Mark II Properties was formed in October 1975 as a real estate development company with Bob Bourgeois and Jerry Swanger as principals.  Mr. Bourgeois and Mr. Swanger had worked together since 1971 and were involved in the management of a division of AVCO Community Developers, and later Harry L. Summers, Inc.  Mr. Bourgeois was the Controller and Chief Financial Officer for these entities and Mr. Swanger was the Director of Operations.

The first projects by Mark II Properties were residential subdivisions.  Mark II completed projects in Poway, Rancho Bernardo, Santee, Olivenhain and San Diego.  These projects ranged from FHA/VA subdivisions in Poway, Santee and San Diego, to expensive conventional projects in Rancho Bernardo and Olivenhain.

In October of 1978, Mr. Bourgeois was killed in a traffic accident.  Larry Cornick joined Mark II at that time, assuming the duties of Controller and Chief Financial Officer.  Mr. Cornick has 24 years of construction/development experience, holds an MBA in Finance from Columbia University, and is also a CPA. 

While some of the residential projects in Rancho Bernardo and San Diego were being completed, the company's focus began to change from residential to commercial.  In the latter part of 1978, Mark II formed a joint venture with Middlesex Development Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Monarch Capital, a Massachusetts based life insurance company.  For the next 15 years this joint venture developed and enjoyed a particularly close business relationship that resulted in four joint venture real estate investments, including two acquisitions in Temecula at the southern tip of Riverside County.  To date, approx. $25 million worth of real estate has been developed by the partnership.

JOINT VENTURE PROJECTS:

MDC-MARK II - In 1978 this joint venture was created to develop a 41-acre business park in San Diego.  Since inception, the partnership has developed 337,432 sq ft of mixed-use space.  The Mark II Business Park as it was named is located one block west of Interstate 15 on Miramar Road, directly opposite Miramar Naval Air Station.

MDC-CALIFORNIA - A mixed use project consisting of sixteen acres fronting on Interstate 15 in Temecula.  This property has been divided into two parcels.  The first phase, a 100,600 sq ft light indistrial/commercial facility was completed in 1988.  The remaining 6.51 acre parcel was sold.

IMPERIAL II - Was comprised of two components, including a fifty-six unit townhouse development as well as an approved and recorded parcel map for a 294-unit PRD in the City of San Diego.

MDC-VAIL - A 720-acre ranch was purchased in June 1986.  At the time of purchase the property was an unzoned working cattle ranch that was also in an agricultural preserve.  In 1988 the joint venture received approval of a Vested Tentative Map and a Specific Plan #223.  At that time the joint venture was also able to remove the property from the agricultural  preserve.  In September 1988 a residential portion of the property totalling 520 acres was sold.  The remaining property is commercially zoned and 119 acres have been sold with the remaining 8 acres being developed by the a new partnership into Butterfield Station, a retail business center.