SANTA FE IRRIGATION DISTRICT
5920 Linea del Cielo
Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
858.756.2424
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR
QUALIFIED COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE
SERVICES
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PROPOSALS DUE
March 20, 2026, 12:00 p.m. PST
I. INTRODUCTION
The Santa Fe Irrigation District (District) is seeking proposals from qualified broker to assist in
identifying appropriate commercially zoned office properties within the District’s service territory
(bounds shown later) that are approximately 10,000-15,000 sq. ft., preferably well maintained
“class B” or greater, with an acquisition price that is around $12 million or less. If suitable
properties are identified, District Staff and the winning broker will work with its Board of Directors
(Board) to present information on the properties (with a potential tour) at one of their regular or
special meetings. If the Board were to select a property to move forward with, the winning broker
would be selected to negotiate on behalf of the District and provide services up to and including
closing on the property.
This Request for Proposals (RFP) describes the project in more detail, the required scope of
services, the selection process, and the minimum information that must be included in the proposal.
Failure to submit information in accordance with the RFP requirements and procedures may be
cause for disqualification. The District reserves the right to waive minor proposal deviations or
omissions at its sole discretion.
II. GENERAL INFORMATION
There is no express or implied obligation for the District to reimburse responding broker / firms
for any expenses incurred in preparing proposals in response to this request. Materials submitted
by respondents are subject to public inspection under the California Public Records Act
(Government Code Sec. 6250 et seq.), unless exempt.
The District reserves the right to retain all proposals submitted and to use any ideas in a proposal
regardless of whether the proposer is selected. Submission of a proposal indicates acceptance by
the firm / broker of the conditions contained in this Request for Proposals, unless clearly and
specifically noted in the proposal submitted and confirmed in the contract between the District and
the broker selected.
Interested parties may obtain information about the District on the District’s website:
www.sfidwater.org. The information available from the website includes current financial
information, including Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports and budgets.
III. DISTRICT BACKGROUND
The District was formed in 1923 and supplies water to approximately 20,000 customers via 7,500
metered connections on 10,300 acres of land in northern San Diego County through approximately
170 miles of pipeline. The District’s service area comprises the City of Solana Beach, Rancho
Santa Fe, a portion of Fairbanks Ranch, and a small portion of the unincorporated San Diego
County. The District is incorporated as a California irrigation district under the California
Irrigation District Law, codified in Division 11 of the California Water Code. As a special district,
it is a separate unit of local government formed to provide water-related services within its
SFID RFP for Qualified
Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Services
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boundaries. Its legal authorities include delivering potable and irrigation water, developing and
maintaining water infrastructure, managing groundwater and imported supplies, setting water
rates, levying assessments, and issuing debt such as bonds. The district is governed by an elected
board of directors and operates independently from cities and counties, though it remains subject
to California statewide statutes governing public agencies, including open meeting, public finance,
and contracting laws.
The District’s water treatment facilities are located northeast of Ranch Santa Fe, adjacent to The
Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe golf course. These facilities serve all the water to the District (in
addition to the San Dieguito Water District) and are currently adequate to continue meeting our
mission of serving our customers. Other functions of the District, including customer service,
administrative, engineering, operations and distribution facilities (including a large industrial use
yard) are located at 5920 Linea del Cielo in Rancho Santa Fe (RSF Property), The administrative
and customer service functions are housed in an office building constructed originally in 1923 and
expanded throughout the decades; while other functions (engineering, operations, etc.) are
centralized in trailers that were erected over 20 years ago. These office facilities located at the
RSF Property are outdated and no longer properly support increasing requirements for fire
protection, information technology expansion, employee growth needs, etc.
IV. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Based on outdated office facilities at the RSF Property, the District’s Board has directed Staff to
work with a qualified commercial real estate broker to determine if any suitable properties are for
sale within the District boundaries and to provide a report back at an appropriate time on options
for potential purchase. If these office functions were to be relocated to another property, the
corporate yard facilities would continue to reside at 5920 Linea del Cielo. Because the District is
funded by, and exists to serve, ratepayers inside its service area, keeping our public-facing and
governing functions in-District ensures that public expenditures and public benefit is upheld and
supports accessibility for customers attending meetings or seeking services. The District’s
boundary map is below. Typical areas within the District that have commercial office properties
are located in Solana Beach (coastal and adjacent to Interstate 5), the core area of Rancho Santa
Fe, and portions of unincorporated San Diego County located in the southern portion of the
District.
The District performed a detailed facilities needs assessment that can be found in the link as
follows, which performed a general estimate on square footage needs for current and projected
uses.
https://www.sfidwater.org/DocumentCenter/View/1711/Draft-Assessment-Needs-Study-Sept-
2024
Based on this, the District is looking for a class B or above office property that has between 10,000
– 15,000 gross square foot of dedicated office space. Acquisition price should be approximately
$12 million or less, excluding tenant improvement requirements, and shall be supported by an
independent appraisal obtained by the District. Final purchase price shall be determined by the
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Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Services
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District.
The District is in a very favorable financial position and securing funding necessary for closing on
a property (cash and / or financing) is not anticipated to be an issue. Additionally, the District’s
Board will wait until the appropriate property at a fair value becomes available as the District may
continue to serve its customers with the facilities currently in place.
V. PRE-SUBMITTAL ACTIVITIES
All communications relating to the RFP should be directed to:
Seth Gates, Chief Financial Officer
Santa Fe Irrigation District
sgates@sfidwater.org
(858) 756-5970
There will be no pre-proposal meeting for this project. Please address all questions relating to the
RFP to Seth Gates by March 12, 2026.
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Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Services
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VI. SCOPE OF REQUIRED SERVICES
The broker shall perform the following tasks:
Task 1.0 Property Identification
Task 1.1 Market Intelligence & Strategy
• Analyze regional commercial office market conditions within District boundaries
(inventory, vacancy, pricing trends) in compliance with District’s facilities needs
assessment.
• Identify on-market and off-market opportunities.
• Advise on timing, competitive environment, and negotiation leverage.
Task 1.2. Site Identification & Due Diligence
• Establish site criteria (gross/net SF, parking, public counter needs, board room
capacity, expansion potential).
• Source and screen candidate properties within the service territory.
• Coordinate property tours and District senior executive evaluations / input.
• Perform preliminary zoning and land-use compatibility review.
• Identify entitlement constraints, easements, and title issues.
• Assess building condition, ADA accessibility, and code compliance (high level).
• Flag environmental risks.
Task 1.3. Transaction Advisory
• Provide broker representation in negotiations.
• Develop offer strategy and pricing guidance.
• Prepare and submit Letters of Intent when authorized by the District.
• Advise on counteroffers, contingencies, and concessions.
• Support purchase and sale agreement (PSA) negotiations. Final approval of any PSA
requires Board approval.
• Coordinate with seller brokers, legal counsel, and escrow.
• Assist through closing.
Task 1.4. Financial & Risk Analysis
• Develop total cost of acquisition models (purchase, TI, relocation, FF&E).
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This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.
