New project key to Vista's revitalization

By: STACY BRANDT - Staff Writer | Saturday, November 19, 2005 11:00 PM PST ∞

VISTA ---- In the next couple of years, a developer expects to transform a dusty parking lot in the center of town into a multistory residential and retail building that city officials hope will serve as a catalyst for revitalizing a key downtown thoroughfare.

The mixed-use building ---- with retail businesses on the ground floor and condominiums on upper levels ---- is planned for the city-owned lot on the corner of South Santa Fe Avenue and Main Street.

The project could be a key link between the city's quaint downtown, the Vista Village retail and entertainment center and the long-awaited revitalization of the South Santa Fe/Mercantile corridor, city officials have said.

"You couldn't ask for a more strategic spot," said Tom Flemming, president of the Vista Village Business Association, a nonprofit organization made up of downtown merchants that promotes business in the area.

Many details of the project ---- what the building will look like, how many units it will include ---- have not yet been decided, but the city recently made a key announcement about who might eventually develop it.

City's pick
On Nov. 9, the City Council ---- acting as the city's Community Development Commission ---- chose Newport Beach-based Pelican Properties over a dozen other companies as the preferred developer for the proposed mixed-use building. The small company specializes in buildings that combine retail and residential in historic downtowns, officials said.

"They're the ones we're going to work with first, to see if they come up with a concept that we like," said Dena Fuentes, the city's redevelopment director.

The decision to go with the developer was based mostly on the company's experience with similar projects, city officials said.

Though the company has built or is working on comparable projects in Huntington Beach, Tustin, Fullerton and Long Beach, the Vista project will most likely be different than those, said Dick Hamm, one of the company's owners.

"What we've found is most of these projects are unique," Hamm said. "It's not like we can take a project that we built before and just build it over here."

About all that is certain about the project's design right now are city demands that it be a combination of residential units and retail spaces and provide enough parking to satisfy the increased demand. The city is considering a three-story parking structure for the site. The building itself is expected to be four stories tall.

If all goes according to the developer's plans, the building could be ready for residents as early as 2008.

Setting the stage
The downtown property has been referred to by city officials as a "demonstration block" that will set the tone and essentially launch the planned revitalization of the Santa Fe/Mercantile Corridor.

The corridor encompasses more than 2,000 acres along Santa Fe Avenue, from just north of Vista Village Drive to just southwest of Escondido Avenue, as well as nearby Mercantile Street, which runs parallel to Santa Fe Avenue for several blocks.

Most of the buildings along the corridor, one of the city's oldest business districts, were built more than 50 years ago.

City officials hope the proposed mixed-use building will jump-start the private portion of the ambitious overhaul by attracting private investment and newer buildings to the area.

"We really see this as kind of setting the stage for future development along the whole Santa Fe corridor," said Jeff Zimmer, the city's redevelopment and housing manager. "Our hope is that all of the laying of the groundwork is the impetus and sets the stage for private development to take over."

Most of the city work will be focused on improving the infrastructure in the corridor. Plans call for South Santa Fe Avenue to remain four lanes, though parts of the busy street will be widened to accommodate angled parking and sidewalks will be extended for pedestrian traffic. Storm-drain installation and sewer system upgrades are also in the works.

Money for the improvements will not be taken from the city's general fund. Most will come from grants, city redevelopment funds and county street-improvement funds, Fuentes said.

"It's going to be really looking at all possible funding sources," she said.

The demonstration-block property is bordered by Vista Village Drive, South Santa Fe and Main Street and is commonly used now for parking during special downtown events such as the annual Rod Run or holiday parade. It is directly across South Santa Fe from the new Coldwell Banker real estate office that opened recently in the Vista Village shopping center.

Completing the missing piece
The next step for Pelican Properties is to draft tentative plans and secure an exclusive negotiating agreement with the city, officials said.

Before plans are drawn up, company officials plan to meet with local residents and business owners to hear their ideas about the project. No specific dates have been announced, but Hamm said he expects the meetings to be held in December and January.

Hamm and city officials stressed the importance of community involvement with the project.

"I think one of the things we liked about them is they definitely gave the impression that they would go into a community and try to determine what it is that the community really wants," Zimmer said.

After gathering community input, the company will pass the information on to planners and architects who will try to design a plan that meets the concerns.

A preliminary development plan is expected to be presented to the city in mid-January. The city does not necessarily have to chose Pelican to complete the project, but if the firm's proposal is accepted, the city could arrange to sell the land to the firm early next year.

All of the residential units in the multi-use project are expected to be for sale, because rental properties aren't currently profitable, Fuentes said. Rental rates would have to be between $1,800 and $3,200 a month in order for the site to make money, she said.

After more than a year of public meetings, project design, financial analysis and negotiations, the company could began construction as soon as 2007, Hamm said, though delays are common, especially when dealing with redevelopment projects.

He said he's eager to get the project under way.

"It'll be great to complete that piece that's missing between Vista Village Drive and downtown Vista," Hamm said.

The Vista Village Business Association leader agrees.

"It's going to mean everything to us," Flemming said. "It would be the key that ties it all together."

Contact staff writer Stacy Brandt at (760) 631-6622 or sbrandt@nctimes.com.

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