ARMAX International

Armax also is developing a 122-unit condominium project at the Bauer-Schwietzer historical site in an industrial building adjacent to Fisherman's Wharf. Redevelopment Agency guidelines require a supermarket as one of the tenants in the Armax project, and Rosas-Maxemin expects to land an operator for a 17,000 square-foot store. He also hopes to sign a deal with the California Culinary Academy to operate an instructional kitchen and a deli-style restaurant. A 35,000 square-foot Office Max store would occupy the lower floor of the development. Office Max, which has informally agreed to the project, plans to make the store a showcase outlet because of its proximity to the city's "Multimedia Gulch" area of concentrated new media technology businesses. Alex Helmeyer, California Academy's chief executive officer, said his company has not yet decided to participate in the project. If it does, it will probably also reserve residential housing for students, he said. Rosas-Maxemin said the building will represent the first major housing component of the Yerba Buena redevelopment project. "I feel Yerba Buena Gardens has a lot of amenities for the neighborhood, but it is important to have people living there," he said. The project has no requirement for low-income housing, but developers plan to have a mix of units available. Armax is currently working on a design with architect Lee Kerney of VBN Design, and designer Enrique Norten. Specifics of the design will not be finalized until tenants make commitments. At that point, Rosas-Maxemin will close a $1.8 million deal with the Redevelopment Agency for the land and complete financing arrangements. Rosas-Maxemin, who sits on the board of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art as well as the San Francisco Mexican Museum - both Yerba Buena tenants - said he hopes to have an aggressive program to employ minorities and neighborhood residents in the construction and operation of the development.