Deer Creek Village will be one of Petaluma's premiere mixed use centers boasting a unique combination of shopping and office space, as well as recreational opportunities that include trails, exercise stations and outdoor dining areas adjacent to a restored creek and wetland area.

The proposed project promises over 800 new jobs and will generate hundreds of thousands of dollars for critical public services, while emphasizing exceptional detail to fine architecture and landscaping designs, and environmentally friendly and energy efficient features – all of which will have lasting benefits to the community.

Learn more about
Deer Creek Village

This website provides you everything you need to know about this proposed shopping center, and its fact sheets provide even greater details on proposed designs, green practices, jobs, economic benefits and neighborhood improvements.

August 15, 2010 – The Press Democrat reports that a new study delays proposed Lowe's store. Read the article.

August 11, 2010 – Merlone Geier Partners is among the sponsors of the 2010 Petaluma People’s Choice Awards. The event will recognize the citizens and businesses who were voted “tops” in their category in the sixth annual People’s Choice/Best of Petaluma Contest. To make a reservation by September 2, click HERE.

August 6, 2010 – Anti big-box activists who filed a lawsuit against the proposed Target shopping center have not closed the door on the possibility of suing the Deer Creek Village/Lowe.s project too. Read the article | Write a letter to the edtior

August 6, 2010 – The Argus Courier editorializes on recent lawsuits targeting a major retail project. Will the Deer Creek Village/Lowe's project also be threatened by such lawsuits? Read the editorial

August 4, 2010 – California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, a statewide organization devoted to reforming lawsuit abuse, weighs in on a lawsuit settlement involving the proposed Target project and raises the possibility that future retail projects may become the victims of such shakedowns. "This sends the message that if you want to do business in Petaluma, be prepared to pay off self-proclaimed concerned citizens to the tune of $100,000 or more," said CALA's executive director Tom Scott. Read the letter to the editor

July 16, 2010 – The Argus-Courier writes, “One year later, city planning changes get mixed reviews.” Click here to read the article.

July 16, 2010 –  To read an Argus-Courier Editorial entitled, “Cronyism undermines good government,” click here.

July 6, 2010 - The Press Democrat reports, “After enduring pay cuts, unpaid furloughs and layoffs of coworkers, Petaluma employees are challenging the City Council to bring in jobs and revenues 'to protect Petaluma's quality of life.'" In addition, the newspaper reports, “Union leaders say employees feel the city has betrayed them by cutting workers and seeking salary concessions while delaying approval of tax-generating businesses that could alleviate budget woes." The ad says the council “has done nothing to streamline the approval of two major retail centers, which combined, promise to generate millions of dollars annually in new revenue for city services and thousands of new jobs.” Click here to read the article.

June 17, 2010 - An Argus-Courier editorial questions the need for additional economic analysis of the project stating, “The fact that Petaluma lacks a lumber yard or major home improvement center makes gauging Lowe's impact on such non-existent businesses highly questionable.” The paper goes on to say,  “ As with the Target center, that means the loss of additional sales tax revenues, not to mention the indefinite postponement of several hundred new jobs for unemployed Petalumans.”

June 17, 2010 - The Argus-Courier reports that additional studies of the Deer Creek Village will delay opening of project. Company spokesperson is confident that any additional studies will support previous studies that concluded that the shopping centers offers significant economic benefits to the city in terms of new jobs and new tax revenue to help the city’s fiscal crisis. Click here to read the article.

June 17, 2010 - Another Argus-Courier article entitled “Employee group criticizes council for not quickly approving retail projects to increase city's tax base,” can be read by clicking here.

June 14, 2010 - On June 10th, an open house meeting was held to introduce the community to the proposed shopping center. The event was one of several programs organized to introduce the project and solicit public input. If you missed the meeting, you can learn more by clicking here to view architectural renderings and fact sheets.

June 8, 2010 - Deer Creek Village is hosting a neighborhood Open House on Thursday, June 10. As notified in the Petaluma Argus-Courier, architects and representatives from Merlone Geier Partners, the project's developers, will be on hand to answer questions.

June 3, 2010 – The Argus-Courier reports the city’s budget “may not be sustainable” beyond the next fiscal year. City jobs and budget are at risk of being cut due to a decline in sales tax revenue and new shopping centers not being built for some time. Vice Mayor Glass said, “The areas that will be cut will be police and fire…” To learn about the economic benefits of Deer Creek Village, click here. To read the Argus-Courier article, click here.

April 3, 2010 - The Argus-Courier writes that the proposed Deer Creek Shopping Center is on track to be considered by the Planning Commission later this summer with Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse potentially opening by October 2011. To read more, click here.

February 12, 2010 - A newly released study presented to the Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce revealed that the City of Petaluma's current fiscal crisis clearly demonstrates that the city would be better off financially and commercially with greater retail availability.

“Without dramatic changes to the city's revenue streams or resurgence in the local economy, the city will be faced with ongoing budgetary problems and further difficult decisions,” said Lon Hatamiya, an economist that authored the study. “Petaluma's current fiscal crisis will remain challenging for the foreseeable future.”

