-room hotel project in Capitola,” said Alex L. Ingram of Ingram & Associates, Inc., a facilities planning and construction management firm.  “This project will provide significant fee income for me.”

“By being at Club Auto Sport, I have exceeded my business goals — and the new relationships I’ve made are creating tremendous business opportunities for us,” added Baltazar Martinez of South Valley Landscape Construction.

TEAM Concept Expands to Two More Office Complexes

With the TEAM concept proven at Club Auto Sport, Borelli is now adding Junction Office Center and Fremont Business Park at Christy Street to the Building Business Network. TEAM Junction and TEAM Christy Street are already attracting a lot of interest from the owners and tenants in the two buildings.

Junction Office Center is a two-building, 77,400 sq. ft. complex containing 52 office condos, of which only four remain.  Closeout pricing is being offered on the final four condo units, increasing buyer interest. TEAM Junction held its first meeting in March with more than one-third of the owners and tenants in attendance.

Fremont Business Park is a three-building 120,000 sq. ft. complex near I-880 and Auto Mall Parkway at the gateway to Silicon Valley in southern Fremont.  The office suites are tailored to the needs of smaller businesses, ranging in size from 400 – 10,000 sq. ft. and feature the fastest fiber optic Internet speeds in Fremont of up to 100 Mbps or more — with wireless connections.  TEAM Christy Street will hold its first meeting shortly after its official re-opening in April following a $2 million renovation.

“It’s very easy to move into an office building with 50 or 100 fellow owners or tenants, and yet feel completely alone,” remarked Tom Purtell, chief operating officer at Borelli Investment Company.  “TEAM  Junction and TEAM  Christy Street will help businesses in the two buildings establish connections and create synergy.  Companies can market products and services to one another, participate in co-op advertising, and most importantly, learn from others in the group — emulating the successes and avoiding the failures.”

Added Borelli, “The businesses we’ve talked to at the three buildings are really excited about the concept,” he noted.  “It seems so simple — and yet to our knowledge, it hasn’t been tried before in Silicon Valley.  The Building Business Network is proving to not only be a big benefit for the participants, but also an important tool for us in marketing the space in our buildings.”

Borelli Investment Company is one of the oldest commercial real estate firms in the Santa Clara Valley.  The company provides a full range of commercial real estate services—from development and construction management to land sales and consulting for sales and leasing. More information about Borelli Investment Company’s services may be obtained by calling (408) 453-4700 or visiting www.borelli.com.

Contact: Buddy Parsons Borelli Investment Company 2051 Junction Avenue, Suite 100 San Jose, CA 95131 Ph: 408.453.4700 Fax: 408.453.4636 E-mail: buddy@borelli.com

http://www.borelli.com

Club Auto Sport Celebrates the Official Groundbreaking

Club Auto Sport—a unique condominium facility that combines safe, secure car storage with an exclusive club for racing and auto enthusiasts — held its groundbreaking at 521 Charcot Avenue in San Jose on October 4th, 2007. Several hundred car collectors, motor sports fans, city officials, and other dignitaries attended the catered event planned by Borelli Investment Company in conjunction with the groundbreaking. The unique two-building, 120,000 square foot commercial condominium complex offers 60 purpose — built units from 800 to 10,000 square feet — plus a 10,000 square foot showroom as well as banquet and hospitality area that’s ideal for hosting charitable functions. Club Auto Sport members will be able to be part of many club events and activities, as well as having access to time-saving services related to their cars. Completion and occupancy is expected by late spring.

Single-tenant, 102,540 sq. ft. structure is one of the first office buildings in Cupertino designed to meet the city’s Green Building Program standards

Groundbreaking is slated for this April

Borelli Investment Company has announced that the 10900 North Tantau building, a headquarters-class, single-tenant, 102,540 square foot office building in the heart of Cupertino, has received all of its entitlements and been approved by the Cupertino City Council. 10900 North Tantau will be the first office building in Cupertino to meet “green”standards for the structure’s core and shell under the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Silver guidelines.

The building is being developed by Tantau Investments, LLC, acting as principals, made up of four partners: Ron Tate, Larry Wallerstein, John Salera, and Ralph Borelli. The voluntary “green” building effort by Tantau Investments is in keeping with the principals’ history of leadership in both environmental remediation for re-use of in-fill land, and in the growing trend of companies convinced that “green” not only saves tenants on energy costs, but also that it’s the right thing to do for the planet’s future. Groundbreaking on the two-story building is slated for April.

“We are pleased to be at the forefront of Cupertino’s pioneering effort to build more environmentally friendly office space,” said Ralph Borelli of Borelli Investment Company, which has been selected to market the building.

“We are also very excited to be able to offer a building of this stature in what has become Silicon Valley’s most desirable locale—with Cupertino having the lowest vacancy rate in the valley, currently at only three percent. Plus, with neighbors such as Agilent, Apple, HP, and the new Kaiser Hospital next door, moving into 10900 North Tantau will put a business in some pretty elite company.”

The 6.6-acre site is situated in the wellestablished Vallco Industrial Park near the intersection of North Tantau Avenue and Homestead Road—directly behind the new Kaiser Hospital. Cupertino is a very comfortable, yet relatively affordable community with great schools, city parks, and services. The building will also put employees within minutes of I-280 and Hwy 85, and a short drive from Mineta SJ International Airport, and the Vallco Fashion Park or Westfield Valley Fair shopping malls.

