Wallace & Smith: General Contractors

Salty’s BBQ breaks ground on new NW Bakersfield location

Wallace & Smith Team — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 18:27:16 +0000

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Salty’s BBQ broke ground on a new location in northwest Bakersfield.

The popular barbecue restaurant held a ceremony on Monday for its new location on Coffee Road near Downing Road, near Raising Cane’s and Buffalo Wild Wings.

The location is set to include a drive-thru and a heated and cooled outdoor patio.

“This will be the first (location) that we’ve been able to design from the conception of it to now to design,” Salty’s BBQ owner Jeff Salters said.

No exact date for opening was given, but the new location is expected to open later this summer.

Officials break ground on Park Center at Seven Oaks

Wallace & Smith Team — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 17:33:33 +0000

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — It’s being called Kern County’s largest apartment community.

Construction began Thursday on Park Center at Seven Oaks. Park Center is a new apartment complex, located off the corner of White Lane and Allen Road, and will feature 520 luxury units.

Those units will be available in loft, one and two-bedroom layouts. The developers of the massive complex say it will be the most exclusive community in Bakersfield’s history.

“We’ll have broadband fiber optic internet for people that want to work remotely or wherever they are on the campus, we’ll have a full suite of amenities from co-working to gyms, yoga studio, resort style pool,” said Andrew Fuller, President of Fuller Apartment Homes. “This will be the finest that Bakersfield has to date.”

Construction is expected to take about two years, with pre-leasing to open by June of 2026.

Park Center is the fifth Bakersfield project by Fuller Apartment Homes and Presidio Capital Partners, and their third collaboration with Bolthouse Properties.

View Full Article – KGET.com

New development offers hope for Plaza Towers residents after years of concerns

Wallace & Smith Team — Fri, 23 May 2025 16:34:24 +0000

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Nearly three years after a Grand Jury report raised serious concerns about conditions at the Plaza Towers senior living facility, local leaders have broken ground on a new development they hope will give aging residents the peace and dignity they deserve.

The project, called Letzring Gardens, is a 150-unit complex in south Bakersfield designated specifically for low-income seniors. Rents will be income-based, and the single-story layout is designed with accessibility and comfort in mind.
Once Letzring Gardens is completed, the Housing Authority plans to relocate residents from Plaza Towers and put the Towers and its annex up for sale.

Nearly three years after a Grand Jury report raised serious concerns about conditions at the Plaza Towers senior living facility, local leaders have broken ground on a new development they hope will give aging residents the peace and dignity they deserve.

The project, called Letzring Gardens, is a 150-unit complex in south Bakersfield designated specifically for low-income seniors. Rents will be income-based, and the single-story layout is designed with accessibility and comfort in mind.

For Plaza Towers resident Becky Hutcherson, gardening is more than a hobby — it’s a source of joy.

“I like flowers. I like vegetable plants. I have a little bit of everything,” Hutcherson said.

Now in her 60s, Hutcherson said she wants to enjoy the little things in life, like tending to her modest garden. But even that has been a challenge.

“I have a small garden. I have to truck the water down, okay? Because, you know, they took the hose away from us,” she said.

Hutcherson lives at Plaza Towers. In 2022, a Kern County grand jury report found Plaza Towers lacked adequate safety measures compared to other Housing Authority properties. The report cited unlocked stairwell doors, reports of strangers entering the building and even criminal activity on-site.

Despite the Housing Authority of Kern County investing in upgrades, residents continued to voice frustrations through 2023.

City Councilman Eric Arias said those complaints, along with a broader need for safe and affordable housing for seniors, helped spur a new housing initiative.

“I think it’s partially [in response to] that,” Arias said. “We also just see the need to make sure that there’s healthy and safe living opportunities—especially for our most vulnerable, some of our senior population.”

Last week, the Housing Authority broke ground on Letzring Gardens, a new 150-unit development designated for low-income seniors. Rents will be based on income. Officials said the new project, located near grocery stores and health clinics, will be one of the largest senior developments in Bakersfield.

“When we’re talking about 150, and it’s all single-story with minimal impacts to the local community… it’s really just kind of the perfect site to bring our seniors,” Arias said.

Several residents from Plaza Towers attended the groundbreaking, hopeful the new development will offer a better quality of life.

