Matthew Johnson can drive by some 150 buildings in the Coachella Valley and tell you what hand, big or small, he had in each one’s development.
As the President of Johnson Commercial Real Estate, Johnson has spent the last 34 years crafting his real estate development vision. “What I like about real estate is that it’s concrete. When everything is said and done you can go and drive by it. You can see it,” Johnson says.
“It is not just something you made on a spreadsheet somewhere and it got put into your bank account. I can drive by and point here is what I did on that one, even if some of them were just leasing. I’m very proud of what I do.”
As a pilot and self-described automobile fanatic, Johnson’s latest project combines his passion for all things that go zoom.
The making of Grant Toy Garages
In the racecar industry, you could say Allen Grant is a bit of a legend.
He spent a large part of his youth racing cars, even winning the West Coast Championship and Rookie of the Year in 1962. Eventually, Grant snagged a job as a welder and racecar driver for American automotive designer Carroll Shelby. Together they helped design a prototype vehicle that would eventually lead to the legendary Ford GT.
Allen heard about Johnson and his previous experience in building a race track. Together, the two worked out plans to build an exclusive car storage facility designed to house some of the finest exotic and collectible automobiles and other toys in the Coachella Valley.
“Allen has the name, he has the background in the automotive industry. I had the technical know-how to get this project from idea to completion,” says Johnson. “Together we make a dream team, and I can also say I made a lifelong friend in the process.” So, Grant Toy Garages was born.
A place for everything
Grant Toy Garages has 36 separate car storage condominiums ranging in size from 1,110 sf to 1,500 sf. Each unit has an insulated panel door, electrical panels, skylights, fire sprinklers, insulated ceiling, partition walls and a utility sink.
The site itself has 50’ concrete drive aisles, an RV dump, secured block walls with gated entrances, restrooms and security cameras.
It’s located just south of Sun City at 39402 Berkey Drive Palm Desert, CA 92211. The plan is to host a grand opening on February 1, 2023.
Johnson says it’s exciting to see months of planning finally come to fruition. “In the construction world things are built three times; number one in your mind, number two on paper – it’s drawn and permitted – and number three the contractor actually builds it,” says Johnson.
“So being able to navigate that process of the concept to the drawings to meeting the clients and figuring out what the city needs and meeting codes. We’re right on the edge of completion and I am so excited to share this with our community.”
For more information call Johnson Commercial Real Estate at 760-779-4000 or visit their website at www.
