City Seeks Firm to Find Bank of Pinole Tenant

The city is looking for a broker to find a tenant for one of Old Town's iconic buildings, the former Bank of Pinole at 2361 San Pablo Ave. The city has issued a request for proposals, which is an invitation for brokerage firms to submit a strategic plan for finding a retail occupant.

The chosen broker "will be responsible for providing the city with services, including local commercial real estate markets analysis, pro forma and business plan analysis of  potential tenants and assistance with lease negotiations," according to a statement released by the city Thursday. The deadline for submitting proposals is 4:30 p.m. on July 11.

Since the city purchased the building in 1975, it has housed the city's Tiny Tots pre-school, city youth recreation and the Atlas Alehouse. The most recent tenant for the 3,000-square-foot building, The Flower Cart, left last fall after rejecting proposed lease renewal terms. The neoclassical structure has been standing since 1915 and got a seismic retrofit following the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.