This is so sad. Along with losing Sunset Magazine headquarters and the downsizing of Keplers, much of what made Menlo Park anything other than a pricy suburb will be gone. New identity - Facebook. I hope that the city can find a way to preserve the GeoKids daycare center - there are so few daycare spots available, that would be a huge loss.

add Beltramos and Roger Reynolds to that list. The community that we knew is not what we will know. Too bad.

The USGS is a wonderful resource with their evening talks and the GeoKids daycare center which was started by USGS and SRI parents long ago. When my kids attended their preschool they would go on field trips around the campus and they learned a lot from being in that environment. Hopefully GeoKids will survive the move.

Another loss for Menlo Park.

On one hand its sad they are leaving menlo park because of high market rent. On the other hand by moving to Moffett Field they will still have a west coast office. Had they left California all together the next closest USGS office would be in Golden Colorado. So lets be grateful they are still relocating somewhere else in California.

With the GSA being required by law to charge market rates for this property what Federal agency could possibly afford the rent?

I would suspect that GeoKids will survive. BUT, since it was established to serve the needs of the USGS employees I imagine it will follow them to Moffatt Field.

We were very grateful to have GeoKids just outside our office door when our daughter was born in 1987 - one of the first GeoKids!

Best wishes to all...

@Peter C. - how about the Pentagon or one of its satellite offices?

And we're losing something else soon. With Facebook bridging its apartments over the freeway - NOT to the campus - but to Bedwell Bayfront Park, there are going to be major changes to that as soon, hearings on changing it are in the works. So long preserve, here comes Facebook and all the amenities and changes they want. No longer will it be a refuge for many of us to escape the noise and distractions we live with during most of any day. It was a wonderful place and to be there at dawn is something everyone should experience, especially with the light now given.

Who says corporations don't run our politicians and government. Of course they do, and this is an example.

Btw - Keeble and Suchet is also closing.

Beth - Wow - increasing access to a PUBLIC park is bad? Is the park your private preserve?

"I would suspect that GeoKids will survive. BUT, since it was established to serve the needs of the USGS employees I imagine it will follow them to Moffatt Field."


NASA Ames already has a childcare facility on site, based on a google search I just did. GeoKids would be redundant.


Before we jump to conclusions, I think it's important to gather more info before determining the viability of GeoKids over the next few years. There are some compelling reasons to suspect GeoKids will be fine:

1: I recall that GeoKids has its own leasing agreement, probably with the GSA (unless there's some sublease with USGS). GeoKids isn't technically a part of the USGS, so it may not be bound by the same issues as the USGS.

2: Since it likely has it's own lease, GeoKids may already be paying market rate (which the GSA is required to charge), so there's no new pricing pressures to force it to move or close.

3: There's just too much demand for good preschool childcare for GeoKids to just disappear. When my wife and I were looking for childcare, all the recommended facilities had waiting lists, and I'm sure it's only gotten worse since then.

4: My anecdotal experience is that the USGS makes up a minority percentage of the GeoKids family population. Several years ago, GeoKids was made publicly available with Fed+USGS employees getting priority access for openings. Even if USGS employees left GeoKids, the openings would be filled by the backlog in the waiting list.


The more I think about this, the more GeoKids looks safe. The key, of course, will be the length and cost of the existing lease.

Peter: You missed my point. No reference to restriction. Oh, there was that mention of corporations and politicians, wasn't there.

Beth stated "With Facebook bridging its APARTMENTS over the freeway - NOT to the campus - but to Bedwell Bayfront Park, there are going to be major changes to that as soon"


Sure sounds like the concern is about sharing the park with more people rather than about corporations.

Interesting this will be, when someone else wants to move in there, will there be the usual opposition.

It kinda seems that someone gets upset at any develop but then we moan when people move out.

USGS has been a visible company in Menlo. In addition to the children's care and community events, their distribution/recycling of old maps for us to use as gift wrap, paper art, coloring sheets or other ideas was good for everyone as well as the environment. It feels good to have them remain in the area.

Beth, you seem to think USGS is a company. It is a US government agency. That's what the US IN USGS STANDS FOR

Village - I know well USGS is a government agency. I misspoke. Why do you choose to be bothered and angered by that?

This is major news, is it not? Some local organization needs to research as to how this will impact the area....financially and otherwise.....would a lucrative social media company be willing to take over the campus and higher lease????

IF the GSA is unable to lease this property at the required market rates to an eligible agency then the GSA would need to declare the property as surplus to public needs and place it on the market. The property would then be sold by auction to the highest bidder - complicated by the current zoning of the property.

The new buyer would then have to seek rezoning and submit development proposals which could be as simply as using the existing structures as office spaces or it could involve demolition and replacement with whatever.

And the new owner would pay property taxes based on their purchase price plus the value of improvements.

All of which means change and there is usually strong local resistance to change.

Note:

"Valley venture capitalists pay highest office rents in the nation
Silicon Valley venture capitalists pay nearly $130 a month to rent a square foot of office space in the prestigious neighborhood of Sand Hill Road in Menlo Park. This amounts to $54,000 in monthly rent for a 5,000-square-foot office. That exceeds rents on Park Avenue in New York. (Silicon Valley Business Journal)"

Beth,

I don't mean to be mean however I disagree with your basic premise. You referred to USGS as a corporation and stated that "corporate interests control our politicians and government and this is an example". Unfortunately you are just wrong and see dark motives at work here which is why I corrected you.
The US government doesn't need to be paying market rent in Menlo Park if less expensive alternatives exist. Moffett has plenty of underutilized space. I don't think that USGS moving is a tragedy at all. Let a developer come in and build apartments and higher density housing. It will help alleviate our housing shortage and the location is close to the train.

I, too, hope Menlo Park will not lose the preschool spaces being provided by GeoKids.

Hold your Horses, unfortunately child care is not on the top of the list of priorities for most companies, landowners or municipalities and this site could very easily close if they don't have a separate rental agreement. Casa de Bambini and Petits Confettis (both preschools in Menlo Park and closed in the last year) are prime examples. Unfortunately, this is happening up and down the Peninsula and we are reaching crisis mode.

I own a preschool in West Menlo Park (Toddle) and it was next to impossible to open a new facility given real estate prices, lack of open space (for play yard) and permitting/neighbor opposition. It took three years and was a full time job (not to mention requiring a huge number of financial resources). I am not optimistic about other new preschools opening given the time, resources and political clout it would take, unless voters start speaking up.

Village -

My comment re corporations and politicians was in regard to Facebook's bridge and Bedwell Park's renovation and possible repurposing, not USGS. Perhaps I shouldn't have put the comment on a separate line, but feel it's clear enough. Plus I referenced it again in note to Peter, with no reference to USGS.

My dad turned down an assignment with the USGS because of the cost of living and the cost of housing in Menlo Park. That was in 1975. If they have to pay market rent, it's amazing they made it this long.

Be thankful. The vast variety of research infrastructure remains in the Bay Area, in particular, the South Bay Area, with the all-important federal geological research component, USGS. I suspect that when Moffett NAS closed, mucho hand wringing commenced, not aware of the broader vision of an incredible opportunity of co-locating federal research, along with other cap intensive startup support at the former NAS base. One can look north and see the wonderful developments at the Presidio. Anyway, it all could have been worse, had the USGS left the Bay Area back in the 1990's. They are staying, in spite of the real expense of the region. Apparently the benefits outweigh the expense. Now, quit the handwringing.

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