Rendering of the TR Office project in East Village.

The start of a new season for the Padres has given Cruzan/Monroe a new marketing opportunity for its office condo project across from centerfield at Petco Park. The developer of TR Office, under construction at 406 Ninth Ave., will release the final six units on April 3, the home opener for the Padres’ 2006 season.

Bradford Perry of Cushman Wakefield, who is handling sales of the 28 office condominiums, says the six units range in size from 1,100 square feet to 1,300 square feet.

The 27,000 square feet of offices are being built above the historic TR Produce warehouse building. The building also will have about 19,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space. The project will be ready to occupy at completion in June, says Perry.

Office units go from 700 square feet to 1,300 square feet and are priced from the mid-$300,000s to more than $1 million.

Dennis Cruzan, formerly with JMI Realty, master developer of the ballpark, says he acquired the TR Produce site with partner Philip Monroe in anticipation of the increased development activity in the area. “The project went through several iterations,” says Cruzan. “Its final concept — contemporary office condominiums over a historic warehouse — has proven to be highly successful.”

Architects Richard Bundy and David Thompson designed the project. Mike Wheelihan is general contractor. Al DeBerardinis is in-house development manager for Cruzan/Monroe.

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Massachusetts native Ross Becker has taken over the San Diego office of the Small Business Insurance Agency Inc., a national insurance brokerage agency. Becker, 35, has eight years experience in assisting small to medium-sized businesses with group employee benefits. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Worcester State College and is a member of the San Diego chapter of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. The SBIA’s San Diego office is at 535 Kettner Blvd., No. 2b2. The telephone is (619) 696-0125.

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TSA Contracting has begun tenant improvements for a new branch of Torrey Pines Bank and completed improvements for the corporate offices of San Diego Trust Bank — Downtown projects totaling more than $1 million.

The Torrey Pines Bank branch is at 750 B St. The buildout of the existing space will result in a 4,900-square-foot office. Tenant improvement on the first floor and mezzanine is to be finished in mid-April. Instead of a prefabricated vault, a built-in-place, six-stage steel plate vault has been engineered for the bank. Value of the improvements is $717,000.

Donald Kachur of Howard-Sneed Architecture and Design designed the improvements. Structural engineering was by Chuck Hope of Hope Engineering. TSA representatives include Butch Miller, superintendent; Randal LaRocco, senior project manager; Chip Stockmeyer, assistant project manager; and Sandy Snyder, project coordinator. Tenant improvements completed at San Diego Trust Bank on the 10th floor at 2550 Fifth Ave. were valued at $381,000. The renovation involved 5,000 square feet of space for an expansion. Designer was Stuart Fromson of IR2 Interior Resource. TSA representatives were Lynn Brown, superintendent; Roger Feyen, project manager; and Delores Dorman, project coordinator.

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Johnson & Jennings General Contracting has completed tenant improvement construction for the 4,359-square-foot offices of Countrywide Home Loans at 655 W. Broadway. The scope of work for the $269,000 project included the construction of new office space with flat-cut anigre-wood doors, full-height sidelights and travertine tile in the reception area. Dean Petersen was project manager for Johnson & Jennings, with Dave Back as onsite superintendent. The project team consisted of Towne Construction, Dave’s Painting, Schmidt Fire, Control Air and Dynalectric.

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Law firm Hatch & Parent signed a five-year lease for 2,790 square feet of office space at 550 West C St., Suite 1750. The firm, currently housed at 110 West C St., Suite 2200, will move into the new space in May. The lease with 550 Corporate Center Investment Group Inc. is valued at $470,728. Kraig Kristofferson and Stacy Meronoff of CB Richard Ellis represented the lessor. Bill Bacon, also of CBRE, represented the lessee.

The Downtown Relocations column features news on firms that are abandoning, embracing or expanding in the 92101 ZIP code. Send submissions to Manny Cruz, manny@sandiegometro.com.