JUNE 19, 2009

CELSIUS 44, BY ST. JAMES PROPERTIES WINS COVETED GOLD NUGGET GRAND AWARD

Walnut Creek, CA June 19th , 2009 — Judges for the 2009 Gold Nugget Awards announced  St. James Properties’ condominium community, Celsius 44, the Grand Award winner at its annual competition which honors architectural design and planning excellence.  Chosen from an elite pool of Merit Award Winners from throughout the western United Sates-, Celsius 44 earned its Grand honors in the category of Outstanding Attached Project – 18 to 40 du/acre.    In a statement released by the judges, Celsius 44 was revered for its unique character and respect for the community:

            “Just because it’s infill doesn’t mean it has to be gritty. This 44-unit project in Petaluma’s emerging riverfront warehouse district reflects not only what the  neighborhood has been, but where it’s headed. A study in freshness and light, the revitalized block borrows industrial and agrarian aesthetics to create a new vocabulary. With no two facades exactly the same, each frontage is crafted to respect the neighbors it faces in scale and character (homes and offices on one side; warehouses on another). The project parallels a historic trolley line to downtown, with townhomes and corner units designed with ground floor bedrooms that can eventually be converted into commercial or live/work space. All homes have individual entries and private deck or patio space.”

“It is  a fabulous honor to receive this prestigious recognition at the Gold Nugget Awards  and to be chosen from such an elite pool of Merit Award winners,” said St. James Properties’ President, Steve Johnson. “Celsius 44 has been a labor of love for all involved in bringing the project to life.   It has turned out to be an exceptionally well-appointed project all around, thanks to our dedicated team of architects, engineers, tradespeople and the team at St. James Properties. With 13 homes sold in the last 12 weeks, the community is being very well received by our buyers and potential homebuyers.  We are proud to be a part of this North Bay community and to be recognized among so many other outstanding projects.” 

ocated at 2nd and F Streets in Petaluma, California, Celsius 44 is the only downtown Petaluma multi-family community to be certified by Build It Green (www.builditgreen.org) as GreenPoint Rated.  Consisting of 44 two and three bedroom luxury condominiums, Celsius 44 offers stunning architecture, luxurious interior finishes and Wolf and Bosch Kitchen Appliances and was recently voted #1 Residential Community of the Year (2008) by the North Bay Business Journal.  In addition, the community was a finalist in six categories at the Homebuilder Association’s  “Marketing and Merchandising Excellence Awards”.  The community is walking distance from the popular and revitalized Theatre and Warehouse districts and one block from the Petaluma River.   Homes range in size from approximately 1,464 sq.ft – 2,351 sq.ft. and are value-priced from $444,944.

The Gold Nugget Awards draws entries from throughout 14 Western States and internationally.  “Gold Nugget Grand Award winners reflect our industry’s best, brightest and most innovative architects, planners and builder/developers,” said Judging Chairman and Gold Nugget ceremonies producer Peter Mayer. “We applaud them all”.
Celebrating its 46th anniversary year, GNA is the largest and most prestigious competition of its kind in the nation. It honors design and planning achievements in community and home design, green-built housing, site planning, commercial, retail, mixed-use development and specialty housing categories. Also known as the Best in the West, Winners this year were chosen from more than 400 entries from Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, and Washington; and from Bhutan, Canada, China, Libya, Russia, Spain and UAE.