Web Posted: 05/13/2005 12:00 AM CDT

Adolfo Pesquera
Express-News Business Writer

The owners and tenants of the Radius Building, the former National Furniture store next to Municipal Auditorium, are aiming high in terms of what impact their locale will have on the downtown’s cultural scene.

The mantra “creative energy” will be echoing out of 106 Auditorium Circle for years to come if Paul Carter and Randolph Wilhelm have their way. Founders of the Radius Foundation, they are attracting nonprofit tenants by offering basically free rent.

“This is a giant collaboration, and through the power of collaboration each organization can better further its own mission,” said Carter, the younger of a father-son team that has been buying and rehabilitating neglected but historic downtown buildings.

Ad agency Creative Civilization occupies the building’s second floor. On the first floor, Carter operates a coffee shop and an art gallery, and provides space to five other nonprofits, most of which are dedicated to the performing arts.

“Each organization pays a fee for maintenance of the common areas,” said Wilhelm. “They don’t pay rent for their offices; their rent is that each month they must put on an event for the general public for free. That starts in September.”

Carter and Wilhelm run the coffee shop to raise money for nonprofit missions and to attract and network with the downtown community. They envision events taking place at the Radius Building at least four evenings a week — dance performances, movie screenings with discussions afterward, a philosophy club.

It’s a new life for the Radius Building, which began as a Studebaker dealership in the 1920s. It stood empty for years until David Carter and his son bought it in late 2003.

Coincidentally, the husband-wife team of Al Aguilar and Gisela Girard, owners of Creative Civilization, had been looking to buy the 30,000-square-foot building, only to learn it had gone off the market.

A building in Alamo Plaza had been home to Creative Civilization for 18 years, but the company had outgrown it. Girard knew the Carters through her work on the steering committee that raised money for the San Fernando Cathedral City Centre project.

The Carters hosted the steering committee meetings at the former Bell Furniture building, which they owned, and for a time even hosted Mass at the building while San Fernando was being renovated. Girard learned to appreciate the Carters’ philanthropic work and approached them about being a tenant at what would become the Radius Building.

“(Paul) was considering developing loft condos upstairs,” Aguilar said. “We suggested that rather than have to create services for many tenants, why not have one anchor tenant.”

They walked the shell together and were delighted with its unique features. A plain, brick box on the outside, the building had a large concrete ramp where cars used to be driven to a second-story garage.

The garage roof is graced with three massive square brick skylights. Girard and Aguilar were fascinated with the effect.

A major renovation ensued. Working with FisherHeck Architects, the Carters and their anchor tenants converted the building into a contemporary metropolitan work space. The interiors are colorful and open. The exterior got an elevator tower, steel staircase and balcony facing Auditorium Circle to soften the boxy look.

Aguilar, accustomed to looking at Alamo Plaza from his office suite, chose to avoid the original main entrance on Martin Street. Radius Building would be more noticeable a landmark, he thought, if it were more closely associated with Municipal Auditorium.

With Creative Civilization, Carter had more than just a tenant. He had a partner in his philanthropic mission.

The Radius Foundation, Carter explained, is an incubator that will nurture nonprofits. The Radius Building is intended to be a hive where nonprofits will be able to share facilities to make the best use of stages, conference rooms and administrative assets.

Carter wants the Radius Foundation and the building it calls home to be an example of ecologically responsible citizenship. The Radius Café sells Fair Trade Coffee to provide a living wage to Third World coffee farmers.

Girard and Aguilar see a synthesis between the business and Carter’s goals. They intend to provide pro bono guidance to the nonprofits to help them better market themselves.

In time, Girard believes, the building will become a nexus of cultural creativity for north downtown the way Blue Star has been for Southtown.

“North downtown hasn’t had an impetus,” Girard said. “This is a perfect fit.”

Home Real Estate News

Author: Beth Bresnahan

Publishing date: 04/28/05

RISMEDIA, April 28 – Today’s affluent Baby Boomers are not slowing down, and the majority remain on the move.

The Coldwell Banker(R) Baby Boomer Real Estate Survey, an online random sampling of 363 certified Coldwell Banker Previews International(R) sales associates who market luxury homes, found that affluent baby boomer homeowners (ages 40-58) remain an upwardly mobile group.

In fact, more than half of the Baby Boomers (52 percent) who purchased a luxury home through Coldwell Banker within the last two years told their sales associate they plan to spend fewer than five years in their current home. Eighty-six percent of these homebuyers said they have purchased three or more homes throughout their lifetimes. Almost half said they have lived at their most recent residence for a period of only one to five years.

It seems that size of house also matters to this group. The Coldwell Banker Previews International sales associates indicated that 65 percent of their Baby Boomer clients made their most recent home purchases because they wanted bigger residences. A mere 17 percent were looking to scale down, while another 15 percent were buying a second or vacation home.

The typical size of a recent luxury home purchased, according to the surveyed Coldwell Banker Previews International sales associates, was 4,500 square feet or less with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a backyard. The overwhelming majority (88 percent) of these luxury homes cost approximately $1 million, while only 12 percent of the sales associates reported recent sales of homes costing more than $2 million.

The survey also indicated that 60 percent of these buyers purchased existing single-family homes, while 21 percent opted for new construction and 16 percent purchased condos/townhouses.

“Our survey clearly shows that wealthy Baby Boomers want to enjoy the rewards of their hard work,” said Jim Gillespie, president and chief executive officer of Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corporation. “They want bigger and more luxurious homes and want to remain active. They are in their peak earning years, have benefited from many years of strong stock market returns and have built tremendous equity and appreciation in their homes. These factors, along with many receiving inheritances from their parents, are allowing the luxury home market to thrive and it should be robust for years to come.”

They Know Exactly What They Want

The Coldwell Banker(R) survey shows Baby Boomers are very particular about what they look for in a luxury home, the types of improvements they want to make to the home and the areas in which they choose to live.

Coldwell Banker Previews International(R) sales associates reported that boomers were most interested in the following home amenities:

Main floor master suite, 47%
Three-car garage, 44%
One floor home, 40%
Home gym, 28%
Home theatre, 15%
Guest house, 12%
According to the sales associates surveyed, Boomers expect to make changes to their new homes:

Any renovation, 87%
Kitchen, 79%
Bathrooms, 70%
Backyard deck, 28%
Complete renovation, 27%
Bedrooms, 16%

In the opinion of the sales associates surveyed, boomers want to live in the suburbs. Here’s where
Boomers purchased homes:

Suburbs, 67%
City, 21%
Country/rural, 10%
Senior community, 1%
College town, 1%