Meet Michael Sajjadi, Vice President, Design & Construction
Michael Sajjadi was hired as Rockefeller Group’s first West Coast director of Design & Construction and, since joining our team in 2008, he has played an integral role in the expansion of our West Coast operation, which has successfully developed millions of square feet of commercial space. Today, Michael happily discusses Rockefeller Group gaining momentum in California noting, “When we acquire a site, people know we are going to do something extraordinary.” He attributes this reputation to available capital, an excellent team and the ability to collaborate well.
For Michael, collaboration and relationships are paramount, not just with local government agencies, but with general contractors, architects, engineers, consultants and others. He says the key to working with these professionals is accuracy and attention to detail, so that during the design phase discrepancies are detected sooner resulting in cost and time savings. Like most projects, the devil is in the details. Michael’s former experience working as a general contractor enriched his understanding and appreciation of involving general contractors early in the design process. Understanding the requirements of the local jurisdiction, statutes and ordinances as well as the local officials is vital, and a sector in which the West Coast operation excels. While California’s sometimes-stringent environmental requirements can present challenges, Rockefeller Group has embraced that as an opportunity, creating a track record of LEED and energy efficiency excellence.
The Western Region is working on two of Rockefeller Group’s Inland Empire projects – the Tri-City Industrial Complex in San Bernardino, Calif. and the Optimus Logistics Center in Perris, Calif. The Tri-City project is located on a 19-acre site and includes two speculative industrial distribution buildings totaling 425,000 square feet. The Optimus project is located on a 68-acre site and includes two speculative buildings totaling an expansive 1.4 million square feet, or roughly 24 football fields. Both projects are already seeing significant interest from the brokerage and tenant communities and are expected to be completed in the upcoming months.
However, the project Michael is most proud of during his ten years with Rockefeller Group was one of his first – the VA Clinic in Oceanside, Calif. Says Michael, “I always want to do a good job for myself, the company and the client, but this project was special because of the people it served – the men and women of our armed forces, those who have risked everything for us. There’s a special place in my heart for these warriors who I believe deserve the best we can deliver, something I know we accomplished with the Oceanside Clinic.”
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