Riverside Restaurant Building

A Bickel Group designed contemporary restaurant building that celebrates interplay of a curving façade with a traditional cubist massing is well underway in Riverside, CA.

A multi-tenant end-cap building with a drive-through, the building is approximately 4,400 square feet and will be home for three restaurant tenants.  Tenants under lease so far include Mountain Mike’s Pizza and Mojo’s coffee.

Completion is scheduled for the first quarter of 2024 and we look forward to seeing this one to the finish line.

Dermacare Grand Opening

San Juan Capistrano, CA –  Well-known throughout the greater San Diego area, Dermacare Laser & Skin Care Clinic is excited to be opening up their newest location in Orange County.

 Bickel Group had the pleasure of working with Dr. Birchall and the Dermacare team for this remodel. We worked side by side to transform what was once a dated office space into a newly renovated, high luxury clinic where clients can enjoy skincare and cosmetic treatments. When it came time for construction, we could not have asked for a better partner than the general contractor Commercial Builders Inc.; their team worked swiftly to turn our designs into a reality.

As evidenced at the Grand Opening, we could not be more thrilled with the end result. We hope Dermacare settles in nicely to their new space, and hope to continue our partnership on future expansions

Celebrating our newest Project Manager

Newport Beach, CA - Bickel Group is proud to announce the promotion of Logan Gillis to Project Manager. Since joining the company three years ago, Logan has become a trusted member of the team, working with clients, consultants, and jurisdictions on a variety of project types and sizes. Congrats, Logan!

US Auctions Groundbreaking

Colton, CA – Bickel Group celebrated with US Auctions the groundbreaking of their new office building in Colton, CA.  The groundbreaking was well attending by many key US auctions staff, the mayor of Colton, and representatives from the city of Colton and their chamber of commerce, as well as Van Ryder Construction, McKeever Civil Engineering and Timberline Construction who have been and will continue to be key design and construction team members through the project’s completion.  All are thrilled to see this next step for this certified minority business come to fruition.  This has been a few years in the making with Bickel Group joining the team in 2021 and the includes over 10,000 sf over two levels and a site large enough to house much of the US Auctions inventory.  The final design even includes a viewing deck.  We look forward to seeing the finished product and celebrating the grand opening in mid-2024.

Coastline Baptist Grand Opening

Oceanside, CA – The remodel and addition of Coastline Baptist Church was completed this summer, and Bickel Group joined Pastor Chappell and the rest of the congregation in celebrating the grand opening on August 6, 2023.  The church building was originally a building for restaurants and retail shops which posed some challenges along the way.  The project began in 2018 and has complete with a more modern exterior façade with large sectional doors bringing the outside in, additional daycare and teaching spaces, and enlarged sanctuary and community space.  The project also included significant upgrades to the lighting and AV systems to support worship, celebration, and teaching.  Bickel Group is very proud to have been a part of the project and wishes the Coastline community continued success and many blessings in their new and improved space.

Kid City Opens at Lancaster Baptist Church

Lancaster, CA - The long awaited opening of “Kid City” occurred April 30, 2023, at Lancaster Baptist Church.  This two-story facility will accommodate the Sunday School classes for children from two years old through 6th grade.  There are 24 separate classrooms, each with a distinctive and unique design theme.  They range from the animals depicted in children’s Bible stories, to a picnic table sized just for the toddlers.  As the children enter the building their senses will be heightened with a playful three dimensional “Kid City” mural spread across the entry foyer.   Walking through the mural leads to a “rally room” including a 20’ wide full LED video screen.  This room can accommodate over 100 children for group activities and sharing.  At the far end of the building is a two-story tall “playroom” including a slide that takes kids from the top of the 2-story ceiling to the ground floor.

 

Jim Bickel was the Principal in Charge, and Kate Curtin was the Project Manager for this unique and exciting project which began design and production drawings prior to the pandemic.  Labor shortages, supply chain issues, and bad weather nearly doubled the initial schedule.  But the building is now complete.  Jim Bickel was invited to join the ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony. He and his team were recognized by Senior Pastor Paul Chappell for the excellence in design and administration of the project that Bickel Group provided.

