Since George Lucas informed officials in Marin that he was no longer pursuing the Grady Ranch studio proposal and closed ranks, many cities and real estate professionals have been trying to attract Lucas Films to their sites.  Rumors of discussions concerning sites in Walnut Creek and Vallejo have been in the media.  Richmond, California – located directly across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge from Marin and early home of Pixar – has a developer named Richard Poe who decided, after weeks of not being able to get in direct contact with Lucas, to instead publish an ad in the May 20, 2012 Marin Independent Journal to reach Lucas or his team in the hopes that they may contact Richard Poe or his broker, Cushman & Wakefield of California, Inc., about opportunities at Marina Bay West Shore Technology Center.

Richmond recently prevailed over 21 proposals to be the recipient of the future Lawrence Berkeley National Lab second campus, a when-built-out 2-million square foot research and energy lab that will be less than a mile from Richard Poe’s holdings.