“I’m happy we’re getting something new,” Hutcherson said. “We want to put the Band-Aids on no more. I had to put the Band-Aids on these a lot, okay? I’m ready.”

Once Letzring Gardens is completed, the Housing Authority plans to relocate residents from Plaza Towers and put the Towers and its annex up for sale.

Hutcherson is optimistic that the new space will allow her garden—and her sense of peace—to thrive.

“I like the way—the setup and that sort of thing. You know, you have room to put your plants and stuff like that,” she said.

Once Letzring Gardens is completed and tenants relocate, the Housing Authority plans to put Plaza Towers and its annex up for sale. The new development is expected to open by October 2026.

Article Provided By TurnTo23.com

Valley Montessori Academy breaks ground on ambitious new addition

Wallace & Smith Team — Mon, 19 May 2025 16:29:52 +0000

Bolthouse Properties and Valley Montessori Academy hosted a groundbreaking Monday for the Academy’s Infant & Toddler Village expected to be completed in fall 2026.

The project, planned as an expansion of VMA’s existing campus in the Seven Oaks Business Park in southwest Bakersfield, marks a new chapter in early education in Bakersfield, organizers said Monday.

“We at Bolthouse Properties, we have a tagline: ‘Building a better community,'” said Jeff Eittreim, Bolthouse Properties’ vice president of development.

“And I can’t think of a more shining example of building a better community,” he said, “than Valley Montessori Academy here in the business park.”

The Infant & Toddler Village will introduce Montessori classrooms for infants as young as 6 months while expanding the school’s toddler and primary offerings.

Bolthouse Properties has been working on the plans for the project with owner-operator Oxana Raimondo and her husband, Mark Raimondo, for some time, Eittreim said.

“Because we knew the minute they opened,” he told the gathering, “they were bursting at the seams.”

Highlights of the new infant and toddler facility will include:

Two infant classrooms for children 6 to 18 months;
Three toddler classrooms for children 18 to 36 months;
A new primary classroom, Casa 4, for ages 3 to 6 years;
A dedicated yoga and meditation space called the Peace Rose Meditation Center, the first of its kind for a Montessori school in California, organizers said;

– An expanded edible garden promoting hands-on learning in sustainability and nutrition; and, – A forthcoming Spanish immersion program enriching linguistic and cultural development.

Oxana Raimondo thanked her Montessori teachers and administrators. She praised Bolthouse Properties and her general contractors Wallace & Smith for helping her realize the vision to build a child-centered place for early learning.

“This project started 10 years ago, and it started as a dream for my own child,” she said.

Mark Raimondo credited his wife’s strength and determination for making the vision become a reality.

It started in a garage, he said, grew to a location in Riverlakes, grew again to their current location — and now they’re about to grow again.

“What we saw as a need for us has become a need for all of us,” he said. “Has become a need for our world.

“Go to any restaurant at 5 or 6 o’clock and you’ll see 2- and 3- and 4-year-olds already in their phones. Reality is turned off,” Raimondo said.

People need to find a place where their children can learn the most important lesson: how to be quiet inside, he told the gathering.

“So, we’re proud to announce a couple things,” he said. “No. 1, we’re going to have what I believe is the only known meditation and yoga center in line with a preschool.”

It will be available not only to the children, but to adults as well.

There will also be a hands-on edible garden, the Virginia Garden, named for his late beloved mother.

Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh was there Monday to celebrate with the Raimondos and their partners in working together to make the vision come to life.

She spoke about the project as “vision for our future, vision for our children, vision for our community, in building a better Bakersfield.”

Article Provided by: Bakersfield.com

Historic Woolworth’s building set to reopen as downtown Bakersfield’s revitalization gem

Wallace & Smith Team — Thu, 03 Apr 2025 17:22:00 +0000

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — For 75 years, the Woolworth building has stood tall in the heart of Bakersfield. Now, the local landmark and luncheonette is set to make a return.

As revitalization continues in Downtown Bakersfield, this building behind me is set to make its long-awaited re-debut to the public, and how soon are they to reopen their doors?

After receiving the thumbs up, the local favorite and tourist stop, F.W. Woolworth’s building, is now part of the National Registry of Historic Buildings. While under new building ownership, the Moneywise team is determined to preserve one of Bakersfield’s long-standing gems.

