UC Davis last week issued a request for qualifications, or RFQ, to real estate developers interested in financing, designing, building, owning and managing the first phase of Aggie Square, the innovation hub on the university’s Sacramento campus. 

Aggie Square’s initial plan includes:

• 500,000 square feet of science, technology and engineering space
• 250,000 square feet of classroom, office and coworking space
• 200 multifamily units for university-affiliated individuals
• 40,000 square feet of “community-serving” ground floor space

UC Davis has identified a series of themes that reflect university strengths, community priorities and entrepreneurial opportunities. The university has and will continue to commit significant programming and resources and recruit partners around these initial programs:

• Lifelong learning and workforce development
• Life sciences, technology and engineering
• Food and health
• Public Scholarship and Engagement
• Graduate School of Management Executive MBA Program
• Support for “Sacramento Quarter” for undergraduate students

Developers have until Aug. 9 to submit their qualifications to UC Davis. The university will review submissions until early September and then invite a short list of developers to submit more detailed proposals for the project. UC Davis intends to have a final developer team selected in December.

Meanwhile, UC Davis will convene meetings with experts in three of the Aggie Square themes — lifelong learning; life sciences, technology and engineering; and food and health — to identify the specific opportunities this unique project can generate.

More information is available on the Aggie Square website.

Read the complete UC Davis news release.

MSAP: Identifying future leaders

The application deadline is 5 p.m. next Tuesday, June 25, for UC’s Management Skills Assessment Program, or MSAP, to be held in the fall. The Davis campus and UC Davis Health have seven slots to fill.

The program is designed to assess the management skills of high potential, early career supervisors, managers and professionals for future leadership opportunities. UC Davis Human Resources urges department heads to identify employees who would be good candidates for the program, and encourage them to apply, and advises that supervisor support is essential MSAP success.

The fall program is scheduled from Oct. 14 to 17 at the UCLA Conference Center at Lake Arrowhead. UC Davis HR will pay the $1,095 program cost for campus and UC Davis Health participants; the fee includes all program materials and room and board for three days and two nights. Home departments are responsible for transportation and related costs.

See the UC Davis MSAP webpage for eligibility criteria and a link to the application.

New staff advisor to Board of Regents

Ann Jeffrey, an assistant vice chancellor and chief of staff at UC Berkeley, has been named one of two staff advisors to the Board of Regents.

Staff advisors serve two-year terms, on a staggered basis; so, as Jeffrey comes on, effective July 1, Sherry Main (assistant vice chancellor of Public Affairs, UC Irvine) steps down after two years, and Kate Klimow (chief administrative officer/director of external relations, UC Irvine Applied Innovation) begins her second year. Together, Jeffrey and Klimow will bring the voice and perspective of staff to board discussions.

Jeffrey earned an English degree at UC Irvine and began her UC career there before coming to UC Berkeley in 1983. After serving as a research administrator and a management services officer in three campus colleges, she shifted to central administration in 1998. Her work has involved tackling complex challenges such as the transition to a regional shared services model, responding effectively to campus protests and staffing a planning task force on housing. As assistant vice chancellor and chief of staff, Jeffrey’s major recent focus has been on business process and service improvements.

Read more about Jeffrey in this UCnet article.

Depot survey prize: Tickets to ride

Do you ride the Capitol Corridor train in and out of Davis, or do you have opinions on the city’s Amtrak station?

The city of Davis has launched a survey on people’s use, or nonuse, of the Amtrak Station, and what kind of improvements would encourage people to use and-or visit the station more often. “Your participation will help guide future investments to improve the station area,” the survey states. Not only that, but you could win a pair of Capitol Corridor tickets.

The survey is part of a state-funded study of access and connection issues at the Davis station, the region’s third most active depot, serving more than 10 percent of total Capitol Corridor ridership.

“Despite its popularity, the station is fraught with challenges,” the city acknowledges on its “Davis Amtrak Access and Connections Study” webpage. “Parking surveys show the lot fills well before the arrival of the first train and remains full until the late afternoon. Surveys also suggest that bicycle parking is regularly at or near capacity. Additionally, the current depot lacks modern amenities and safety features.”

The study seeks to identify long-term opportunities to increase train ridership, improve connections between different types of transportation, and enhance station safety. The study will also examine the potential benefits of more people riding the train and using the station, including less traffic congestion and fewer auto emissions (as people drive fewer miles), and increased economic activity downtown.

The online survey should take about five minutes to complete. The survey is open through July 1.

Questions? Send an email to kdurham@aimconsultingco.com or call 916-442-1168.

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