Local manufacturer Rudy’s Refrigeration is seeking to expand its operations in San Pablo with the construction of a new 25,549-square-foot industrial facility at 1701 Rumrill Blvd., near Market Ave. The San Pablo Planning Commission is scheduled to review the proposal at its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, July 22.
The proposed one-story building would house additional warehousing and assembly space for the company’s custom commercial refrigeration units. The facility would include 42 surface parking spaces, a rear loading dock, perimeter landscaping, and a trash enclosure. The project also requests a minor adjustment to increase the maximum fence height from six to eight feet and a 10 percent reduction in required parking, made possible by the site’s proximity to a public transit stop.
The expansion would mark Rudy’s third facility on Rumrill Boulevard. The company, which has operated in San Pablo for years, purchased the project site in 2024 with the intention of broadening its manufacturing footprint in the city. The site is currently occupied by “This and That,” a used building materials store slated to close. All existing structures would be demolished as part of the redevelopment.
According to city staff, the project aligns with the recently adopted Rumrill Corridor Plan and General Plan 2035, which encourage infill development, employment-generating land uses, and revitalization of underutilized properties. The site is in the process of being rezoned from Industrial and Commercial Mixed Use to the new Employment Mixed Use (EMU) designation to reflect those goals.
City planners have determined the project qualifies for a CEQA exemption as infill development. In addition, Rudy’s has offered to enter into a shared parking agreement that would make its lot available to the public during events at the neighboring Rumrill Sports Park.
