Copia Leasing Agent Named

The following announcement was emailed to Napa Patch Tuesday from the commercial real estate firm of Cushman & Wakefield:

Cushman & Wakefield announced today it has been retained by the Copia Liquidation Trust as the exclusive leasing agent for the former Copia complex, located at 500 First Street in downtown Napa.

The Napa-based Cushman & Wakefield team of Glen Dowling, Matt Bracco and Chris Neeb will serve as the local team leading the leasing effort.

Dowling, Bracco and Neeb have extensive experience leasing larger office and institutional spaces in the San Francisco North and East Bay areas. 

Blue Hill Restaurant Consulting of New York has also been retained to recruit suitable restaurant/retail user(s).

“Not many people understand the desirability of this location,” said Joe Fischer of Rogal + Associates, who is working on the redevelopment plan for the property.

“The building and property are bordered by a series of evolving public trails and parks, right next to the Oxbow Public Market, adjacent to the Napa City Center, and minutes away from Napa Valley’s many famous vineyard experiences.  This is a wonderful place to work as well as to host clients and trade partners.”

Internationally recognized as the former home of Copia: The American Center for Wine, Food & the Arts, 500 First Street boasts an excellent location along the Napa River in downtown Napa.

The flexible 79,941 square foot building’s design and open floor plan on 11.01 acres allows for office and ground-floor retail uses, featuring impressive river views and abundant natural light from extensive window-line throughout the building.

The property also features an on-site restaurant with full kitchen, café, and presentation theater. 

Abundant parking is available and the large overall site offers opportunities for additional buildable square footage if required.

The bustling Oxbow Public Market, a 40,000-square foot indoor marketplace with more than 20 local artisan food and wine merchants, is located adjacent to 500 First Street, offering new tenants an array of amenities near the facility.

The once-sleepy downtown Napa has experienced a renaissance in recent years, with an assortment of upscale restaurants, wine-tasting rooms and hotels finding a niche in Napa and attracting tourists and locals alike to the downtown area.  The Oxbow District, anchored by 500 First Street promises to be one of the gems of the City.

“Given the reach and experience of the Cushman & Wakefield team as well as its regional and national network of brokers, we felt they were the best fit to finding the right blend of high quality tenants for 500 First Street,” said Jim Cantrell, manager of the Copia Liquidation Trust.  

In January, Napa Patch asked readers what they would like to see in the Copia space.

In a non-scientific poll, more than 40 people indicated they'd like it to become an arts center, while almost as many said it should be an extension of the Oxbow public market.

Other suggestions included

• new Napa City Hall
• music conservatory
• higher education
• HGTV (House and Garden cable channel)
• convention center
• Culinary Institute of America campus
• community center
• youth center
• skating rink
• homeless center

Copia opened in November, 2001 and closed in bankruptcy seven years later with a bond-financed debt of $78 million. It remained shuttered until recently, when Rogal + Associates began making its auditorium and lobby available to local groups for film screenings and special events.

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