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Building conference focuses on River Rock, other projects in pipeline

SANTA ROSA – Builders will need to be bold in how they approach city-centered and environmentally conscious projects, but boldness is challenging right now as lenders are scrutinizing project financing more closely, according to experts set to speak May 20 in Santa Rosa at an annual construction conference.

Speaking on a bold project in northern Sonoma County will be Eugene Dvorak, director of project development for the Dry Creek Rancheria. His keynote address will elaborate on the River Rock Casino expansion in Geyserville.

The Building the North Bay conference, presented by the Business Journal, starts at 8:00 a.m. at the Hyatt Vineyard Creek hotel in Santa Rosa.

Project site density, a mixture of uses and convenient multimodal public transit are essential to revving up the commercial potential of downtown areas. But the North Bay’s largest city, Santa Rosa, needs civic leaders and developers bold enough to build, according to Michelle Gervais, a principal with Santa Rosa-based urban planning firm Archilogix and part of a panel on hot North Bay construction topics.

“Santa Rosa can’t stop and wait for all to be in place before it launches out into the world,” she said.

Also on the hot-topics panel will be Bill Wilson, an expert in environmental engineering and sustainability with Carlile Macy; Mike McKeon of First Community Bank; and David James of Ledcor Construction in Napa.

Another panel will look at projects coming to Napa, Marin and Sonoma counties. On the architect panel are Paul Kelley of St. Helena; Doug Hilberman, head of Axia Architects in Santa Rosa and president of the Redwood Empire chapter of the American Institute of Architects; and Colin Russell of Russell & Davis Architects in San Rafael.

Registration costs $45 per person. To attend, call 707-579-2900 ext. 211 or visit www.NorthBayBusinessJournal.com.

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