“The primary jewel of the building is the old historic lunch counter, or the Woolworths luncheonette,” said Moneywise CEO, Owner of F.W. Woolworth Building, Emily Waite. “It’s the last functioning lunch counter in the country. Very special, very important. It’s a 75-year-old building this year, its 75th anniversary. We don’t have many historic buildings in Bakersfield, so it’s really important that we preserve that.”

With the 1952 Kern County earthquake damaging many local structures, Sherod Waite said people haven’t had a chance to acknowledge historic downtown buildings.

“I think that people will be surprised to hopefully be surprised to see the level of quality that has come back to what the building looked like when it opened in 1950,” said Moneywise CEO, Owner of F.W. Woolworth Building, Sherod Waite. “And bringing back that Art Moderne style that is so uniquely American and tells such a unique story about Bakersfield just before the earthquake in 1952 and hopefully tells the story of the past, but also a unique story of the future, going forward, and what the revitalization of downtown can mean for all of Bakersfield.”

Ward 2 City Councilmember Andrae Gonzales said the initiative is seen as a significant step in downtown revitalization, attracting new investments and businesses. The return of the Woolworths luncheonette counter is anticipated to be a major tourist attraction, enhancing Bakersfield’s historic charm.

“I mean, I think the whole community should applaud their efforts,” said Councilmember Gonzales. “The fact that they chose to take on this project when many, many people would decline to take on this project, and they did so because of their love for this city. If I were mayor, I’d give them a key to the city because of their commitment to our community. They’re making it through this investment, they’re making Bakersfield a much better place.”

Woolworth’s is set to reopen by the end of the summer, the Waites said that they put their heart into this building and that the building will help form the community, and they are excited for people to come out and see when the doors are open.

Frugatti’s to expand to brand-new location in 2023

Wallace & Smith Team — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 21:46:00 +0000

Working with contractor Wallace and Smith, the new Frugatti’s will be double the size but most of that space will be devoted to the kitchen, which will have two wood-fire ovens and a separate prep kitchen for the catering side of the business.

There’s a chain slogan out there about customers being family but Ralph Fruguglietti really practices it at Frugatti’s, which he has run since 1990.

So when he was ready to announce the popular Italian restaurant’s plan to move to a brand-new location by next fall, he made sure to start with some of those close to the business.

“We made the announcement to all the employees last week, told neighbors (in the shopping center) and hotels,” he said, noting a lot of business comes from them. “They’re family.”

Luckily for customers, this move, slated for next September, should be relatively painless since the new standalone restaurant will only be a block north at Coffee and Brimhall roads.

“We didn’t want to move too far away from where we were,” he said. “We waited to find land that we could purchase to do what we wanted to do.”

The location is adjacent to land slated for, respectively, the Bakersfield Commons multi-use project and a hospital from Adventist Health Bakersfield.

Fruguglietti said he has been happy to call the current shopping center home for more than three decades but the shutdown in 2020 got him thinking bigger.

“During COVID, we started doing a lot more takeout. When we reopened our dining room, it took over and our kitchen was having a tough time keeping up with both.

“We realized we should do something to be better set up for the type of volume that we’re doing.”

Working with contractor Wallace and Smith, the new Frugatti’s will be double the size but most of that space will be devoted to the kitchen, which will have two wood-fire ovens and a separate prep kitchen for the catering side of the business.

Seating will expand by about a third, Fruguglietti said, with the dining room seating 190, 100 more on the expanded patio and increased seating in the private wine cave. The larger Vespa bar, with an actual scooter on display, will serve as a focal point of the restaurant.

A separate area for takeout customers, complete with its own entrance, will be another new feature.

The look will be “Italian farmhouse,” with tall ceilings and wrought-iron gates in front of the portico in the waiting area.

“We want the sights, the sounds, the smells of Southern Italy,” Fruguglietti said.

“It will have a definite look and feel of being in Italy. Even along the main driveway there will be olive trees and Italian cypresses.”

Along with family, the restaurateur leaned on longtime friend and fellow business owner Skip Slayton of Jake’s Tex-Mex to fine-tune the concept.

“He’s another great talent in the restaurant business. Between us, we’ve got over 70 years of restaurant experience.”

“We’ve been friends for so long, taken trips together. We took classes at UCLA, restaurant classes. We’ve gone to different states, visited 40 to 50 restaurants to get ideas and develop concepts.

