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Developer submits rebuilding plans for The Paramount condos
By: ANDREA MOSS - Staff Writer | ∞
ESCONDIDO -- Eight months after the largest structure fire in city history destroyed most of The Paramount condominium complex, the city has received solid indication that the project will rise from its ashes -- albeit in a scaled-down form.
The 4.5-acre condominium project on Escondido Boulevard at Woodward Avenue was well into construction when a spectacular blaze on Jan. 18 destroyed virtually all of the complex. Damage was estimated at $6.6 million.
D.R. Horton, the Fort Worth, Texas-based developer behind the project, filed a rebuilding plan with the city Aug. 27. The revised plan, which outsiders said may be a response to new market conditions and an attempt to attract more young families, calls for 92 condominiums instead of the 122 originally planned.
The size of the condos will remain unchanged -- ranging from 1,800 square feet to 2,100 square feet -- but each of the homes will have four bedrooms instead of the two and three bedrooms in the original plan.
The condos will be distributed among 16 buildings, each of which will be three stories high, according to the plan, compared with 12, four-story structures in the original version. The project will keep its art-deco style and cream, brown and sage-green exterior colors, the plan shows.
The switch to three stories apparently eliminated the need for the elevators once planned for half of the units; the new plans include no elevators.
City officials said Wednesday they were pleased to see D.R Horton back up its promises to rebuild The Paramount with something on paper.
"That's good news," Councilman Ed Gallo said. "It took a little longer than I expected, but they had other issues to work over, I guess."
Although he had yet to see the rebuilding plans, Gallo predicted the scaled-down plans will make the complex a better project than originally planned.
"I think (it's now) a better fit for downtown," he said.
City officials have held The Paramount up as a project that is key to plans to revitalize Escondido's downtown area by mixing housing with existing businesses.
The blaze, which investigators determined was started by an unnamed reckless construction worker, quickly reduced four partially completed buildings to smoldering piles of twisted metal and other debris. One building, which contained The Paramount's model units and sales office, was saved.
D.R. Horton representatives have repeatedly declined to comment publicly on the project's future, but city officials have said the company told them that it planned to rebuild the complex. A contractor hired by the developer cleared the fire debris earlier this year.
On Wednesday, principal city planner Bill Martin said he and others in his department were still going over the plans.
"We're happy that (the developer has) come back in with a product," he said.
David Stern, vice president of acquisitions for D.R Horton in its San Diego office, referred all questions about the design changes to the company's corporate office. Executives there did not return phone calls Wednesday afternoon.
Martin said he suspected the developer was responding to the success of another downtown condominium complex whose units are selling as soon as they are built. That project, Citysquare by Barrett American, is on the southeast corner of Centre City Parkway and Second Avenue and features three-story condominiums priced in the high $300,000s.
MarketPointe Realty Advisors & Residential Trends President and Chief Executive Officer Russ Valone, whose company offers consulting services to developers, said changed market conditions and a decision to target young families as buyers rather than empty-nesters and speculation investors may be among the other factors behind The Paramount's design changes.
"A three- or four-bedroom configuration is a little bit more family friendly and maybe broadens out (your) consumer profile," said Valone. "Also, it's cheaper to build more, smaller buildings versus building more large buildings. So there could be costing considerations going into the newer plan that maybe makes it a little bit more affordable.
"With the changes in the marketplace, they may have reasoned that it makes sense to build a smaller, less-dense product in this marketplace today than when they were building before."
Debra Rosen, chief executive officer of Escondido's Downtown Business Association, said that, like Martin, she believes Citysquare's success played into The Paramount's design.
"They sold out pretty quick," she said, adding that association members are excited about what that could portend. "I think it's a really good indicator of what's to come down here."
Police have turned the results of the fire investigator over to the San Diego district attorney's office. DA spokesman Paul Levikow said Wednesday that no criminal charges have been filed.
-- Contact staff writer Andrea Moss at (760) 739-6654 or amoss@nctimes.com.
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Escondeeter wrote on Sep 5, 2007 10:28 PM:Well, clearly Horton knows their market, but I'm not clear on how having a large number of units that will end up being filled with six member 'extended families' will help bring up-scale retail foot traffic to the downtown.
Escondodo wrote on Sep 6, 2007 2:37 AM:If this new plan is accepted, it will prove that the city council has no plan and no standards. This was touted as a DINK paradise full of sophisticated yuppie types who would patronize the art galleries, restaurants, and CCAE, and not rug-ratville. The heart of downtown is not an ideal environment for lots of kids. Will these folks be asked to move when the kiddies become teens and have cars to park? This flies in the face of every reason put forth to build this mess in the first place. I'm predicting a lot of 'I told you so's' down the line. This is the kind of build it now, plan it later approach that we have come to expect. I am so disgusted.