City Lights Approved at Planning Commission

Bakersfield, California - Bickel Group Architecture is thrilled to have another large project secure entitlements with the recent Planning Commission approval for the City Lights project. The former site of East Hills Mall, City Lights will have almost 350,000 sf of leasable area spread across 36 acres and will transform the currently vacant site into a vibrant retail and food destination for the region, including gathering areas that showcase the view towards the city lights of Bakersfield that the site affords.

This project is a prime example of finding a way to improve a previously developed site and making it work for all invested parties, as evidenced by strong leasing interest from many national and regional brands. Bickel Group is proud to be part of the team, along with McIntosh & Associates, the ownership team, and various jurisdictional authorities, to bring this project to life and construction documents will be beginning soon.

Northgate Market Opens in Fontana

Fontana, California - Working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, Bickel Group is proud to share images of the recently completed Northgate Market in Fontana. Acting as lead architect for the overall development of a former auto dealership site into a new commercial center, this project is the result of balancing stakeholders’ interests while working with local officials and neighbors to ensure the project is a source of pride for the community. Northgate Market was thrilled with the opening of this store, the best in company history. Meanwhile, Bickel Group continues work with Frontier Real Estate Investments, Northgate Market, and multiple other tenants on the remaining pads on-site.

Newly Licensed Architects at Bickel Group

Newport Beach, CA - Bickel Group Architecture is pleased and proud to announce that two team members have recently completed their national and state license exams. Congratulations to Michelle Liu and Elena Mashin!

In addition to being licensed architects in the state of California, Michelle is a LEED AP and member of the American Institute of Certified Planners, and Elena is also a licensed architect in the European Union.

'Fox Block' Entitled in Fullerton

Fullerton, CA - An exciting public-private partnership project secured entitlements with unanimous support from both Fullerton’s Planning Commission and City Council. Located next to the historic Fox Theater, this adaptive reuse project will see an existing restaurant and former dance studio building converted into multiple food and beverage uses, and an existing surface parking lot transformed into an outdoor food hall concept with a microbrewery. Perhaps most interestingly, this project also includes the transition of a vehicular street to a fully pedestrian thoroughfare and gathering space with outdoor amenities for the community.

Working closely with Frontier Real Estate Investments, Urban Advisory & Building Group, SWA, C3 Civil Engineering, TJW Engineering, Acoustics Group, Inc, Moran Utility Services, Studio tK, and the City of Fullerton, Bickel Group is proud to be a part of this exciting addition to Downtown Fullerton.

More Retail Buildings Open at The Groves

Whittier, CA – Three more retail/restaurant buildings in Whittier are complete joining Stater Brothers, In-N-Out and Raising Canes which are open for business at The Groves thanks to the great work by general contractor CM Corp.  The Groves is a result of another partnership between Frontier Real Estate Investments and Brookfield Residential which includes various residential types, amenities, retail, restaurants, public art, and adaptive reuse of multiple buildings from the original Fred C. Nelles School which date back to the early 1900s.

Bickel Group came into the fold in 2016 working on the retail component of the project alongside Frontier, Ridge Landscape Architects, and SWA through entitlements, historical review, and now permitting and construction.  These three buildings mark the completion of Phase 1 with Phase 2 already under construction which will includes five more buildings housing a brewery and public market/food hall as well as the Heritage Court outdoor plaza space. 

Redevelopment Entitlements for Well Known San Juan Capistrano Site

San Juan Capistrano, CA - After years of submittals, resubmittals, stakeholder meetings, and coordination with a multitude of jurisdictional and discretionary bodies, Bickel Group Architecture has secured entitlements for a new commercial mixed use project in historical San Juan Capistrano. Consisting of a two-story building with over 27,000 sf of retail, restaurant, and office space, a parking structure with ground level retail space, and outdoor gathering/open spaces, this project will help strengthen the sense of place and arrival as residents and visitors enter the historic downtown area of San Juan. Particular emphasis was placed on ensuring the project aesthetically fit with the heritage of the city, paying respect while also reflecting the needs of current residents and business.

This project is the latest in partnership with Frontier Real Estate Investments to secure entitlements, and one of many in San Juan Capistrano.

