While millennial migration continues to saturate large downtowns across America, some smaller cities and developers are reimagining business parks to attract innovative companies and workers back to the ‘burbs. One example is the new Keystone Innovation Industrial Park in Vista.
The Keystone Innovation Industrial Park, developed by Badiee Development, is comprised of two buildings totaling 77,860 square feet and is slated for completion by the end of August 2019. The Park – surrounded by five acres of permanent open space – will include contemporary amenities and expansive views over Carlsbad to the Pacific Ocean.
Like other Badiee multi-tenant innovation centers, Keystone will also include different size spaces for various users. There are seven suites total, ranging from 5,045-to-18,188 square feet. The suites can even be combined to provide larger spaces if needed. Keystone will include a tenant amenity area, which includes a basketball hoop and an outdoor area for tenants, complete with a BBQ and seating area overlooking the canyon, plus a planned fire pit in the outdoor patio area overlooking the canyon with views toward the ocean. Badiee Development is also considering installing solar panels.
“Keystone Innovation Industrial Park will deliver top-tier industrial space in North County San Diego, where new inventory is in great demand – from manufacturing to action sports and distribution companies, among many others,” said Ben Badiee, Founder and CEO of Badiee Development.
The views plus the unique space are what attracted Eppig Brewing to Keystone. The local award-winning brewing company, which has locations in Point Loma and North Park, will use the new Vista location as its production facility, company headquarters, and tasting room with a patio and German Bierhalle-inspired event space.
“It’s nearly tenfold bigger than our North Park brewery and the increased production capacity will (hopefully) allow us to meet demand, particularly for our lagers,” said Stephanie Eppig, Co-Founder and CMO.
So why Vista? Eppig said location, location, location.
“Eppig Brewing was looking for a unique and interesting place for our expansion to North County, and as you can imagine most industrial spaces aren’t either of those things,” she said. “When we came across Keystone in our search it was clear that Badiee Development was sparing no expense and shared a similar vision that aligned with that we were looking to create. Add the canyon views and ocean breeze – our customers won’t feel like it’s a run-of-the-mill industrial park.”
Eppig’s future brewing site at Keystone Innovation Industrial Park in Vista
The Vista Eppig brewhouse is expected to make its debut in September, followed shortly by the tasting room. “Because the development is new construction, we’re working with a blank canvas inside and designing every aspect of the brewery and tasting room from scratch, which is a huge benefit,” Eppig said.
Industrial parks have always offered affordable lease rates, large buildings with high-capacity utilities, truck access, etc.., all things that are very important on a daily basis running a brewery, Eppig added. She said that coupled with Vista’s already well-established brewing community made moving into Keystone a no-brainer. Plus, the City of Vista welcomed the brewery with open arms.
“Our search for a new production facility was wide-ranging throughout San Diego County,” Eppig said. “It quickly became clear that the City of Vista is among the best to work with and is eager to bring new businesses to the city. Our neighboring breweries have already extended a warm welcome and we look forward to bringing our beer to North County.”
“The City really has been a great partner and we haven’t even opened for business,” she added. “(Economic Development Director) Kevin Ham is a regular attendee of the Vista Brewers Guild meetings to lend an ear and a voice directly to the City’s thinking as our industry grows, and that is very unique and appreciated. The Planning Department has been just as engaged and helpful, from our first conversations about maybe signing a lease in Vista, through our (currently ongoing) construction inspections and permitting process.”
Besides Eppig, Badiee Development has signed a lease with Dogleg Brewing and is negotiating with a distillery, which will be moving in soon. “These three tenants will complement one another very well,” Badiee said, adding that there has also been interest from high-tech and other innovative companies to move into the park. “We see the property as a high-image industrial property that will help businesses grow and attract new customers and employees.”
Badiee Development first acquired the land for the Keystone Innovation Industrial Park in 2016 and spent nearly two years planning the project. The grading for the project began in June 2018.
“Vista is a very proven industrial market and this land was one of the last developable industrial projects in the city,” Badiee said. “The topography was challenging and there was a substantial amount of rock, but we have experience developing difficult projects and working with the various government agencies. Several other developers have worked on this property over the years and were not successful in getting a project done for many different reasons.”
One of the reasons Badiee stuck with the Keystone project was due in part by the City of Vista’s support.
“The City has been extremely professional, practical, and cooperative,” he said. “They have been very supportive of this project from the beginning and are great partners to do business with. Unlike some other cities, they are extremely friendly and helpful in addressing developer issues to remove obstacles.”
Oh, and did we mention the breathtaking views from Keystone?
“This a high-image project that is visible from Palomar Airport Road and Melrose Drive that sits on a peninsula overlooking Carlsbad with a distant view of the ocean,” Badiee said. “The buildings have also been constructed with quality materials, glass, and enhanced landscaping.”
The builder of the Keystone Innovation Industrial Park is TFW Construction, owned by the Weeks family, which has been developing land and projects in Vista for the past three decades.
“Vista is a very friendly city that is pro growth,” said TFW Founder Ted Weeks, who first bought land in Vista in 1990 – a 90-acre former tomato field on the corner of San Marcos Blvd. and Business Park Drive. “The Vista Business Park for example, has grown and flourished, thanks to good planning by the City. It was a very difficult site to develop and the City was instrumental in working through all those difficult areas. Keystone will be a great addition to the business park and will attract a variety of tenants.”
For Kevin Ham, developments like the Keystone Innovation Industrial Park give Vista a competitive edge in attracting more innovative companies and a diverse talent pool, and helps broaden the City’s already-diverse business ecosystem.
“The City of Vista is proud to welcome the Keystone Innovation Industrial Park, which will create a new place for forward-thinking companies with high-paying jobs to call Vista home,” he said. “And, the sunsets from the innovation park, and the rest of Vista are amazing. Why do you think we are called Vista?”
