Enterprise California
Thinking outside the box
By Carol Park
The majestic San Jacinto Mountains set the scene for Enterprise California's first housing endeavor in Southern California.
The developer is building two projects, "Palermo" and "Murano" in Palm Springs. "Palermo" is a resort style, gated community and "Murano" is a 57-unit, single-family home development.
Enterprise California is an offshoot of family owned, Chicago-based the Enterprise Companies. The company's roots reach back to 1971 when Ronald B. Shipka Sr. and his wife LaVerne bought, managed and leased apartment buildings in Chicago. They soon graduated to development and in the 1980s sons Ronald Jr. and John joined the family business. Today the Enterprise Cos. develops residential, commercial and mixed use projects mainly in Chicago.
Over the years the Enterprise Cos. grew and continued to build in Chicago but they soon found that they needed to broaden their reach into other states. That need and the desire to diversify the business led the Shipka family to open an office in Palm Springs.
"Murano" kitchen
"The decision to open in Palm Springs and develop there was driven by the recognition on our part that there was a finite opportunity in Chicago and we needed to diversify what we were doing," Enterprise Cos. principal Ron Shipka Jr. said. "We needed to either start developing suburban properties or stay with urban development. So we did a lot of research and found that going outside of Chicago made sense and staying in the urban market made sense. We looked in Florida and California and settled on the desert because we wanted to be in an urban environment that was upscale, trendy and not immersed in too large of a market."
So the Shipka's opened Enterprise California in Palm Springs a couple of years ago. Shipka Jr. oversees that operation. A Wyoming resident, he travels to the Palm Springs office monthly. During the rest of the month the 44-year old splits his time between the Chicago office and his home in Wyoming.
"On average, I travel about 2,500 miles a week, it's a lot but it's worth the hassle. People who complain about a one or two hour commute makes me laugh; try spending three or four hours on a plane and one to two hours in an airport twice a week," he joked.
"Murano" living room
A lawyer by trade, Shipka Jr. opted to work in the family business after he realized it was his passion midway through law school. After earning his law degree, Shipka Jr. immersed himself in the entitlement, design and development side of the family business which he enjoyed very much.
"I guess you could say I'm an architect at heart," he said.
Brother John graduated from Brown University with a bachelor's degree in construction. John manages all facets of construction for the company.
"A private company can't grow unless it's willing to put time and effort into it and take on risk," Shipka Jr. said. "A business can't grow as a private company unless you're willing to spend 70 to 80 hours a week working and still be comfortable with managing and developing seven or eight large scale projects at a time. The Enterprise Cos. is comfortable doing this and I enjoy being immersed in it."
Sunbathed homes
Enterprise California's first foray into the Southern California market is comprised of two housing projects, "Palermo" and "Murano."
The two projects are being built with one thing in mind; that they be more than cookie cutter homes with designs that take advantage of Palm Springs' mountainous backdrop and natural desert beauty.
Chris Mills of Santa Monica-based WWCOT/Mills Architects and James Cioffi of Palm Springs-based Cioffi Architect designed "Palermo" and "Murano."
Designed in the Desert Modern style, the 57-home "Murano" community is a tribute to the classic style that defined Palm Springs as an icon of architecture and luxury. The Desert Modern style celebrates the fusion of nature and man and is rooted in the modernist movement of the 1920s and 1930s.
Uniquely, "Murano" homes are oriented to maximize sunlight using the natural course of sunrise and sunset.
"We wanted every home's pool area to face south because the sun comes from that direction and the views are best that way," Architect James Cioffi said. "And in the area there is a prevailing wind from the North West so pools would be protected from the winds on the south side."
Metal sunshades and pergolas provide a frame for the view of the mountains while doubling as shelter. Striking rock formations are joined by indigenous agave and palm plants to lend depth and dimension. Homes are painted with earth tones with accents of reds and greens to add punctuation.
Inside, the homes have very few halls to create a sense of openness while floor-to-ceiling glass windows open up into the backyard to reveal a view of the mountains. A two-sided fireplace and large rooms round out the interior.
"I wanted this to be a Palm Springs product," Cioffi said. "I wanted these homes to be modern with an indoor/outdoor relationship that speaks to the Palm Springs style."
"Murano" master suite
Cioffi collaborated with Chris Sahlin of Sahlin Architects AIA to design "Murano." The 2,500-square-foot homes are situated on 10,000-12,000 square-foot lots. The ample space recalls the mid-1900 lifestyle when families were raised in large homes with big yards and lawns where children had the freedom and range to play, Cioffi said.
Today the ample space creates a sense of privacy for home owners and allows them the luxury of customizing their backyards, he said.
"A desert home must function not only as a place to live but also as a sanctuary, a way to experience the special life that Palm Springs offers," Shipka Jr. said. "Each of these homes is distinctive, but they all integrate seamlessly into the mountains, the desert and the Palm Springs lifestyle."
"Murano" is located at Avenida Caballeros and East San Rafael Road. The three-bedroom, three-bath homes range from 2,200 square feet to 2,600 square feet and are selling in the $700,000 range. Construction on the development is slated to finish in 2009.