“This being a big project, because we’re literally starting from scratch, he’s been a big, big help. … He’s not the architect but he’s helping create a vision.”

One thing that won’t change is the menu. Although Frugulietti usually does a slight menu update (replacing up to 10 under-performing dishes with something new) each year, there won’t be any major adjustments.

“I wouldn’t change success. … People come to us for a reason and we wouldn’t change it.”

That includes the pastries now made by Fruglietti’s daughter Theresa. Her gluten-free Oreo cheesecake has been popular, and the menu also includes truffles and seasonal cheesecakes including pumpkin and peppermint.

“I’m very proud of her as only a dad can be. A daughter steps in and says, ‘I want to make our family desserts.’ She has improved it. She has done a great job.”

That paternal pride also extends to daughter Katina, who serves as office manager, and son Anthony, who has been working at Frugatti’s since he was 16 and now oversees all catering.

“They’re all involved and I love it,” Fruguglietti said. “From a dad standpoint, it doesn’t get any better.”

Even his wife, Anne, who created the restaurant’s beloved creamy garlic dressing, serves as a sounding board for Fruguglietti.

He also considers longtime employees part of the restaurant’s family, which he expects to grow from 70 workers to 100 at the new location.

Although people in the past have told him he should franchise his brand, Fruglietti is excited to simply expand the restaurant he has built with loved ones.

“I’d rather put our money into building a bigger and better Frugatti’s than spreading myself too thin.”

“It’s pretty neat to be able to do this with your entire family.”

Article Provided by: Bakersfield.com

Bitwise keeps on track even as pandemic leaves project timing unclear

Wallace & Smith Team — Sat, 16 May 2020 21:53:00 +0000

Project manager Josh Slayton, with Bakersfield’s Wallace & Smith Contractors, agreed that workers are making good progress at the construction site.

Preparations for a new computer tech hub in downtown Bakersfield are proceeding more or less on schedule despite the coronavirus crisis. But it’s almost impossible to predict exactly when it will open.

Fresno-based owner Bitwise Industries had been hoping to launch the shared office space, software development center and computer coding academy as soon as this summer. And there’s still a chance the space being redeveloped for those uses at the southwest corner of 18th and H streets will be operational this fall.

As anxious as the company is to get the project up and running, however, Bitwise co-founder and CEO Jake Soberal emphasized it will be left for public health authorities to decide when it’s safe to throw open the doors.

That’s no reflection of reduced demand for the services expected to be available at the site, he said.

Not only have calls from potential tenants continued to come in regularly, Soberal said, but mass layoffs resulting from California’s March 19 stay-home order make Bitwise’s job-training activities even more urgent.

“Bitwise is absolutely undeterred in its intention to do something wonderful in and with Bakersfield,” he said.

Work on the downtown building’s plumbing, framing and structural elements has largely tracked the original timetable, he said, adding the project is “maybe our smoothest project we’ve ever done, knock on wood.”

“It’s really encouraging that Bakersfield isn’t just willing,” he said. “It’s also ready and able.”

Project manager Josh Slayton, with Bakersfield’s Wallace & Smith Contractors, agreed that workers are making good progress at the construction site.

Attention has turned to the building’s first-story walls as crews continue to fix up the structure’s electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems, he said.

Meanwhile, workers are respecting social distancing guidelines and no one has had to be pulled off the job because of COVID-19, he said.

“We’re as responsible as possible,” he said.

Bitwise is also taking the quarantine as an opportunity to help host an online event titled “No Place Like Home: Virtual Culture Fest.”

Set for 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. May 23, the festival will feature presentations and entertainment by an extensive lineup of DJs, performers businesses.

Delano Regional Medical Center opens state-of-the-art Outpatient Services Building

Wallace & Smith Team — Thu, 14 Jun 2018 22:29:00 +0000

Delano Regional Medical Center had a grand opening ceremony and dedication June 13 for its new state-of-the-art $20 million Outpatient Services Building.

The hospital is proud to provide enhanced medical service to the city of Delano and surrounding communities. The building is the most advanced and newest imaging center in Kern County.

The Outpatient Services Building provides diagnostic support for the community hospital.

Located adjacent to the main hospital’s entrance, the facility offers convenient access from parking and close proximity to hospital functions.

