In the News 2008
Tom Sudberry, Sudberry Properties Head Wants to Leave Legacy of Sustainable Developments.
December 31, 2008
When the Quarry Falls mixed-use and residential development was approved in October, it marked the beginning of a project slated to bring Mission Valley its first school and public park.
For Tom Sudberry, the president of Sudberry Properties, it was one more project to add to a long list of developments that will and have shaped San Diego's landscape.
Sudberry started his development company in 1979 with John Tanner, a colleague he had met through his former job in Coldwell Banker's commercial brokerage.
As the market slowed in the 1980s, Tanner left the development business and Sudberry changed the company's name to Sudberry Properties.
The company began by developing shopping centers; it has since expanded to commercial and industrial properties as well as town centers.
Since its inception, Sudberry Properties has completed nearly 30 projects and has another seven in planning, pre-construction or construction stages.
"We love this city," Sudberry said, speaking for himself and his family. "We want to leave behind, for this city, developments our grandkids can be proud of."
Part of that is creating sustainable developments, he said.
Quarry Falls has received a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification, which means it received the second-highest rating for environmentally friendly design.
"This is going to be the most sustainable project in Mission Valley," said Sudberry.
Quarry Falls marks the company's first master-planned community, with a planned 4,780 residential units, 900,000 square feet of office and retail, fire station and civic center, along with a school and park.
The project has met with some controversy, with opponents saying Mission Valley cannot sustain increased traffic and population.
However, Sudberry thinks the project will have a positive impact, since it will include $50 million in traffic improvements to an area that has not seen many road improvements since the trolley line was installed.
Groundbreaking for Quarry Falls is a year and a half to two years away, which is fortunate given the current market, said Marco Sessa, the company's vice president of development.
Sudberry Properties employs 31 people, and Sudberry said he tries to treat everyone the way he'd like to be treated. The result is a positive work environment, according to Sessa.
"He's a tremendous role model," Sessa said. "He's always upbeat and always positive. He's a joy for us to be around."
Sessa joined the company in 2002 and said his description of the company's president might be a little "biased," given Sudberry is also his father-in-law.
Sudberry also works with his son, Colton, the company's senior vice president.
Tom Sudberry said working with his family is "wonderful."
"The only thing that's been a negative is that our wives get a little bit upset at family dinners because the three of us will sit around and talk about business," Sudberry said. "We've learned to moderate our conversations at family dinners."
By JEN LEBRON-KUHNEY
San Diego Daily Transcript