Cathedral Cove Center Secures Entitlements

Cathedral City, CA - With unanimous support from the Cathedral City City Council, the Cathedral Cove Center is now fully entitled and ready to move to permitting and construction. A high profile site on Highway 111, six of the overall fourteen acres of the project will provide commercial uses such as food and beverage, retail, and a fuel station for residents and visitors to the area. Working with DEA Inc. and Terra Nova Planning & Research, this project will provide amenities to the area while creating an attractive development for passers-by, with emphasis placed on the street frontage landscaping and making the project attractive to foot traffic in the Cathedral City downtown area.

After five years of involvement on the project, Bickel Group Architecture is proud to have been involved with Fountainhead Development on another successful project in the Coachella Valley.

Leadership Updates

Newport Beach, CA – Bickel Group Architecture has announced the promotion of Kelly Johnson and Jessica Steiner to the position of Principal. Since joining the firm in 2007 and 2010, respectively, both women have gained reputations of integrity combined with technical and managerial expertise in their roles. They will continue to work closely with President Jim Bickel to promote company goals and objectives, while also leading projects from early feasibility discussions through final user handoff, with Steiner overseeing projects in the design and entitlement phases and Johnson overseeing the firm’s production and construction phases. 

Bickel Group specializes in providing unparalleled service and creative design solutions. For more information, please contact architecture@bickelgrp.com. To learn more about Bickel Group’s leadership, please visit https://www.bickelgrp.com/leadership 

Coastline Baptist Groundbreaking

Oceanside, CA - Coastline Baptist Church has celebrated the groundbreaking of an addition and remodel to their existing church facility in the Oceanside, CA.  Pastor Steve Chappell even “broke ground” with a sledgehammer himself to kick off the initial demolition.  Bickel Group is proud to be a part of this project which will revitalize the building and serve the community.  Along with Prevost Construction, Bickel Group has been working closely with members of the church to design an enlarged sanctuary area, new lobby space, and refurbishing previous retail and restaurant spaces into daycare and youth spaces to support the church’s membership and community.  The exterior of the building will also include a modern façade and exterior trellis patio area to promote gathering.  The project includes a 2,499 SF addition area to the existing 23,754 SF building that will be renovated.  The design and construction team, as well as the congregation are excited to see the project complete in Spring 2023.

River Street Marketplace Groundbreaking

San Juan Capistrano, CA - Along with Frontier Real Estate Investments, members of the historic Los Rios Street neighborhood, local indigenous leaders, and city officials and staff, Bickel Group and the rest of the design team recently celebrated the groundbreaking of River Street Marketplace in San Juan Capistrano.  Bickel Group joined the team in 2015 and worked closely with the neighborhood and city officials on a design to honor this historic area with both the architectural detailing inspired by the area’s agricultural past and scaling the project appropriately.  The project includes approximately 60,000 sf of shops and restaurants and in working closely with the landscape architect, SWA, provides large outdoor spaces designed to promote community gathering and interaction. 

Bickel Group and Frontier Real Estate Investments are long-time partners and have collaborated on several projects including most notably Rodeo 39 in Stanton and New Haven Marketplace and Rodeo X in Ontario.  All are looking forward to the completion of another successful project in River Street Marketplace in early 2023.

Heritage Barbecue Receives Bib Gourmand

San Juan Capistrano, CA - Heritage Barbecue continues to make headlines with its recent honor of receiving a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation. Since opening in 2020, Heritage Barbecue continues to turn out delicious barbecue, sides, and specials that are uniquely Californian while honoring the Texas barbecue style. Part of that style involves cooking with offset smokers, something that traditionally is near impossible to get permits for in California. Working with Frontier Real Estate Investments, SWA, and Blue Peak Engineering, Bickel Group is proud to have been part of the team that brought this project to life, navigating the permitting process to meet jurisdictional and regulatory requirements to achieve Heritage’s dreams of authentic wood barbecue.

Bickel Group Architecture is a team of creative, collaborative problem solvers that finds architectural solutions and works with stakeholders to meet our clients’ needs. To learn more, please contact architecture@bickelgrp.com.