San Ramon Village: Volk-McLain's grand blueprint that gave us two cities

Before there were bustling freeways, shopping centers, or city limits, there were just fields—miles of open ranchland and quiet orchards stretching across the San Ramon Valley. Up until 1960, the areas we now call Dublin and San Ramon were rural and unincorporated, dotted with cattle, orchards, and little else. That all changed when a pair of Los Angeles developers—Kenneth Q. Volk and Robert B. McLain—arrived with bold blueprints and an even bolder vision: to transform this pastoral valley into a $300 million master-planned community called San Ramon Village.

From ranches to a model city

The name “San Ramon Village” wasn’t chosen at random—it honored the area’s deep roots, particularly Rancho San Ramon, a 20,000-acre Mexican land grant awarded to José María Amador in 1834. Over time, Amador sold pieces of his land, including large portions to Leo Norris and James Witt Dougherty. These sprawling ranches, along with adjoining land from Rancho Santa Rita, formed the patchwork that would become the future city. Today, Dougherty Road still cuts through the heart of what was once Rancho San Ramon.

Historic map centered on Dublin, with Rancho San Ramon (Amador) and Rancho Santa Rita (Bernal).

Though the idea of developing the land began taking shape in the 1950s, it wasn’t until 1955 that San Ramon Village, Inc. was officially formed by the Los Angeles-based San Ramon Walnut Land Company. Their ambition was clear: transform the rural San Ramon Valley into a modern suburb. In 1959, developer Carl M. Buck purchased 12,000 acres for $750 million and proposed a grand plan: 29,000 homes for over 100,000 people. However, Buck withdrew in January 1960. Within hours, Kenneth Volk and Robert McLain—who operated one of the nation’s largest homebuilding firms—stepped in and acquired 4,300 acres from Buck, laying the groundwork for a massive new community stretching from Bishop Ranch in San Ramon to Arroyo Mocho in Pleasanton.

From a February 1960 Oakland Tribune—introducing the new model city.

Building the dream: San Ramon Village takes shape

By February 1960, Volk-McLain unveiled their ambitious blueprint: a master-planned community with 9,200 homes across 13 neighborhoods, each centered around an elementary school. With no incorporated city to govern the land, they helped establish a community services district to provide basic utilities and services. Billed as “city-close, country-quiet,” San Ramon Village offered suburban charm with urban convenience.

Construction officially began on July 6, 1960. Just two months later, on Labor Day weekend, the first homes debuted to the public. Thousands came to see these modern ranch-style homes in a town of the future.

From a September 1960 San Francisco Chronicle ad—grand opening of San Ramon Village, Labor Day weekend.

Volk-McLain spared no effort in promotion. Newspaper ads featured detailed artist renderings of the community-to-be—schools, motels, shopping centers, even a conceptual loop around Alcosta Boulevard connecting to Silvergate Drive. The excitement was electric.

From a September 1960 Oakland Tribune ad—artists rendering of San Ramon Village, with 680 slicing through the middle.

Welcome to the neighborhood

San Ramon Village included grand masonry entrance gates, which were installed at the corners of Highway 21 (now San Ramon Road) and Amador Valley Boulevard. In 1961, these gates were further enhanced with handmade decorative lamps imported from Sweden, adding a unique touch to the entrance of the burgeoning community. Unfortunately, these landmark gates were removed in the 1980s when San Ramon Road was widened, having succumbed to the wear and tear of time and weather.

From an April 1961 Daily Review—San Ramon Village entrance, corner of San Ramon Road and Amador Valley Boulevard.

On November 3, 1960, the first 38 families moved into their new homes in San Ramon Village. In a grand display dubbed "Operation Big Move," a parade of Bekins moving trucks carried the new residents from downtown Oakland, through the Caldecott Tunnel, and down through Danville, marking the official start of the village’s population. In one day, San Ramon Village went from zero residents to 175, symbolizing a wave of urban flight as people sought better living conditions away from crowded cities. Most early buyers hailed from just over the hill, coming from inner East Bay cities.

From a November 1960 Daily Review picture—Operation Big Move, as taken from Donahue drive, with cavalcade turning left from Amador Valley Boulevard.

Building a community: recreation and expansion

In 1961, San Ramon Village opened its first recreational center and swimming pool, a boomerang-shaped structure located in the northwestern corner of the Dublin Elementary School site on Vomac Road. The center became a hub for community gatherings and recreational activities, though it only lasted for about a decade. By the early 1970s, it was replaced by a much larger swim center near Dublin High School to accommodate the growing population and expanding needs of the community.

From a July 1961 Daily Review ad—the beautiful boomerang-shaped San Ramon Village Community Recreation Center.

The city that almost was

By 1963, momentum had built for incorporating the growing region into an official city. A formal proposal was submitted to Alameda County, with San Ramon Village as the centerpiece. But the effort fizzled. Pleasanton, wary of losing land and tax base, quickly annexed much of the proposed area. The incorporation effort failed, but the dream of a new city persisted.

From a January 1963 Daily Review picture—proposed new city that covered Dublin, much of Pleasanton, all the way to Livermore.

Growth, sales & subdivisions

By the Village’s fourth anniversary, the development had exploded. More than 2,400 homes had been sold, home to about 10,000 residents. The success drew other builders, and Volk-McLain began selling off parcels to diversify the area’s housing stock. Infrastructure flourished—fire stations, medical centers, schools, cable TV, and even a golf course.

At the same time, major freeways (I-580 and I-680) were being built, dramatically improving commuter access and fueling even faster growth.

Postcard from about 1965 with San Ramon Village Shopping Center in the foreground.

A changing landscape

By 1965, the population hub of San Ramon Village had shifted northward. The name “San Ramon Village” started fading, replaced simply by “San Ramon,” especially on the Contra Costa side. The original heart of the community around Alcosta Boulevard and Village Parkway had been envisioned as a dynamic town center. It included plans for a 300,000-square-foot indoor mall—complete with shopping, dining, a hospital, and even a BART station.

Parts of that vision came to life. Kodak’s campus with its iconic fountain became a local landmark. Safeway launched its Super Safeway concept at the new Alcosta Mall. But the grand retail vision fell short. Without freeway visibility, department stores stayed away, and the mall eventually declined. It was demolished decades later to make way for new housing.

Aerial view of San Ramon Village in 1965.

The final chapter for Volk-McLain

By early 1965, Volk-McLain had built thousands of homes across seven subdivisions. Their final effort, Country Club Estates, broke ground near San Ramon Country Club. But after just 10 homes, they left the homebuilding business altogether.

In 1967, the company sold the remaining land to Property Research Corporation and shifted its focus to industrial development. Their chapter in San Ramon and Dublin’s story had come to a close.

Location of Volk-McLain developments in San Ramon and Dublin.

One village, two cities

Though San Ramon Village began as one community, it was divided by the Alameda and Contra Costa county lines. By the early 1970s, the Alameda side became the foundation for what would become modern Dublin, while the Contra Costa portion continued to evolve into the city of San Ramon.

A postcard of Dublin California in Spring of 1971.

Aerial views of Dublin looking north in 1961 compared to looking east in 1974.

Each city took a different path—Dublin becoming the commercial heart of the region, with car dealerships, big box stores, and the iconic San Ramon Drive-In. San Ramon leaned more residential and business-park focused. But both shared a common origin: the dream and drive of Volk-McLain.

A legacy that lives on

Today, Dublin and San Ramon are thriving cities—but their stories begin with a single, bold idea: that orchards and ranches could become vibrant communities. And while San Ramon Village no longer appears on maps, its spirit lives on in neighborhood names, street layouts, and the lives of thousands who call this valley home.

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