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.

“This will be ideal for a company’s headquarters or major regional offices, and the building’s design reflects that.”
— Ralph Borelli, Chairman
     Borelli Investment Company

“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.

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