Just received an interesting press release from a PR agency reporting the move of Sunset Magazine to Jack London Square, Oakland:
(New York, NY, June 2, 2015) – This December, Sunset will move its brand headquarters to Jack London Square in the heart of Oakland, California, it was announced today by Evelyn Webster, Executive Vice President, Time Inc. (NYSE: TIME). Sunset will relocate to Oakland from the Menlo Park campus that it has occupied since 1951.
The new headquarters will be located at 55 Harrison Street in the same building that will house the Water Street Market, an artisan food marketplace being developed by Carlin Company, the team behind San Francisco’s Ferry Building Marketplace and Napa’s Oxbow Public Market. Sunset will occupy approximately 20,000 square feet on the second floor of the mixed-use building, and its offices will include a test kitchen and wine cellar.
“Cities like Oakland are at the heart of some of the most exciting trends and innovations coming out of the West, and we’re thrilled to be where the action is,” said Peggy Northrop, Editor-in-Chief, Sunset. “We’re especially looking forward to be moving to such a vibrant neighborhood, where readers will have the chance to interact with the Sunset brand each and every day.”
“The City of Oakland is thrilled to be the new home of Sunset, one of the most influential voices in California and throughout the West,” said Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. “The addition of Sunset is a coup for Jack London Square, our bourgeoning waterfront center, and underscores just how attractive the Oakland market is right now for emerging and established companies eager to grow and thrive.”
In addition to its new flagship location in Oakland, Sunset will have a continuous presence in California wine country at Cornerstone, a public garden, event and retail space in Sonoma, one of the world’s premiere travel destinations. Cornerstone and Sunset have formed a strategic partnership that will entail hosting Sunset’s main test garden, an outdoor kitchen and on-site programming.
“This new combination of properties in Oakland and Sonoma gives Sunset an incredible opportunity to interact more intimately with our consumers on an ongoing basis,” said Greg Schumann, Group Publisher, Time Inc. “We hope visitors to Jack London Square will have the opportunity to connect with Sunset in Water Street Market and that our new facilities at Cornerstone will open up fantastic opportunities for Sunset fans and wine industry partners alike.”
“We are pleased to welcome Sunset, its staff, and its amazing test kitchen to the Water Street Market building in Jack London Square,” said James Ellis, Managing Principal of Ellis Partners, developer and manager of Jack London Square. “We’re honored that this iconic brand has chosen Oakland as its new home, and that in concert with the City and Port of Oakland we are able to meet its needs within our unique waterfront building at Jack London Square.”
“Partnering with a brand like Sunset is one of the most exciting things to happen in the wine country in a long time,” said Darius Anderson, Kenwood Cornerstone CEO. “We hope this is just the beginning of what Cornerstone and Sunset can do together to bring more food, wine and garden education to the region.”
The annual Sunset Celebration Weekend will take place this weekend, June 6 to 7, at its Menlo Park headquarters at 80 Willow Road. Sunset editors, celebrity chefs and lifestyle experts from across the West will bring the brand to life, showcasing the region’s hottest trends in food, wine, travel, garden and home. Tickets and more information are available at www.sunset.com/cw.
Sunset has achieved strong digital and revenue growth in recent months, with its website drawing a record 2.1 million unique visitors in April. Revenue for the 2015 Sunset Celebration Weekend is up 20% over 2014.
Sunset’s new headquarters will be designed by San Francisco architects RMW.
Stay tuned.