Desert living
In its first phase of construction, "Palermo" is a gated community of townhomes and villas. The homes range from 1,275 square feet to 1,375 square feet and feature rich colors and textures of the desert with lush lawns and resort-style amenities including a clubhouse, fitness center, three outdoor swimming pools and a spa and barbeque area. The community also features a dog park, a tennis court and concierge service.
The development is located at North Indian Canyon Drive and East San Rafael Road.
Architect Chris Mills designed the community with curved streets to enhance privacy and create the feeling of a small European village.
Homes boast seven floor plans that feature expansive use of glass, open kitchens with wood cabinets and granite countertops. Private patios, second floor sundecks and fully landscaped yards entice residents outside to enjoy the views and vistas of the San Jacinto Mountains which helps define the natural beauty of Palm Springs.
"Palermo" townhomes
"We oriented the buildings and windows to take advantage of the views and still have a modern look and village type of feel," Mills said. "We were fortunate to have a client and general contractor that shared our view about architecture."
The "Palermo" clubhouse will be the heart of the project. The clubhouse is designed to bring residences together with a community room that features a full kitchen and entertainment area with a flat-screen television, a DVD and compact disc player, card tables and a billiard table.
Shipka Jr. set out to develop homes that diverged from traditional subdivision projects. He wanted to work with architects who could design a home that made a statement and fit in with Palm Springs' style.
"Ron said he didn't want a cookie cutter building and with a higher density home project such as Palermo, it's harder to achieve that," Mills said. "But I looked at the project as an individual site and tried to create interest by turning and twisting the design so that it didn't just line up like cookie cutter homes. We've done a lot of work in the desert and we strive to make sure that no two projects look alike. I create a style for each individual client and site."
Mills designed "Palermo" with varying plains and vistas so that homes were more than just walls with rooms.
"The homes have ins and outs with depths to create interests and give the eye the opportunity to break through and see the mountains instead of just solid wall," Mills said. "It's a characteristic of a European feel. It's not a hodgepodge of stuff but rather a building with a human feel."
Despite initial hurdles to get the city to approve the land "Palermo" was built on as residential and not commercial, Shipka Jr. is happy with the development and its success thus far, he said. "Palermo" is 50% sold out and the first phase of construction will be completed soon with the entire project set to be finished in 2009. The homes are being sold in the $300,000 range.
Palm Springs Highlight
Palm Springs lies on the western edge of the Coachella Valley in central Riverside County about 107 miles east of Los Angeles. Once known as a playground for Hollywood stars, the city has a number of second homes with part-time residents.
The city boasts an array of parks and recreational facilities including a municipal golf course, tennis courts, a public Olympic-size swimming pool, a dog park and a baseball stadium. Palm Springs also features a casino, hiking trails, bicycle routes, a water park and horseback riding.
Palm trees line the city's downtown along Palm Canyon Drive. Residents and tourists can cruise along the strip lined with antique shops, art galleries, boutiques, restaurants and night clubs. Palm Springs even has a Walk of Stars with names of Hollywood legends that include Elizabeth Taylor and Frank Sinatra gracing the walkway.
The view of the mountains isn't only for looking; people can travel up Mt. San Jacinto via the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. The tram ride takes people 8,500 feet up in 15 minutes.
"I don't think any city in the Coachella Valley has the feel we do," said Mills, who serves as a Palm Springs councilmember in his spare time. "We're closest to the San Jacinto Mountains, we're also the only ones to have a walking downtown and we have a very lively community."
Once Enterprise California completes its Palm Springs developments the company will look to expand to other counties, Shipka Jr. said.
"Palm Springs will serve as a gateway for Enterprise California to enter other Southern California markets such as Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties," he said. "That remains our plan."
Solid foundations
The Enterprise Cos. and its subsidiary Enterprise California strive to create buildings that break outside the traditional parameters of home development. The developer looks for and works with architects who understand that desire.
"I would love to work with Enterprise California again, they are a class builder that does things with quality," Mills said. "They gave me freedom to design, which I don't always get from other developers. It's a refreshing feel to know there are major builders like them that also have the open mindset of a small builder in terms of design and creativity."
Enterprise prides itself on the quality of its floor plans and building designs and the company's ability to execute and handle multiple projects simultaneously and still deliver on time and on budget, Shipka Jr. said.
Those qualities earned the privately held developer a steady flow of business and a solid reputation. The company employs a staff of 35 people in Chicago and six in California. The family owned business generated $558 million in revenue in 2006, a 17% increase compared with 2005.
"We are very pleased to be part of the Enterprise team," Cioffi said. "They respect our talent and gave us design freedom."
Cioffi, at first, didn't want to design Enterprise California's "Murano" project but he soon changed his mind.
"We don't do subdivision housing work because of the cookie cutter style they follow and we don't like being dictated by the large developers and we didn't want to get pigeon holed so I told Enterprise that I didn't do tract work but they said let's talk," Cioffi admitted. After they spoke, Cioffi realized Enterprise developed unique homes that broke the boundaries of the cookie cutter mold. Cioffi accepted Enterprise's offer and the rest was history.
"We generally prevailed on design," Cioffi joked.
While Enterprise California follows in the footsteps of its parent company, the relatively new player in the Southern California market has high hopes and expects to continue developing unique homes that don't just fit in a box.
"We have more versatility than the typical builder does," Shipka Jr. said. "Our buildings aren't cookie cutter homes."
January 2008 Issue