Carlsen Named Editor of Daily Pacific Builder

Robert Carlsen

Robert Carlsen was recently named Northern California editor for Monrovia-based California Construction magazine and editor of San Francisco-based Daily Pacific Builder. Both are published by McGraw-Hill Construction.

"I look forward to working with the readers of these outstanding publications, and hope the readers will feel free to call me with news and story ideas," Carlsen said.

He previously was executive editor of TravelAge West, a weekly trade magazine for travel agents. He also was an editor of National Motorist magazine, a motor club publication with members in California.

Carlsen has 25 years experience as a journalist with consumer and trade publications. He received a bachelor's degree in journalism from San Francisco State University and, while there, was a copyperson for the San Francisco Chronicle. He later moved to Southern California to work on the Newhall Signal newspaper, owned by former Chronicle editor -in-chief and San Francisco mayoral candidate Scott Newhall.

Carlsen can be contacted at (415) 357-8019, fax (415) 357-8021, or email robert_carlsen@mcgraw-hill.com Mailing address: 160 Spear Street, 7th Floor, San Francisco, Calif. 94105.

Bill Swinerton Remembered As a 'Quiet Giant'

Former Chairman of Bay Area-based Builder Died on Sept. 26

By Robert Carlsen

SAN FRANCISCO -William A. "Bill" Swinerton, a construction industry pioneer and past chairman of San Francisco-based Swinerton Inc., who died of natural causes last month, was remembered as an effective leader by the firm's current chairman and CEO.

William A. "Bill" Swinerton

"He was a gentleman, well-respected by his employees and the industry and a very dedicated contractor who guided us through some interesting times during the 1950s and 60s," said Jim Gillette.

Swinerton was 86 when he died Sept. 26 at his Woodside home.

Swinerton Inc. is one of the largest firms in the West involved in general contracting and construction and program management.

Swinerton retired in 1988, but continued to come into the office regularly--and actually dropped by less than a week before he passed away, Gillette said.

Swinerton President Gordon Marks, who worked with Bill Swinerton for 20 years, said some people described Swinerton as a giant in the industry. "But I saw him as quiet giant, very unassuming, with a subtle sense of humor, Marks added. "And he was more comfortable in the field than in the boardroom."

His Career Began in 1938

Swinerton started his career in 1938, working summers with Lindgren & Swinerton, the company that his father had built into one of San Francisco's largest construction firms.

Born in San Francisco in 1917 to Alfred and Jane Hotaling Swinerton, Swinerton grew up in Woodside and attended prep school at The Thacher School in Ojai. He traveled across the country to attend Yale University, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in industrial administration from the Sheffield Scientific School in 1939.

He later enrolled in Stanford University's School of Business, but left after one year to become an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. During World War II, he served in a construction battalion in the South Pacific Theater, seeing action at the Battle of Guadalcanal. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his military service.

In 1943, he married Mary Nichols Clark, called "Polly" by family and friends. The first of their four children was born the following year. In 1958, he built the Woodside home where he and Polly lived for the rest of their lives. Polly died last year.

After World War II, he rejoined Lindgren & Swinerton as a project manager and oversaw the major expansion of Mt. Zion Hospital in 1949. Three years later, the company, now known as Swinerton & Walberg, opened an office in Denver. Swinerton moved to the Colorado city to manage the office during the construction of the Denver Coliseum, Safeway's regional warehouse facilities and the Atomic Energy Commission's Rocky Flats facility, a contract that continued for more than two decades.

Swinerton returned to the Bay Area in the late 1950s to assume increased responsibilities that led to the presidency of Swinerton & Walberg in 1963. That same year, he negotiated the contract to renovate Ghirardelli Square into a retail facility, a groundbreaking project in urban reuse.

Swinerton then led the company into Hawaii on a 15-year building boom that began with the landmark Sheraton Maui, the first major resort to be built on an outer island.

He Succeeded Richard Walberg

In 1974, Swinerton negotiated the merger of civil engineering construction company Rothschild & Raffin into Swinerton & Walberg, giving the company additional expertise and a breadth of experience that included the Marin County Civic Center designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Two years later, Swinerton succeeded Richard Walberg as chairman of the board, a position that he held until his retirement.

Other notable projects built under Swinerton's watch include the renovation of the California State Capitol Building in Sacramento, the San Francisco Centre on Market Street and the Weyerhaeuser Headquarters in Washington State.

Marks said that Swinerton was a man of character, a man of honor. "His word was gold," Marks added. "I remember we built an office tower at 330 Market St. in San Francisco - without a written contract. You shake hands with him and that was that."
Gillette said that Swinerton believed that his greatest contribution to the company was its reorganization from a series of limited partnerships into a single corporation with a strong management structure that has fostered the firm's continued growth and financial stability. Swinerton started the company's employee stock ownership plan.

