Creative Brief: Why is this commercial development company deserving of NAIOP SoCal's Developer of the Year award?*  

Present in the region for over nine years, Bridge has remained Southern California’s most active industrial developer. Since 2015, Bridge has developed 40 buildings, totaling approximately 7.6M SF of Class A industrial space across Southern California. Bridge, in alignment with its investment strategy to pursue the development of modern industrial properties in supply-constrained core infill industrial markets, continues to seek opportunities for growth and expansion in the market.    

Bridge has completed the development of 27 buildings totaling over 7M square feet across the Greater Los Angeles area since 2015, with an additional 5 state-of-the-art facilities, totaling 700,000 SF currently underway.  

Across the state of California, Bridge has developed or has under development a total of 9.7M SF across 31 developments and 40 total buildings.   

Through the strength of the firm’s California team — and the partnership of local third-party vendors and the local municipalities — Bridge has successfully delivered a pipeline of modern, state-of-the-art facilities that meet the needs of top-tier logistics users seeking space in the highly sought-after industrial markets in California.  

Project Significance: Explain the company's most significant project(s) (up to (3) three) and the reason(s) they deserve to be recognized. Highlight and industry-leading features or elements for consideration.*   

Completed in 2023, Bridge Point Rancho Cucamonga is the year’s largest single-phase industrial campus in the state of California. Totaling ~2.2M SF across two buildings on over 91 acres, the facilities provide tenants with top-tier amenities and sustainable design features such as LED lighting, solar capabilities, and EV-ready parking and truck docks.  The project was awarded LEED Gold by the U.S. Green Building Council. 

Bridge’s 2019 acquisition of the site represented the single largest acquisition in the history of the Inland Empire at that time.  The Bridge team navigated a variety of complicated entitlement challenges, including a required zone change and a City-wide industrial development moratorium.  Bridge negotiated an exception from the moratorium that allowed the project to be delivered to market ahead of competitors. Bridge pre-leased both buildings to two separate users, one of which represented the largest lease transaction in the U.S in 2023. 

In the past year, Bridge also completed two industrial developments in the South Bay submarket, Bridge Point South Bay II and South Bay VII, notable for their difficulty of development and delivery.  Both properties were brownfield sites requiring remediation and coordination with state environmental agencies.  Both sites’ prime infill locations also meant that they were located next to residential uses, requiring additional sensitivity during entitlement and construction.  

Adjacent to the Montrose Superfund Site, South Bay II had been used for the outdoor storage of hazardous waste equipment prior to Bridge’s acquisition.  Bridge remediated the property consistent with the U.S. EPA’s requirements, and worked extensively with neighbors on noise barriers and an innovative clean truck program that incentivizes tenants to utilize green and electric vehicles.  Bridge transformed the site into a state-of-the-art industrial facility totaling 203,877 SF. Located approximately nine miles from the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the project includes 32-foot clear heights; 21 dock doors; parking for 14 trailers and 204 cars; and ESFR sprinkler stems. The property also features a 185-foot truck court, uncommon for the South Bay.    

Bridge Point South Bay VII posed development challenges that were equally difficult.  The site includes six oil wells dating to the 1920s that required re-abandonment in coordination with the state’s oversight agency, CalGEM.  The property is also located next to, and across the street from, apartments and single-family homes, requiring extensive community dialogue.  Prior to development, Bridge worked with homeowners on the building’s design and incorporated an enhanced outdoor employee break area.  Located in Torrance within the prime South Bay submarket, South Bay VII now features a 174,211 SF modern, Class A industrial facility with 32-foot clear heights; 21 dock doors; a 135-foot truck court; 189 parking spaces; and ESFR sprinklers.  

Development Volume: What is the company's total commercial real estate square footage developed in Southern California? Developed world-wide? Provide a detailed list for verification that highlights project name, client, location, size and type.*  

Bridge has completed the development of 27 buildings totaling over 7M square feet across the Greater Los Angeles area since 2015, with an additional 5 state-of-the-art facilities, totaling 700,000 SF currently underway.    

Across the state of California, Bridge has developed or has under development a total of 9.7M SF across 31 developments and 40 total buildings.    

From the onset of the company, Bridge has focused on the development of Class A industrial projects in supply-constrained core infill markets across the U.S. and the U.K. Since 2000, Bridge has developed 74 million square feet of industrial real estate. 

The entirety of Bridge’s existing industrial portfolio is listed at https://bridgeindustrial.com/markets/.  

ESG and Sustainability: Detail the company's incorporation of sustainable design, innovative technology, building wellness and resiliency, as they apply to the development and building operations.*  

Bridge is committed to the incorporation of ESG and sustainability in all aspects of the business, including its building standards. To solidify its commitment to adopting sustainable design principles, in 2022 Bridge pledged to pursue LEED Core & Shell certification for all projects in the United States, and has registered 40 buildings in the U.S. for LEED certification to date.  

Surpassing Bridge’s minimum commitment, the California team has achieved LEED Gold certification standards on a number of its most recent developments.  Bridge projects awarded LEED Gold in 2023 include Bridge Point South Bay II, both buildings at Bridge Point Rancho Cucamonga, and Bridge Point Oakland. 

At the forefront of modern sustainable design, Bridge has integrated several green building technologies at each of its developments.  Solar will be installed on Bridge’s most recent buildings, totaling approximately 21 acres (930,000 sf) of solar panels.  The solar to be installed on Bridge Point Rancho Cucamonga alone will be one of the largest rooftop solar installations in the area.  Bridge now incorporates EV conduits to all buildings’ truck dock doors and/or trailer parking to ensure that its buildings are future-proofed for electric trucks.  Finally, Bridge committed to purchasing carbon offsets for the first time in 2023 for one of its development projects. 

