Drive-in Reality on the Bayfront

I suppose it is appropriate that the old Burlingame Drive-in, home to many a night of virtual reality viewing through car windshields, would become the home of the Facebook Oculus virtual reality (VR) business unit.  The Daily Journal is following up on the SF Business Times' piece and television newscasts with a story today about the proposed lease

Mayor Michael Brownrigg expressed his enthusiasm over the social media titan’s announcement.  “No more ‘Boring-game,’” declared Brownrigg, who said the decision is further indication of the city’s viability as a hub of industry.

Under terms of the agreement approved by the commission, Facebook will be the sole occupant of the 767,000 square feet to be spread across two five-story buildings, one seven-story building, one eight-story building and a two-story amenities building.

Furthering that transformation will be other developments in the area east of Highway 101, where adjacent to that site, interest has been expressed in developing property owned by the State Lands Commission into a hotel. North of the proposed site, sports entertainment enterprise Topgolf is slated to move into the city’s driving range.

A proposal has also been filed to build the SFO Technology Center, slated to house more than 239,000 square feet of office space, about 11,000 square feet for a restaurant and more than 8,000 square feet of retail space at the former Hyatt Cinema site.

You should click through to read the fine print about traffic and the usual platitudes about "alternative modes of transportation".  Pardon me for not being quite so enthusiastic about a million plus new square feet of Bayfront development without a traffic plan already in place.  And exactly what are the alternatives?  The Broadway overpass is done and functional at the current load, but probably not much more.  Any Anza access is years away.  Facebook better try to put a pier in for ferry service!

Comments

[How is this gonna work?]

two five-story buildings, one seven-story building, one eight-story building????????????????

[hollyroller@gmailcom]

Great Place for the New Recreation Center.
Rebuilding/Remodeling the current space is just pain Stupid.

[Charles Magnuson]

I was really disappointed to hear that FB is coming to Burlingame. We have no available housing for any of those workers, especially if any of them live with a dog or cat.

[Joe]

You may not realize how right you are. I checked in with a highly experienced commercial realtor who works at this scale. Using typical rules of thumb, this site may eventually house 4,500 new workers. Even at the younger end of the age range, that is likely to be 7-8,000 people in the households associated with the drive-in site. As they say in NY, fergettaboutit.

[Anne]

Oh my. My oh my. That seems like a lot of things could get worse around here.

[hollyroller@gmailcom]

I am sure that Facebook will be a good fit for Burlingame.
If FB does develop a "Campus" on the Bayfront, it will also create an entire separate "City."
HWY 101 creates a sort of "Wall" from Burlingame. The City of San Mateo's Golf Course will be improved, Coyote Point should improve and expand their Harbor, and the Housing to be built will be extreamly valuable for San Mateo too.
The City of San Mateo is going to see a large windfall from funds spent by Burlingame to create "infrastructure."
Of course, Facebook, and other Social Medias' could end up being a "Flash in the Pan" depending on US/World events that are getting more confusing everyday.

[Timothy Hooker]

One of my Stanford Professors Hayagreeva Rao wrote the book "Scaling Up Excellence": Getting to More Without Settling for Less. I hope our city leaders read it.

It is important to carefully plan expansions to ensure you maintain the level of excellence to which Burlingame residents have become accustomed.

Love to see the strategic study conducted by the City planners along with the list of Burlingame Values we hope to maintain as we grow.

I am not privy to these details. I do know we have a few city officials who are competent in this area.

[Joe]

Seeing this in today's news caused me to just take a moment to trip down memory lane:

STEPHENS CITY - Once the quintessential spot for young love, the drive-in movie theater has by and large gone the way of the record player, a vestige of retro nostalgia. (JB: The author has no idea how hot turntables and vinyl are these days!)

But despite the popularity of "Netflix and chill" at-home streaming sessions, some film-goers say the romance is far from dead: at one rural spot in Virginia, movie-goers looking for a trip down memory lane can get their fill of popcorn while enjoying a double feature under the stars.

Patrons can view the big screen from the privacy of their cars -- perfect for the yawn-and-stretch move -- or outside for a "tailgate" party of the sorts that sees adults chit-chatting over snacks as kids romp on the playground.

The Family Drive-In Theater in Stephens City -- 84 miles (135 miles) west of Washington -- is one of just 300 drive-ins still in operation stateside, down from 4,000 such cinemas in the 1960s when the concept peaked, becoming intrinsic to the fabric of classic Americana.

Two films cost eight dollars and kids get in half-price at the dog-friendly venue, which opened in 1956 and is now the only drive-in left in the region.

Owner Jim Kopp says he's added contemporary features like FM stereo sound and digital projection to bring his Virginia drive-in in step with the times.

Traditionally a mainstay of the countryside, drive-ins have also started carving out a niche in urban areas.

Once a month Washington's Union Market caters to those looking to scratch a nostalgic itch, screening films for people with cars as well as viewers with picnic blankets.

https://www.france24.com/en/20180823-vintage-drive-theaters-romance-isnt-yet-dead

[hollyroller@gmailcom]

In the '70's we would "Load Up" a trunk-4 or 6 HS Students go into the SSF, Burlingame, Geneva, Redwood City, Drive Ins.
Of course, a Boy/Girl was in the Front Seat.
That was a lot of fun.

To bad 82.8 percentage of children in the US, between the ages of 9 and 19 years old never leave the house for anything other than School or a Physician appointment.
Not Good.