The giants may be getting bigger case in point the recent decision to merge CB Richard Ellis with Trammell Crow but that’s not stopping at least two veteran brokers from branching out on their own. Greg Barsamian and Bill Ukropina, both formerly of CB, have joined to form a North County office of Coldwell Banker Commercial located in Glendale. The office, which launched several weeks ago, will cover an area stretching from the West San Gabriel Valley through the San Fernando Valley to the San Diego (405) Freeway. Barsamian, who is president of the industrial properties division, is a 22-year specialist in industrial brokerages. He spent the past 12 years at CB and before that was with Grubb & Ellis for 10 years. Ukropina had been with CB for 22 years specializing in office properties. He was also a member of the firm’s corporate services group for seven years. Earlier he worked at William D. Feldman Associates. The partners are starting out with two additional brokers and plan to add another two or three agents in coming weeks. Eventually they plan to provide retail and multifamily investment services as well. Parsippany, N.J.-based Coldwell Banker Commercial is a franchise operation with about 183 franchises across the country. The North County office is the seventh franchise in Southern California, the executives said. “They are a full-service brokerage company with a complete platform providing services and materials for the franchise offices,” said Barsamian. “They have programs and tools we didn’t have at CB, so in some respects, what’s available to us is beyond what we had at CB.” Still, it seems it would take a healthy dose of chutzpah to start a new commercial brokerage now, with mega-brokers touting their reach and depth. But Barsamian and Ukropina are undaunted. “Being with a large company is not necessarily an advantage,” Barsamian said. “It may be a one-stop shop where there are a lot of vendors under one roof, but we have the same resources here.” As an example, the execs cited the financial resources group at CB, which provides cash projection and other services to the brokers there, but charges the cost of those services back to the brokerage. The two said they opened the office to be closer to the clients they have amassed over the years and to build something long term. “I wanted to work for a company close to my customers that I could own and run and so what’s in the best interest for my clients,” said Ukropina, “and to build a legacy for my family.” Lowe’s a No Go Voters rejected a ballot measure that would have allowed Lowe’s to build a 168,000-square-foot home improvement store in the city of Westlake Village. The ballot measure was the latest step by the chain and developer Rotkin Real Estate Group to locate a store in the city after the city council failed to reach a majority decision on the project proposal. The proposed project, a 230,000-square-foot retail center anchored by Lowe’s was to include restaurants, retail shops and an Aston Martin/Bentley car dealership. The developers billed it as a town center concept. After failing to get the nod from city officials, Lowe’s moved forward to acquire the property anyway, and, with Rotkin, launched a campaign to put the proposal on the ballot. On Nov. 7, voters defeated the proposal by a wide (by small city standards), 368-vote margin with 1,907 voting against and 1,539 voting for the measure. The proposal drew controversy from the start because the city’s general plan called for an office development on the property located on Russell Ranch Road. Many in the community mobilized to oppose the project, but developers often find it difficult to assess the climate for their projects in small cities like Westlake Village where, typically, it is only those opposed to a project that turn out to voice their opinions and where city officials often don’t reflect the sentiment of the community. In this case, for instance, the project would have won the approval of the city council had one of its members not abstained from voting. It seemed that the developers were betting that many residents believed they could keep any development from taking place on the property, and when they learned that they did not have that option, they would choose in favor of the retail project. Lowe’s officials did not return calls seeking comment. It is believed that they will move forward to divest the property. Burbank Lease Terry Hines & Associates renewed its lease in Burbank for five years. The entertainment advertising, promotion and design firm inked a deal for 21,960-square-feet at 2550 North Hollywood Way. The five-year deal was valued at $3.5 million. Nico Vilgiate and Clyde Reetz, both with CB Richard Ellis, represented the tenant. The landlord, LaeRoc Partners, represented itself. Senior reporter Shelly Garcia can be reached at (818) 316-3123 or by e-mail at [email protected] .
