University Park

Sustainable Master-Planned Redevelopment
Stockton, California

Located on a site formerly occupied by the State of California Developmental Center, the ongoing 103-acre University Park master-planned mixed-use project exemplifies sustainable redevelopment on a grand scale. LDA Partners, LLP, as planner/architect and The Grupe Commercial Company, as developer, are executing a shared vision for the revitalization of central Stockton that relies heavily on the “reuse” and “recycle” tenets of green building.

Working with the State of California Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), the development team identified buildings for restoration based on their historic significance to the site, overall condition, location, and appropriateness for use as future office, retail, and meeting space. Stately Magnolia Mansion, the Development Center’s original superintendent’s residence, was among the buildings selected for restoration.

The age and condition of other existing buildings precluded their adaptive reuse. These buildings were razed, and most of the building materials contained within them, including concrete, metal, mechanical systems, bricks and roofing tiles, were reclaimed, with the idea that some would become part of the new development.

The building demolition has yielded more than 200,000 tons of concrete to date, much of which was broken up on-site into aggregate for use on-site construction work that ranged from underground utility trenches and roadbeds to sub-surface building foundations. In addition, clay barrel roofing tiles, brick, steel building components, and copper wiring were all recycled. In addition to the environmental benefits realized through reuse and recycling, The Grupe Commercial Company’s strategy resulted in significant economic benefits of reduced material costs, incremental revenue from recycling, and the avoidance of landfill tipping fees.

The site’s outdated, under-capacity storm-water management systems were sustainably enhanced through the construction of a new, 3-acre lake feature that functions as a