Swinerton is survived by daughters Leslie Swinerton of Geary, Okla.; Susie McBaine of San Francisco; Sarah Swinerton of Woodside; son Jim Swinerton of Chicago; eight grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

Donations may be made in his name to California Trout, 870 Market St., Suite 528, San Francisco, CA 94102.

Parson Brinckerhoff Gets Caltrain Contract

SAN MATEO -- Parsons Brinckerhoff was awarded a contract to provide on-call general engineering and construction management services to Caltrain, the public transit system linking San Francisco and San Jose.

The contract is with the Peninsula Joint Powers Board, provider of commuter rail service between San Jose and San Francisco, and the San Mateo County Transit District, the operator of intra- and inter-county bus service for San Mateo county.

PB will be responsible for providing contract management and technical support, including multi-disciplinary planning, engineering, design, architectural and construction management services for various projects along the Caltrain corridor or at San Mateo County Transit District facilities. Assignments may include various grade separations for the Dumbarton Rail Corridor and other planning, engineering and construction projects.

Construction Begins on Dublin Retail Center

Hollander Smith, a Milpitas-based general contractor, has started construction of Dublin Corners, a 46,000-sq.-ft. neighborhood shopping center owned by Danville-based Trumark Commercial. The project was designed by the San Ramon office of Ware Malcomb.

Construction is expected to be completed by April.

The project consists of three, single-story shell buildings in a Craftsman-style design. The buildings feature long-stretching window lines and a trellis arcade anchored by two 35-sq.-ft. towers.

The center's pedestrian friendly atmosphere will include open-air sitting areas and connecting pathways between buildings and adjoining properties. The center will include major name dining, mercantile and general services establishments.

San Pedro Waterfront Plan Gets Green Light

SAN PEDRO - The Board of Harbor Commissioners unanimously approved the San Pedro Waterfront and Promenade Master Development Plan. Their vote gives the Port of Los Angeles staff the green light to proceed to the next stages of the project -- preliminary project design, initiation of a 12- to 18-month environmental review and further cost analysis.

The blueprint plan maps out recreational and commercial uses along 8 mi. of Los Angeles waterfront from the Vincent Thomas Bridge to the federal breakwater.

"The beautiful San Pedro waterfront belongs to the people, and this community-backed master plan gives it back to them," Mayor James K. Hahn said. "Where industrial blight used to cut us off from the water, we will now have a front-row seat to the sea."

Said Councilwoman Janice Hahn, the mayor's sister, "Hundreds of community members, business owners, local leaders and experts alike have all contributed to this plan and it is truly a reflection of the San Pedro community. Together, we will build a world-class promenade that we can all be proud of."

Port staff and architects EEK/Gafcon worked for 10months gathering input from port stakeholders, businesses, neighborhood groups and community members through a series of meetings, presentations and workshops.

The Master Plan identifies six water-based districts to define and highlight the character of San Pedro. They are:

• Piers District, serving as the gateway to the San Pedro Waterfront and includes the area directly adjacent to the Vincent Thomas Bridge
  
• Downtown Harbor District, linking the waterfront to historic downtown San Pedro
  
• Ports O' Call/Southern Pacific Slip District, preserving the authentic working fish harbor and Ports O' Call Village;
  
• 22nd Street/Marina District, highlighting marina and hotel operations;
  
• Outer Harbor/Warehouse District, targeting varied cultural and international trade uses;
• The Beach District, including a proposed youth/senior community center and beach area
  

Fitch Lowers Bridge's Bond Rating

NEW YORK -- Fitch Ratings downgraded the underlying long-term rating on the seismic retrofit revenue bonds of the $1.1 billion California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank Bay Area Toll Bridges series 2003A first lien bonds to 'AA-' from 'AA'.

The bonds are separately secured by a statutorily approved $1 seismic surcharge levied on the seven-bridge Bay Area toll system, which excludes the Golden Gate Bridge. The bank's role is primarily that of a conduit issuer on behalf of Caltrans.

The downgrade to 'AA-' primarily reflects the significantly increased capital cost of infrastructure replacement and rehabilitation of the facilities in the context of limited rate-making authority. It incorporates the strong likelihood for sizable toll-rate increases that could at a minimum double the toll in order to finance all or a portion of the increased cost. This rating action also considers the recently approved Regional Measure Two $1 toll increase that eats into financial flexibility capacity for system needs.

The amount of bridge system debt as a percentage of total capital cost was anticipated to be about 20% when Fitch initially rated the bonds in 2001. With the issuance of the seismic retrofit bonds by Caltrans in 2003, that percentage rose to 30%. The recent cost increases are likely to raise the amount of leverage up further -- potentially between 40% and 50%. As a result, the total debt burden could grow from the initial $1.0 billion to over $5 billion.

Despite the dramatic cost increases of the seismic program, the critical nature of this seven-bridge system and long-term economic strength and viability of the San Francisco Bay Area continue to provide a basis for very strong investment grade credit quality.

Seismic activity remains a key risk, particularly now with the expected delay beyond 2010 in completion of the east span of the San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge.