Urban Vertical Farming Concepts Could Revitalize Unused San Francisco Bay Area Office Space

Atlanta real estate investor, Jamestown LP, wants to utilize the vacant 300,000-square-foot office building at 2000 Clayton Road in Concord. Originally intended for office tenants, the lack of demand for office space has led them to explore alternative options.

Jamestown recently approached the city to discuss the possibility of converting the building into a vertical farming operation. They made this inquiry on behalf of an undisclosed vertical farming company. While the city is unaware of the company’s identity, no formal application has been submitted yet.

The six-story office building, previously occupied by Bank of America, is part of a 15-acre office campus. Jamestown acquired both 2000 Clayton and the neighboring 2001 Clayton buildings for $117 million in 2018. The COVID-19 pandemic decreased the demand for office space in Concord, resulting in a 17.4% vacancy rate in the city’s 4.5 million-square-foot office market during the first quarter.

Vertical farming, involving plants grown in stacked arrangements without soil, could potentially repurpose the vacant building. Concord’s planning code currently doesn’t allow crop production downtown. However, city planning staff suggested Jamestown could seek a zoning text amendment to accommodate vertical farming. This process, requiring public hearings and City Council approval, might take six months to a year.

Although there’s no finalized deal between Jamestown and the unidentified vertical farming company, the idea aligns with a growing trend. Vertical farming has gained traction globally over the past decade. Companies like AgriPlay Ventures and FarmZero are exploring similar initiatives in other cities like Calgary and Chicago. The potential vertical farming company considering Jamestown’s space also has interests in Fairfield and Silicon Valley. However, no official announcements have been made yet due to the confidential nature of the discussions.