At 57 , the soft-spoken Warren still looks and moves through his art-laden , neo-Deco offices like the athlete he began as before a series of surgeries , starting at the age of 15 , ultimately made him change direction . “ I already had screws in my ankle when I signed with the Yankees ,” he says , “ but I also loved playing baseball and just decided a little pain wouldn ’ t stop me .”
That spirit of determination could serve as a motto , or even mantra , for Warren ’ s career . Like most developers he ’ s withstood the slings and arrows of pandemics , politics and recessions (“ Four of them just in my lifetime ,” he says ). He ’ s been alternately praised and pilloried in the press (“ sometimes in the same issue of the newspaper ,” he says with a wry grin ), as he served two accomplishment-strewn terms as the city councilman from Del Paso Heights , where he was born and has his elegant suite of offices .
Warren founded New Faze in 1990 . Its initial urban niche was infill development -- but in the 32 years since its founding , he expanded its portfolio both geographically ( into rural and suburban milieus ) and categorically ( to include retail and commercial development in what Warren calls “ all shapes and sizes ).”
Warren and his wife of 25 years , Gina -- a doctor of clinical pharmacy who co-founded with Marilyn Woods the Neighborhood Wellness Foundation , whose stated mission is “ to disrupt intergenerational trauma and poverty in Del Paso Heights ” and the surrounding areas -- have three grown children . Braxton is a businessman ( whom we ’ ll hear from a few paragraphs from now ). Roman is currently attending UC Irvine on a soccer scholarship and sole daughter Synclaire “ just graduated from Fordham University and is working for the United Nations . She plans to become a writer ,” says her proud papa . “ Our kids have been beautiful blessings .”
“ Allen is a pillar who ’ s withstood the stresses and challenges of life ,” says Charanjeet ‘ Charlie ’ Kaur Tiwana , vice president of New Faze Development , where she ’ s worked for the past eight years . “ One of his greatest attributes is that he is imaginative and sees opportunity most other people don ’ t , which makes him a true visionary . He sees people ’ s strengths that they might not see in themselves and he challenges them to be better and do better . He can spot talent from a mile away and he gives people opportunity by bringing them to the table . This makes him a great mentor .”
Warren ’ s New Faze Development firm has current ( and varied ) projects going in California , Nevada and Missouri . He feels equally at home developing master-planned communities , affordable housing and neighborhood retail ; in fact , one of his forthcoming urban mega-projects is planned for his own base : a major grocery store and residential , anchored center on roughly five acres , with additional retail and residential elements . This project is still in its planning stages . He says he ’ d “ love to talk about it , but I ’ ve learned to never jump out too far ahead . But it ’ ll happen and it ’ ll be great for the people of Del Paso Heights and North Sacramento .”
The area ’ s borders are in occasional dispute -- especially by a handful of business owners , special interests and residents who consider that the area has a negative vibe primarily because of its substantial multi-ethnic population and people experiencing homelessness , even though it ’ s hardly cornered the market in the city on those particular traits . District 2 and North Sacramento are bound on the north by the so-called “ Beltline Freeway ” ( I-80 ), on the west by Norwood Avenue , on the south by Arcade Creek , and on the east by Roseville Road .
“ Over the years , the area has developed a negative vibe , partly due to the income levels of its residents , the distorted crime figures , the school districts in the area and never being championed for being one of the most diverse areas in the country ,” explains Allen . “ The media has been reluctant to report on the positive aspects of the area and its people . All too often , the media headlines are negative . The reason for that is that those negative headlines sell newspapers .”
“ One of Allen ’ s greatest strengths is that he values diversity ,” says his VP Tiwana . “ Our team is a testament to this , because we speak over eight languages and come from many different cultural backgrounds .”
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