The smell of Randy Jones’ Barbecue hung in the air while guests milled about the Park at the Park, giving the feel of a country picnic to the groundbreaking for the DiamondView Tower office building. The cloudless blue sky was a little too perfect, swept free by strong breezes that grounded developer Cisterra Partners’ plans to allow guests to preview vistas from the 15-story building via rides in a tethered hot air balloon.

Located just outside right field at Petco Park, the $95 million, 306,700-square-foot DiamondView is scheduled to open by January 2007. Signed major tenants are Comerica Bank, which will consolidate its Downtown offices at the site, and Cox Communications, which will move several divisions into the building and build Cox Channel 4 its first studio. The project’s real estate broker, CB Richard Ellis, is in negotiations to relocate its headquarters from UTC into the building.

The Cisterra project was originally to be located outside center field but the City Council determined it was encroaching on space for the park and the project was killed. The building’s wider profile offered more views into the ballpark. The defeat of the project still resonates with the developers. “We had a substantially pre-leased building in center field and had the rug pulled out from under us,” project managing member Steve Black said during his remarks.

The builder is Reno Contracting, a firm Black says his company has developed “35 or 40 buildings with.” Funding is through Prudential Financial.

After a 15-year drought in commercial construction Downtown, DiamondView begins construction just as the 23-story Broadway 655 is preparing for its July grand opening. But it isn’t easy, as Black noted while praising JMI Inc., the master developer for the 26-block ballpark district. “They clearly could have sold this site to a residential developer for more than that they sold it to us.” Indeed, after the speeches, JMI President John Kratzer said the property went for a $3 million discount. (The price paid for the 50,000-square-foot site was not disclosed.)

About the only ballpark/Downtown VIP not at the groundbreaking was John Moores, owner of the Padres. But his name came up. “Our hat is off to him,” said Todd Anson, a Cisterra partner. “We would not be standing here today without him.”

Also singling out Moores was City Councilman Michael Zucchet. “We all need to remember today that this project would not be here without John.”

Speaking to doubters that the ballpark district would be a success, Charles Black, JMI Realty’s executive v.p., noted expectations were for the project to stimulate $1.6 billion of development. Now the expectation is $3 billion of development within five to six years of the ballpark’s opening.

DiamondView’s architect is Gordon Carrier, who also was in attendance, wearing what looked to be a gold shirt. His attire prompted Hal Sadler, chair of CCDC, to remark, “I hope he does better with the colors on the building.”

— Tim McClain