SF Business Times Women of Influence 2019: Lauren Seaver

Years in Business: 8, 6 in current role

Business/Specialty: Commercial Real Estate Development (Multifamily/Mixed-Use)

Accomplishments: As a Vice President at Blake Griggs Properties, Lauren manages the entitlement and development of large-scale multifamily and mixed-use projects. She is currently leading the development of one of the largest and most complex transit-oriented projects in the Bay Area, adjacent to the Walnut Creek BART station.

Community: Recipient, Bisnow “Bay Area Power Women” award; Member, ULI

Reason for being a Woman of Influence: Lauren manages transformative real estate development projects, which have shaped the San Francisco skyline. Most notably, she is leading the development of the Walnut Creek Transit Village at the Walnut Creek BART station, one of the largest transit-oriented projects underway in the Bay Area. This project includes 600 units, 25,000 square feet of retail space, a BART parking garage, and other community features. It has become a model for housing near transit, strong design, and an example for where Bay Area development is headed. Lauren demonstrates thoughtful leadership and vision in pursuing long-range projects that have several features including multiple stakeholders, complicated and shifting requirements, and public/private partnership.

Trends in the commercial market, women’s changing role in the industry or predictions for the future: The housing market is a major political subject and therefore presents major opportunities and challenges to the real estate industry. Affordability and supply are two aspects that allow for legislative opportunities to help bring more housing to the market faster in appropriate locations. Lauren has utilized this new legislation in entitling multifamily projects including 135 units in Walnut Creek using density bonus, and submitted one of the first SB-35 applications in the state. This legislation is critical for housing reform as well as California’s future growth and stability.