Bridge also specializes in redeveloping brownfield properties, transforming contaminated and environmentally challenged sites into modern new developments that are economic drivers for the community.  Bridge Point South Bay V and South Bay VI were completed in 2023 on adjacent properties formerly used as an industrial oil field.  Upon acquisition of the sites, Bridge worked in tandem with the City, County, and CalGEM to shutter the oil wells permanently, and then repurposed the neglected, underutilized properties into sites for two Class A industrial developments together totaling 208,261 SF.  At Bridge Point South Bay VII, Bridge re-abandoned six oil wells, and at Bridge Point South Bay II, Bridge remediated an environmentally contaminated, nuisance site and built a transformative, premier industrial building.  Bridge’s commitment to revitalizing neglected, infill sites and constructing socially responsible, green buildings has been transformative for the communities where Bridge operates.  

ROI: What are the company's strategies for return of investment, economic sustainability, and overall success of the development(s)?*   

Across its Southern California portfolio, Bridge has successfully delivered a wide range of modern, Class A industrial buildings — from 60,000 SF to over 1 million SF feet in size — addressing the unique needs of warehouse users. Bridge’s advantage lies in its targeted core market of infill development often on brownfield sites where Bridge has superior expertise.   

Contrary to many industrial developers, Bridge welcomes the acquisition of sites requiring extensive remediation and restoration efforts where Bridge can add the most value.  Bridge’s deep experience cleaning up environmentally challenged sites and its strong relationships with various environmental agencies allow it to expeditiously transform underutilized properties and deliver high-value assets in extremely competitive markets like Los Angeles County. 

Challenges: Detail the company's-process for navigating economic challenges, community demands, environmental conditions, and EDI initiatives. Economic Development?*  

Presented with California’s unique entitlement process and set of environmental regulations, as well as active communities resulting from a high volume of industrial projects over the last several years, Bridge has developed a tailored approach to partnering with governing officials, planning staff, and the community.  

The Bridge team collaborates with local municipalities and stakeholders extremely early in the development process, sometimes before even closing on a site.  Bridge’s goal is to work in tandem with local agencies to ensure that all parties have a consistent vision for redevelopment that can be fully supported by staff and decision-makers.  Concurrent with agency engagement, Bridge also works with local residents and stakeholders to address concerns and incorporate community comments.     

At Bridge Point South Bay VII, Bridge engaged adjacent homeowners prior to submitting applications to the city.  Bridge presented a variety of building designs to the residents, and gave them the opportunity to choose a design that emphasized the pedestrian scale of the building’s façade.  Bridge also worked with the City of Los Angeles’ Urban Design Studio on both the building’s architecture and site plan; at the City’s suggestion, Bridge incorporated enhanced employee break areas and pedestrian connections into the project.   

Bridge Point South Bay II included extensive discussions with agency staff and neighbors to ensure that building operations would be compatible with adjacent homes.  Bridge worked in close coordination with LA County staff to develop an innovative clean truck program that incentivizes tenants to use zero or near-zero emissions trucks, and proposed quiet nighttime hours for the areas of the property immediately next to residences.  By working in collaboration with staff and homeowners, Bridge was able to address all concerns and move forward with development of a 203,877 SF state-of-the-art industrial building.  

Bridge Point Rancho Cucamonga was challenged by the City’s General Plan Update and an industrial moratorium adopted in the middle of the project’s entitlement process.  Due to Bridge’s extensive work with the city prior to adoption of the moratorium, Bridge Point Rancho Cucamonga was one of only two projects that was exempted from the moratorium and allowed to continue its entitlements, allowing Bridge to deliver both buildings to market quicker than competitors.  Bridge Point Rancho Cucamonga’s Development Agreement also included a number of economic benefits for the city, and included sustainability initiatives like rooftop solar to offset both buildings’ energy usage.  

Bridge’s skillful approach to navigating agency staff and stakeholder objectives has allowed it to be a valuable community partner and successful developer in the most competitive Southern California markets.  

Involvement: Please describe the company’s involvement in NAIOP SoCal and other community organizations.*  

Bridge is highly invested in the local communities in which it operates, participating in various public engagements and local community initiatives. Bridge is currently a Platinum Sponsor and Member of NAIOP SoCal and continues to serve as a steward of the organization's community-oriented mission. Through the NAIOP SoCal organization, Bridge has been recognized for Developer of the Year and Industrial Project of the Year for Bridge Point Long Beach, in 2023 and 2022 respectively.  

Bridge recently developed an innovative “Adopt-A-School” program, “adopting” local Jordan High School, which is a high-needs school located in the same Los Angeles community as many Bridge projects. In 2023 Bridge covered the cost of prom for the entire student body, including venue and transportation costs; funded food trucks for College and Senior Day; and purchased Thanksgiving food baskets for 250 families.  Bridge also made regular visits to Jordan High School for all-office service days, building furniture for the school’s first robotics/STEM lab; beautifying the campus by landscaping its front door; and participating in College Day.  

Bridge’s Senior Vice President of Development, Heather Crossner, is a member of NAIOP’s Industrial Policy Task Force and is actively engaged with NAIOP’s Legislative Affairs staff. She also serves on the board (for the Support Corporation) of a local City of Los Angeles charter school, Citizens of the World. With multiple locations across the county, the tuition-free school is accessible to a diverse population of children of various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, fostering a more integrated learning environment.