10900 North Tantau will provide plenty of onsite parking, with spaces for up to 400 cars if the building is used for offices and 500 cars if it’s used for medical—with a full “trips” allocation from the Cupertino planning department.“It’s virtually impossible to find space like this in Cupertino today ”Borelli noted. “This really is an uncommon opportunity.”

It’s Good to be Green

The two-story 10900 North Tantau building will have an expansive glass line around its entire exterior—including a dramatic rounded, two-story lobby atrium at its center. This will fulfill the city’s desire to create a greater sense of interactivity with its neighbors, while still using high-quality, environmentally sound glass that meets both the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and California’s Title 24 energy efficiency standards.

The completed core and shell will allow for a large number of executive offices around the perimeter with exterior views. The building’s tenant will have a great deal of flexibility on how to build out the interior and what amenities to include—such as granite or marble floors in the lobby, high-speed elevators, conference rooms with advanced video and audio conferencing technology, a fitness facility and/or showers and dressing rooms in the bathrooms for joggers and bicyclers.

Most importantly, the developer’s demonstration of social consciousness by its willingness to invest in meeting the full specifications of the LEED Silver certificate under the Shell and Core program, as established by the U.S. Green Building Council, should pay significant dividends for the future tenant through reduced operating costs.“Energy costs are continuing to rise, and the environment is certainly a concern for all of us,”said John Salera, director of acquisitions for Freestone Properties, Inc., who is also marketing the building. “We’re pleased to be able to respond to Cupertino’s wish to encourage the construction of environmentally sensitive buildings, and we also know the bottom line benefits will be attractive to companies looking for a regional office or headquarters in this exclusive area.”

The architect for the 10900 North Tantau project is Sylvester R. Ramirez Associates, AIA. The general contractor is Devcon Construction, Inc. Occupancy is expected to be available in late 2008 or the first quarter of 2009.

Other Opportunities Desired

Tantau Investments is currently in the market for additional opportunities to acquire and develop similar properties as well as environmentally challenged in-fill pieces in other parts of Silicon Valley and the Bay Area. The four partners in Tantau Investments have more than 150 years of combined experience in the development business, with Larry Wallerstein of Tate Development having significant expertise in successfully developing LEED-compliant or environmentally challenged sites throughout the Bay Area. Tantau Investments’ partners include:

For further information about 10900 North Tantau or to discuss other potential acquisition or development opportunities, please contact one of the above partners.

Borelli Development Deals Span Product Types and Geographies

Slowdown? What slowdown? You’ll have to pardon the people at Borelli Investment Company if they just shrug and shake their head when talk turns to whether the residential real estate market’s troubles are extending into the commercial real estate market.

Borelli just completed its best year in history—putting together four development deals that will result in the building of major projects.

• Aster Avenue Associates—Borelli raised $10 million in one week to fund the building of a community of 80 affordable townhomes in a close-in Sunnyvale location by KB Home, one of the nation’s leading home builders. Market value when complete: $50 million
• Fontana—Borelli raised funds to sell or lease a 38,000 square foot parcel for development of a casual dining restaurant in an ideal location adjacent to a soon-to-open, 115- room Hilton Garden Inn, on a 4.5 acre parcel just off the I-10 in Fontana, in Southern California’s Inland Empire. Market value when complete: $25 million
• Club Auto Sport—Borelli has raised funds for, and is developing Club Auto Sport—Silicon Valley’s first purpose-built commercial condominium facility for cars and car enthusiasts, with additional benefits such as timesaving concierge services and an exclusive club for owners. Market value when complete: $40 million
• 10900 North Tantau—This joint venture investment fund will help develop and build a single-tenant, two-story, 102,540 square foot headquarters office building in the heart of Cupertino. (See related story.) Market value when complete: $60 million

“The four deals, when finished, will result in projects totaling approximately $175 million in market value,” said Ralph Borelli. “This was our biggest year yet at Borelli Investment Company, and it comes at a time when some people have wondered whether commercial real estate would be impacted by the negative news from the sub-prime mortgage crisis. The answer is, ‘not in our experience’.”

Playing in Different Markets One of the interesting things about Borelli’s transactions in 2007 was how the four deals spanned a diversity of product types—from housing and retail to office and specialty condominiums. In addition, the geographies where the projects are or will be built are highly diversified:

• Cupertino, an affluent bedroom community in Silicon Valley, with a handful of headquarters for elite high-tech businesses such as Apple, Agilent, and HP
• Sunnyvale, an area that has a broad mix of technology and other businesses, but clearly is in need of much more affordable housing
• North San Jose, the Golden Triangle for hightech businesses bounded by I-880 and Hwys 101 and 237
• Fontana, an emerging market with a large Kaiser medical facility, several shopping centers, distribution centers, and some residential—but drastically underserved by restaurants—in an area an hour east of downtown Los Angeles.

“I think that today’s market is very different from 10, 15, or 25 years ago,” Borelli  noted. “Success requires greater creativity. You can’t just churn out one R&D spec tilt-up after another, and expect to make money—for you or your investors. At Borelli, we remain open to any possibility that looks promising, as long as the underlying fundamentals are right.  We take a lot of care with our due diligence, but we definitely are not hesitant to embrace creativity.”

Borelli Investment Company almost always has syndication opportunities available for qualified investors, including several projects that are currently in the pipeline right now. Readers who may be interested in investing should contact Ralph Borelli at (408) 453-4700, or e-mail ralph@borelli.com.