[KHTS] – The groundbreaking ceremony for a new, sustainable, pedestrian and cyclist-friendly community, Vista Canyon, was held Thursday morning with more than 100 community leaders and residents in attendance.

The community “‘reimagines the suburban experience’ with a bustling, tree-lined ‘Main Street,’ dynamic work environments, ultra-accessible transit options, inviting gathering places, generous recreational amenities and abundant open space,” according to a news release. “

The developer, JSB Development, plans to honor the connection to local history, address community needs, be traffic smart, be environmentally-friendly and sustainable and create an important place, said JSB Founder and President Jim Backer.

“We are proud of the efforts leading to this milestone and we believe Vista Canyon will be worth the wait of the past decade,” he said.

Located at the end of Lost Canyon Road near Sand Canyon in Canyon Country, the community is expected to include 1,100 apartments, townhomes and single-family residences as well as 1 million square feet of retail, office, hotel, dining, services and entertainment space, officials said.

More than half of the community is expected to be dedicated to parks, trails, river corridor and community open space, officials said.

“I hear all the time that these other cities and other areas want to do this, they think, regionally, this is the thing to do,” said city of Santa Clarita Mayor Marsha McLean. “Well, we’re doing it. Santa Clarita is one of the most innovative cities and this just proved it.”

The project, which began in 2005, is expected to be completed within the next five to seven years with developers hopeful to have the area graded with paved road in the next year.

“The project is an excellent example of a public-private partnership,” said Bill Fain, a partner and director of Urban Design & Planning for Johnson Fain, an architectural firm. “Instead of turning the development away from the Santa Clara River, the project embraces it.”

Gensler and Johnson Fain are both architectural design partners for the Vista Canyon community.

The Phase One development is expected to be concentrated on the main retail street, according to the news release. This includes a 56,000 square foot office/retail building, an 18,000 square foot neighborhood retail store, a 614 space parking structure, and 480 studio, one and two bedroom apartment homes in complexes featuring fitness centers, resident lounges, pools, and outdoor common areas.

“A truly transit-intelligent community considers the multiple modes of transportation we utilize in our daily lives,” said JSB partner Steve Valenziano, in the news release. “In Vista Canyon, components fit together; bike and pedestrian paths lead to where people live, work, shop, gather or commute out of town. “Main Street” is no more than a ten-minute walk from anywhere in the community. The Transit Center is located in the heart of Vista Canyon’s ‘downtown.’ When ‘transit-oriented’ is done right, people can really leave their car at home, or may not need one at all.”

According to the news release, “the office building’s design has a rustic and open-air feel. Ground level retail with flexible office space above, addresses the needs of today’s mobile and divergent workforce and introduces many leading trends in destination office design to Santa Clarita’s office environment.”

The first phase also includes construction of a water reclamation facility, according to the news release. This is part of a comprehensive sustainability program, that will create more water on an annual basis than the community itself will use – resulting in a “net-zero” increase in consumption of local water.

The water produced is expected to serve Vista Canyon and the Castaic Lake Water Agency,

“This property was first homesteaded by California pioneer Thomas Mitchell,” said Backer, in a news release. “With a smart, sustainable and forward thinking plan as our guide, we are building upon the history of the site as a place of innovation. The future holds great possibilities for those new businesses, employees, residents and neighbors who will make Vista Canyon their own.”

[JSB Development, July 9] – Santa Clarita-based JSB Development has broken ground on the first phase of Vista Canyon, a 185-acre mixed-use TOD (Transit Oriented Development) in Santa Clarita, CA.  Santa Clarita is Los Angeles County’s third largest city and one of the fastest growing office and retail destinations in the state.

Lauded as pedestrian and cyclist friendly, Vista Canyon’s sustainable and innovative design seamlessly integrates urban vitality and connectivity with small town charm. The community “re imagines the suburban experience” with a tree-lined “Main Street,” dynamic work environments, ultra-accessible transit options, inviting gathering places, generous recreational amenities and abundant open space (more than half of the property is dedicated to parkland, trails, river corridor and community open areas) – all connected by four miles of pedestrian, bike and equestrian trails.  The community will ultimately offer 1,100 homes – luxury apartments, town homes and single-family residences.

In addition to the internal pathways that link to more than 100 miles of adjacent trails, Vista Canyon features neighborhood recreation facilities and tennis courts.  A 10-acre City park will include a River Education Center where visitors can learn about the history of the area and the resources of the Santa Clara River.