Major Findings

• Petaluma has experienced a significant decline in General Fund revenues, a rapid drop of 34.6% since 2007.

• A lack of diverse retail options is limiting the city's ability to rebound from the economic downturn at the same rate as the state as a whole.

• Had two proposed shopping center projects been in place during the economic downturn, the city's financial crisis would not be so great.

• Validates the City's previous studies that determined that Petaluma is significantly under-retailed in major retail categories, including Building Materials stores and General Merchandise stores, among others.

• Other Northern California communities experienced a significant increase in new tax revenue with the construction of Lowe's and Target stores.

Read the Petaluma Argus Courier article, Press Release and the study.

February 11, 2010 - The Sonoma County Taxpayers Association writes in today's Argus-Courier, “A prosperous future for Petaluma and Sonoma County depends on a vibrant local economy” and how critical the proposed retail projects are to rebuilding Petaluma's economy. To read more, click here.

February 5, 2010 - The Argus-Courier editorializes on the importance of having a strong local economy in Petaluma. To read more, click here.

January 22, 2010 - Argus-Courier columnist Don Bennett writes on how local politics is undermining economic development. To read more, click here.

January 13, 2010 - Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse has donated $1 million to the American Red Cross Haitian relief efforts. To learn more, click here.

January 5, 2010 - In addition to creating new jobs and tax revenue for critical public services in Petaluma, the proposed Deer Creek Village shopping center's anchor tenant, Lowe's will be built and managed in an environmentally friendly way too.

Lowe's announced that it has earned three top honors with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy for industry leading strategies to reduce environmental impacts and for educating its customers about how to reduce their own.

"To be the first retailer to simultaneously hold these three awards honors our leadership role in empowering consumers to make choices that are good for their homes, their wallets and the environment," said Nick Canter, Lowe's Executive Vice President of Merchandising. "We are proud to advance a model for conservation that benefits future generations."

Only with the support of the Petaluma City Council can we bring you a Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse. To learn how you can communicate your support to the city council click here. To learn more about these top honors click here.

December 28, 2009 - The Press Democrat reports that city workers have accepted work furloughs as a means to reduce the city's budget deficit. The article also points out how dependent city services are on sales tax revenue and the need to approve new retail projects. “Sales tax revenues make up much of the city's general fund and about 80 percent of that is spent on salaries and benefits - mostly for police and fire salaries.” To read more click here.

December 15, 2009 - An independent consultant for the city has determined that shopping center buildings will reduce the noise levels created by Hwy 101 for neighboring residential areas just east of the project. Click here to read the analysis

December 11, 2009 - The Argus-Courier editorializes on the benefits of shopping in Petaluma saying, "One of the biggest advantages of shopping locally is the way in which your investment returns to strengthen the community in the form of local and seasonal jobs, generous donations by merchants to local non-profit organizations and the all-important sales tax revenues that fund public safety services, street repairs, park maintenance and many other vital public services." Click here to read more.

December 3, 2009 - The Argus Courier reports that progress has been made on Rainer Interchange, adjacent to the proposed Deer Creek Village shopping center. “I'm glad to see that we have movement on the issue of Rainier,” Councilmember Mike Harris said. “We are definitely having measurable success points and I'm pleased with the latest developments.” Click here to read more.

November 6, 2009 - The Argus Courier reports, "The developer of a major shopping center on North McDowell Boulevard is offering to inject $1 million into the city's dwindling budget -- if the project is approved within five months." And some council members think the plan is "worth considering." To read the article click here and to read an editorial related to the planning commission, click here.

November 3, 2009 - In a letter to Petaluma City Councilman Mike Healy, Merlone Geier Partners (MGP) offered to prepay the City of Petaluma up to $1 million of the city's share of sales tax revenue generated by the proposed Deer Creek Village project. The sales tax revenue prepayment plan could help alleviate the city's ongoing financial crisis that threatens public services and jobs. To read more, click here.

October 9, 2009 - The Argus-Courier writes about the growing concern for the local economy and how the community's small business community and labor have joined forces to bring new retail projects to Petaluma. In a opinion piece they say, “Petaluma's public employee unions have joined a growing chorus urging city leaders to take a more committed approach to generating badly needed sales and property tax revenues by approving desirable and long-delayed retail development projects.”

To read the opinion piece click here and related article click here.

September 24, 2009 - In the Argus-Courier today, a local commercial real state broker calls for the approval of job creation projects and Deer Creek saying, "Petaluma's path to economic recovery begins with the realization that the city's new planning process is broken and unless fixed, it will continue to threaten the prospect of hundreds of new jobs and millions of dollars in new payroll that will be generated and spent in our community."

"In the case of Deer Creek Village, concern regarding existing retail vacancies is not a factor since the shopping center will be built in phases as leases are signed and market demand dictates. In other words, the entire shopping center will not be built overnight, but over several years. This prudent approach minimizes an over-inventory of local retail space, since new tenants will be added only when the demand for new retail space grows."

