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Commercial Real Estate: Larry Simons’ architecture honored in show, tour

Larry Simons’ 42 years of architectural artistry in Sonoma County are being celebrated through May 19 with an exhibit at Santa Rosa City Hall of his designs over the years, a bus tour of buildings that sprang from those sketches and a 160-page book featuring photographs he’s taken of those structures.

And for good reason. His Santa Rosa architecture firm – now a design, development and realty company called Simons & Woodard – nurtured and inspired a number of the area’s notable architects.

“Layout of a building has to be affordable, functional and have a spirit to it that raises a person’s spirit,” said Mr. Simons, explaining the interplay between architecture and business growth.

Born in 1937, Mr. Simons is the first in a series of design pioneers the Sonoma County Economic Development Board plans to highlight in showing the importance of good design to the economy. That led to the exhibit and bus tour by the Redwood Empire chapter of the American Institute of Architects, and a brochure for the tour turned into a book.

“The built environment can be complementary to the natural environment with thoughtful design,” economic development board Executive Director Ben Stone said.

The North Bay has been at the forefront of green building design for decades. Yet Mr. Simons has been at the forefront of local use of green features, such as limiting the amount of glass exposed to the sun’s heat and winter’s cold while maximizing the amount of sunlight brought into a large office building and providing a sheltered meeting place for workers and community groups.

Key examples of the signature inverted pyramid building shape and atriums in action are the State Office Building, built in downtown Santa Rosa a quarter-century ago, and the three large office buildings at Stony Point Lake on the west side of the city.

He was a big investor in downtown Santa Rosa after the devastation of the 1969 earthquake and long has been an advocate of increasing downtown building density, at one point even proposing to build a 15-story office building.

As political will for such density stalled, he turned his attention to developing the Stony Point and later Northpoint business parks in west and southwest Santa Rosa, respectively.

Other key examples of his work include the Fountaingrove Inn and Equus restaurant, showing his passion for communicating the good life of Sonoma County wine, food and equestrian pursuits to visitors.

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The Gong family has started the long-awaited expansion and modernization of its 97,000-square-foot G&G Supermarket and distribution warehouse at 1211 W. College Ave. in Santa Rosa. This is by far the largest overhaul for the store since it was built in 1980, according to spokesman Teejay Lowe.

Over the next five months, local talent such

as Santa Rosa-based general contractor Western Builders will be sprucing up the facade, increasing the 60,000-square-foot grocery store floor by 3,200 square feet, relocating the front entrance and Sonoma Bank branch and grouping popular departments. All this will happen as shoppers continue to visit.

The store’s main draws are fresh produce and meats, so the extensive wine department will move near the meats to allow for cross-selling, and the produce will go where the wine is at the new front door. The bakery will join the produce section, swapping places with the bank branch.

The renovated store also will feature a culinary school for Santa Rosa Junior College with a 40-student classroom and 25-student demonstration kitchen, according to Mr. Lowe. The family is donating the space, complete with a viewing window for shoppers and with commercial-grade appliances.

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Orion Partners Ltd. Research Director Dave Walwyn is moving into brokerage with the firm. Melissa Lee Ng has joined Orion in research from a southern California real estate company called Global West and CB Richard Ellis.

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Submit items for this column to Jeff Quackenbush at 707-579-2900 ext. 206, jquackenbush@busjrnl.com or fax 707-579-8475.

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