Inspired by some of America’s best-loved “Main Streets,” Vista Canyon’s Town Square and adjacent Corporate Office Campus will offer a tailored blend of close to 1 million square feet of retail, office, hotel, dining, service, and entertainment uses and provide up to 4,000 permanent jobs.  A Town Green (a river-front site for social activities and entertainment) and a Community Garden will provide places to socialize.  A new Transit Center will feature a Metrolink Depot (Santa Clarita is one of L.A.’s most commuter-friendly cities with three stations) and City bus transfer station.  The Transit Center will link to the main retail street, making Vista Canyon an attractive and convenient choice for commuters and employers looking for opportunities along Metro’s busy Antelope Valley line running from Lancaster to L.A. Union Station.

World-Renowned Architects

Two internationally renowned architectural firms noted for residential, commercial and mixed–use developments have led Vista Canyon’s design process. Johnson Fain, the firm behind Beijing’s Central Business District, DreamWorks Studios and Mission Bay among others, designed the overall master plan and a future six-story corporate office building. Gensler, whose portfolio includes the Motorola Mobility Headquarters,

Facebook Headquarters, and the Abu Dhabi Financial Center, designed the first retail/office building, a three-story structure on the main retail street.  “Johnson Fain and Gensler are essential partners in ensuring that Vista Canyon is positioned to become a global reference point for modern planning and design,” said JSB Founder/President Jim Backer.

The First Phase Begins

Phase One development is concentrated around the main retail street. It includes the Gensler-designed 56,000 square foot office/retail building, an 18,000 square foot neighborhood retail store, a 614 space parking structure, and 480 studio, one and two bedroom apartment homes in complexes featuring fitness centers, resident lounges, pools, and outdoor common areas.

The office building’s design has a rustic and open-air feel. Ground level retail with flexible office space above, addresses the needs of today’s mobile and divergent workforce and introduces many leading trends in destination office design to Santa Clarita’s office environment.

The first phase also includes construction of a water reclamation facility, part of a comprehensive sustainability program, that will create more water on an annual basis than the community itself will use – resulting in a “net-zero” increase in consumption of local water.  The facility will create a recycled water supply that will more than serve Vista Canyon, with over two-thirds of the recycled water produced utilized by Castaic Lake Water Agency, Santa Clarita Valley’s regional water supplier, as part of its east side recycled water program.

Internal paths connect the community and link to trails throughout Santa Clarita Valley.  “A truly transit-intelligent community considers the multiple modes of transportation we utilize in our daily lives,” explains JSB partner Steve Valenziano.  “In Vista Canyon, components fit together; bike and pedestrian paths lead to where people live, work, shop, gather or commute out of town.  “Main Street” is no more than a ten-minute walk from anywhere in the community.  The Transit Center is located in the heart of Vista Canyon’s ‘downtown.’ When ‘transit-oriented’ is done right, people can really leave their car at home, or may not need one at all.”

“This property was first homesteaded by California pioneer Thomas Mitchell,” noted Backer.  “With a smart, sustainable and forward thinking plan as our guide, we are building upon the history of the site as a place of innovation.  The future holds great possibilities for those new businesses, employees, residents and neighbors who will make Vista Canyon their own.”

JSB Development

For the last thirty years, JSB Development team members have developed or had leadership roles in developing some of Santa Clarita’s most successful commercial and residential projects.  For further information regarding JSB Development, visit jsbdev.com/.

About Vista Canyon

Vista Canyon is an innovative new 185-acre transit-oriented community by JSB Development. Located in Santa Clarita, CA, the highly walkable mixed-use community seamlessly blends urban vitality with small town charm – offering 1,100 new homes in a variety of styles and creating a vital new employment hub. An on site Transit Center in the heart of the community features a Metrolink Depot and City Bus Transfer Station and links to a four-mile network of pedestrian, bike and equestrian trails.  Vista Canyon re imagines the suburban experience from the ground up – its “Town Square” offers 1 million square feet of retail, corporate office, entertainment, residential and hotel uses, along with a Town Green and Community Garden.  Over half of the community is dedicated as trails, parkland, river corridor and open space. A new water reclamation facility will supply recycled water to the community and surrounding areas.  To learn more, visit vistacanyon.com.