To read more, click here.

August 27, 2009 - An Argus-Courier editorial calls on the city to approve the Deer Creek Village and Target projects by stating that, “The recession is certainly hurting all cities in California. But there is no question that Petaluma's weak retail sector is further undermining the city's fiscal health. With local residents continuing to drive out of town for a host of goods and services not generally available in Petaluma, the city collects far fewer sales tax dollars than it would if it had a more fully developed retail sector.”

“The economy will recover eventually, but if the city is to meet its economic, fiscal and employment goals on a long term basis, it must be willing to make room for the types of stores identified in the General Plan. For that to happen, the projects need to be approved without any unnecessary delays.”

To read more, click here.

August 13, 2009 - Today, the owners of the proposed Deer Creek Village project announced that they will help fund this year's Petaluma veterans parade. Due to budget shortfalls, the City of Petaluma will no longer fund a Veterans Parade that has honored local veterans for the past 20 years. 

 

“We are pleased to join the Petaluma community in honoring America's veterans,” said Greg Geertsen, development manager for the Deer Creek Village project. “By stepping forward we hope that others will do the same so that Petaluma's veterans can be honored for years to come.”

 

Help Support Local Veterans

Contributions for the parade can be sent to American Legion Post No. 28, P.O. Box 618, Petaluma 94953. Visit their website by clicking here.

Related articles:

Petaluma Argus Courier article

Santa Rosa Press Democrat article

June 25, 2009 - The Argus-Courier challenges the assertion that the city's new planning process will “streamline' building applications and states that in fact it will have “the opposite effect. Read the Petaluma Argus Courier Editorial.

June 25, 2009 - Local columnist challenges new planning process as  an “unprecedented attack on a system of local government that has served this community well for decades…” Read the Petaluma Argus Courier Column.

June 16, 2009 - The Press Democrat reports that the Petaluma City Council discussed the potential tax reciepts of the proposed Deer Creek Village project as a solution to balancing the city's budget deficit, noting that the amount of tax revenue generated from the project could fund three police officers. Read the Press Democrat article.

May 21, 2009 - The President of the Petaluma Chapter of Realtors writes that it is time to build the Deer Creek Village Project, not stall it.  To learn why, read the Petaluma Argus Courier Op-Ed.

May 14, 2009 - The Argus-Courier editorializes on the need for new retail and the economic impacts of proposed projects such as Deer Creek Village.  Read the Petaluma Argus Courier Editorial.

May 9, 2009 - Petaluma's small business advocate, the Petaluma Area Chamber of Commerce, supports retail project and speaks to its community benefits at a city council hearing. Read the Press Democrat article.

April 10, 2009 - If you like what you see at Deer Creek Village so far, you can help by visiting the website's action center. Thank you in advance for offering your comments and support.

April 1, 2009 - Community Survey – Thank you to everyone who has responded to the community survey so far. The survey will help us attract the finest tenants and allows us to be responsive to a community we wish to serve. If you have not taken the survey, click here.

March 26, 2009 - On Deer Creek Village, the Press Democrat reports, “The findings made in the city's second economic analysis of a big-box proposal in less than a month appear to show that the 315,000-square-foot shopping center would be good for the city.” Read the Press Democrat article.

Fast Facts:

• In addition to the more than 500 retail jobs created at Deer Creek Village, an additional 300 or more construction jobs will be created.
• The project involves restoring Deer Creek by improving water quality, flow and drainage within the wetland.
• See the Commonly Asked Questions fact sheet for other neighborhood improvements by clicking here.

March 25, 2009 - Press Release: The city's economic analysis of Deer Creek Village concludes that the project will create over 800 jobs and benefit the local economy, as well as have a “significantly positive impact on the City's overall fiscal position.” Read the Release.

March 23, 2009 - The Business Journal reports on Deer Creek Village stating, ”The new owner of a Lowe's Home Improvement-anchored mixed-use project in north Petaluma has reworked the planned development to have less space and be more park-like.” Based on suggestions from the public, the project will also include public space for a farmers market and street fairs. Read the Article.

March 18, 2009 – The Press Democrat reports that “The often-divided Petaluma City Council can agree on at least one thing — it needs to come up with a plan to strengthen local businesses and attract new ones.”  Visit our Economic Benefits page to learn how the Deer Creek Village project will create over 800 jobs and help rebuild the local economy. 

March 6, 2009 - The Press Democrat reports that the jobless rate in Sonoma County is at a 25 year high.  Learn how the project will create over 800 jobs by clicking here.

February 12, 2009 - The Argus-Courier writes, "If the city is indeed interested in closing the retail gap and stopping the drain of sales tax dollars to other cities, it must encourage new stores to locate here, not make it difficult for them to do so." To learn how the Deer Creek Village project could bring new jobs and new sales tax revenue to the City of Petaluma, visit our Economic Benefits page. Read the Argus-Courier Editorial.