Contact: Lesley Albright

(916) 353-5200
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Paso Robles, CA) January 11, 2007 - Estrella Associates, Inc. has broken ground on River Oaks Center, an innovative commercial center designed to meet community needs while employing the latest eco-smart solutions.

“The Center will be an important resource and convenience for area residents,” said Estrella Associates CEO Dick Willhoit.  “Its design and construction have been developed with the latest thinking in eco-smart facilities.”

River Oaks Center is San Luis Obispo County’s first commercial building to receive a Silver pre-certification from the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building rating system.  The five key LEED areas are: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor air quality.

Willhoit said the Center, located on 5.6 acres within the City of Paso Robles at Buena Vista Drive and Experimental Station, will welcome its first tenants by late 2008.  Two Prairie-style buildings, totaling some 50,000 square feet of floor space, will provide a location for services such as a gourmet grocery, banking, coffee house, restaurant, medical offices, professional offices and retail.

“One goal is to provide high quality, essential services that will help residents minimize their daily car trips, and help reinforce our strong sense of community,” said Willhoit. 

A generous network of walkways will link River Oaks Center with the surrounding neighborhoods.  To encourage other forms of alternate transport, the parking area will also include parking spaces for neighborhood electric vehicles (NEV’s).

For more information about Estrella Associates and its eco-smart approach to creating exceptional experiences, visit:  www.EstrellaAssociates.com.