ASPIRE: Association of Students Promoting Innovation in Real Estate

SUS is hosting a seminar with Brian Myers, a partner at California Coastal Properties, and Darcy Forsell, Principal Planner of City of San Mateo. This is an amazing opportunity to learn more about Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). https://www.facebook.com/events/1669867646425972/

On March 2, 2018, ASPIRE and members came together for a tour of 444 Castro Street. Rising twelve floors up, the property stands as the tallest and most prominent building in downtown Mountain View. With a breathtaking view of the Peninsula stretching from Stanford to Moffet Field, 444 Castro Street is prized as one of the most valuable assets in The Swig Company’s portfolio. ASPIRE had the pleasure to be hosted by two members of The Swig Company: Connor Kidd, Vice President... of Investments, and Jay Scholten, Vice President of Asset Management. Preceding the tour, lunch was hosted at XANH, a Vietnamese restaurant, bar, and lounge that accommodated us with a buffet meal. The restaurant offers a wide range of selection from bun thit nuong to cha gio, overall a great appetizing experience. After the meal, we strolled around downtown Mountain View for a quick overview of the area and the city’s characteristics. This proves a useful segue into the tour as we learned more about legal processes from Mr. Kidd and Mr. Scholten. Acquired over almost a decade ago, 444 Castro survived as the only high-rise after the city council changed the zoning law of the neighborhood. We also got a quick glimpse into the market to understand how the property would be leased out as an office instead of retail space in downtown Mountain View. We then proceeded to tour the under-construction portion of 444 Castro, joined by a representative of the general contractor. The exposure to this conversation was an excellent opportunity for ASPIRE members to learn more about the construction aspect of a building, ranging from the health hazard of asbestos to the roles of construction inspectors. Overall, the tour broadened ASPIRE members’ knowledge not only on local commercial real estate, especially office leasing, but also on real-life construction not taught in the traditional academic setting.

On January 31, 2018, ASPIRE hosted its winter quarter kickoff event at the Graduate School of Business to welcome new members and launch the winter event line-up. The event was well-received by both undergraduates and graduate students from diverse academic backgrounds. New members included students from programs such as Master of Business Administration, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Law School, and Management Science and Engineering. During registration, attendees en...joyed Neapolitan-inspired pizzas served from the famed Pizzeria Delfina of Downtown Palo Alto. The event started off with a keynote address by Elizabeth Youngblood ('91), the Executive Director of Stanford Professionals in Real Estate (SPIRE), on SPIRE core values and the wide-ranging programs for current students, such as the mentor program and resume book. Subsequently, Onza (Moom) Janyaprasert ('18), the President of ASPIRE, introduced the board members of ASPIRE to the audience and delivered a presentation on the activities that the club will be hosting this quarter. The activities cover four main areas: property tours, professional workshops, speaker series and business case competitions. Some of the key events this quarter include a property tour at 444 Castro Street, the tallest Grade-A office building in downtown Mountain View, on March 2. Another highlight event is a discussion panel on affordable housing policy between Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto (CLSEPA) and the San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) on March 6. The kickoff ended with multiple small group discussions led by the board members.

Join ASPIRE for the kickoff of our winter quarter events. RSVP: goo.gl/6qCcHE When: Wednesday, Jan 31st, 5:30 - 7:00 PM Where: Room C105, Stanford Graduate School of Business