The first floor of the 12,000-square-foot building includes patient registration, preoperation consultation, laboratory and retail pharmacy services.

The second floor is dedicated to X-ray, fluoroscopy, mammography, ultrasound and bone densitometry functions. MRI, CT and nuclear medicine are positioned on the third floor along with support space for staff.

The building is also home to new Delano Family Pharmacy, a pharmacy designed to better meet the needs of the community.

The new building marks a milestone for health care services in the area.

The event included a series of presentations, live music by Bakersfield Jazz Workshop and light appetizers. Tours of the new building were also available.

Article By: Bakersfield.com

Park Square at Seven Oaks – Wallace & Smith General Contractors

Wallace & Smith Team — Fri, 25 Sep 2015 21:32:00 +0000

Showcasing the future of technology in the multifamily residential market

Located in Bakersfield, California, Park Square at Seven Oaks is one of the newest luxury multifamily residential developments from Fuller Apartment Homes. Built by Bakersfield-based Wallace and Smith General Contractors, the development’s 224 units are spread out across 16 individual, two-story buildings, giving each resident a sense of privacy while providing a full slate of communal amenities.

While Park Square at Seven Oaks boasts a green belt with walking and bike paths, a clubhouse, outdoor bar and a fire pit, it’s the development’s technological amenities that really set it apart. Built with a digitally literate client base in mind, Park Square at Seven Oaks features keyless entry, ultra-efficient European-style AC units and unrivaled internet speeds thanks to a super-broadband fiber optic connection.

Park Square at Seven Oaks – Wallace & Smith General Contractors
“The client is really big into technology and wanted to have the fastest internet speeds provided, so we ran fiber optic cables to each individual apartment,” says Lance Randolph, project manager at Wallace and Smith.

“It’s really different from any other projects here in the city because very few developments have those types of speeds to each unit. There’s obviously an additional cost, but it’s one of the big selling points for the tenants,” he says.

The development’s keyless entry system uses a key fob system that allows residents to use just one device to gain entry to their apartment or any community building. The system also allows management to limit access to certain areas after hours, such as the pool or fitness center.

A playground of innovation
In an effort to deliver energy-efficient homes that help reduce heating and cooling costs, Park Square at Seven Oaks has installed Fujitsu Multi-Zone Heating and Cooling units in every bedroom and common room throughout the development. The system is both quieter and more efficient than typical central air systems and is easier to install.

“It’s a European style that is becoming very popular in the U.S. right now and you don’t have to run any duct work; you can just turn on a portion of the system and instead of heating or cooling the entire apartment you can just do one area,” he says.

Park Square at Seven Oaks also features a fitness center and conference area, a pool with double gas grills, an outdoor bar area with lounge seating a hot tub, on-site maintenance staff and covered carport parking. The development is a short walk to a number of local bars, restaurants and cultural attractions and hosts weekly activities such as barbecue nights, game nights and happy hours.

Building beyond the residential market
Construction began on Park Square at Seven Oaks in late 2013 and was completed by the first quarter of 2015.

Founded in 1950, Wallace and Smith General Contractors has completed work throughout California and surrounding states with projects in the industrial, aerospace, medical and oil field sectors. The company has an expertise in various modes of construction including wood-framed, concrete tilt-up, masonry, steel framed and pre-engineered steel.

The company has recently completed a number of marquee projects and an affordable housing development for agricultural field workers in a rural farming community 45 minutes north of Bakersfield, California.

Wallace and Smith routinely bids out work to a network of trusted subcontractors, but the residential nature of the Park Square at Seven Oaks development required the general contractor to limits bids to those with familiarity in the market. “With the kind of money involved here you can’t afford to hire someone who doesn’t have experience on that type of project,” he says.

Given their impact on a project’s schedule, Randolph rates the pouring of concrete slabs as one of the most important scopes of work on the development. “The concrete contractor has 15 to 17 slabs to pour and if he doesn’t get on the right pace everyone else is behind, so I needed a concrete guy who consistently knocks it out of the park,” he says.

With a long list of leading amenities, including some of the fastest internet speeds available in any multifamily residential development, Park Square at Seven Oaks is setting itself apart from the competition and providing a luxurious, tech-friendly home of the future in Bakersfield, California.

Article Featured in Blue Print Magazine