D.R. Horton wrote on Sep 6, 2007 5:42 AM:seems to be stuck ... For one thing, young adults can't usually afford these condos and older adults often request an elevator. The only building left, I believe has four units in it is attractive. 16 buildings with more than four units won't look as nice. Also, the Barrett project has no elevators. Many have requested this feature. We won't be buying any condo without an elevator feature. AND... who wants to live in a building (four bedrooms) with a bunch of noisy and obnoxious children?
More mess wrote on Sep 6, 2007 6:48 AM:Downtown is clearly not an area for young families. Why would anyone want to raise say a 7-year old in downtown Escondido. These units are now aimed investors who will fill them ten to a unit or individuals who will rent out the extra rooms. Downtown Escondido will now look more like East Washington St.
Rubber stamp wrote on Sep 6, 2007 6:49 AM:Why does the Escondido Council even vote on these developments. They just rubber stamp anything the developers propose. Quality of life has a zero-weighting in their decision process.
Robert24 wrote on Sep 6, 2007 7:44 AM:Maybe code enforcement on parking will help with the "extended families" issue, Escondeeter! We can only hope.....
lost wrote on Sep 6, 2007 9:05 AM:Another brilliant post by Escondeeter. Way to be positive! CitiSquare sold out 18 units in one months time. The sky isn't falling, so please calm down.
Pablo wrote on Sep 6, 2007 9:44 AM:So now the developer plans to appeal to young families not empty-nesters and speculators. With the introduction of four bedroom units city officials must take steps to ensure that the condo rules are written to protect buyers and city taxpayers from potential burden from residential overcrowding, you know, more than one family per condo. With the proximity of the Quince day laborer mecca, renting rooms or having house guests for extended periods should be prohibited. With the change from twelve to sixteen buildings will there be enough room for the needed amenities a quality project provides. Will city staff, planning commission and council see to it that the developer will be providing open space with benches for moms and their young ones, play space for the children, a pool that families can use or will they be told "you don't need your own?" After all, they can go share Grape Day Park with the homeless. Will the developer be required to provide at least twenty three off-street guest parking spaces for visitors as required by the city's off-street parking regulations? This could be a very nice complex or it could become an extension of the barrio. Hopefully the powers that be ensures the former.
It would be interesting wrote on Sep 6, 2007 10:23 AM:to see how many of these as well as all the other condos that are going up are "Owner" Occupied. I would bet that the council and Mayor are catering to investors and most of these will be bought and rented out. Then these too will look like most of the other apartment complexs in town.
Escondeeter wrote on Sep 6, 2007 12:18 PM:"lost" continues to be at a loss when it comes to following a train of logic. The CitiSquare project has a unit complement that is appropriate for the stated goal of downtown development, namely to locate individuals of significant net worth within walking distance of Grand Avenue. CitiSquare's smaller units attract that kind of resident, a project full of four bedroom 'family' housing will not. As the unbiased posters to this blog have noted, family housing is inappropriate to the area, won't accomplish the goal of ensuring the survival of Grand, and will ultimately end up being occupied by multiple families in each unit. The individuals who need to 'calm down' are those who equate any realistic discussion of the facts with unbridled hysteria.
Escondildite wrote on Sep 6, 2007 1:03 PM:3 stories, no elevators, a gazillion bedrooms, and lots of kiddies. Yep, thats just what us baby boomer, empty nesters want. Sounds more like "the projects" in Chicago than an upscale downtown condo project designed to revitalize a seedy area of downtown. Great work Escondido City Council.
Floyd wrote on Sep 6, 2007 2:31 PM:Do you mean to tell me that a project of 90+ dwellings will only have 23 guest parking spaces? What happens on New Year's Eve, when everybody invites their friends over for a party? At three visitors per condo, you'll need over 270 guest parking spaces! Inadequate parking will haunt this project, best to add it now rather than later.
Just Say No wrote on Sep 6, 2007 2:37 PM:Escondido's city council must tell DR Horton, no your latest proposal is not what we envision for our city. One, two and three bedroom projects are what is needed to revitalize downtown. If Horton can't do that they should sell to someone who can. On August 7, 2007 the NCT reported that Barrett American sold all 18 two and three bedroom condos in their downtown development in 30 days. Escondido does not need 92 four bedroom condos downtown.
Dave Of The Desert wrote on Sep 6, 2007 4:21 PM:Will it condo's have a parking garage for shopping carts?
This is bad news wrote on Sep 6, 2007 5:11 PM:If Ed Gallo or Sam Abed are thinking of running for re-election in 2008 they better stop this monstrosity dead in its tracks.
marilyn wrote on Sep 6, 2007 5:23 PM:no height, no elevators, no view, in the middle of a high crime area - fun fun fun
Do you think we're stupid? wrote on Sep 7, 2007 3:59 PM:This is only an excuse to get more than one family per unit. DR Horton is only looking to get these things sold and nobody will qualify unless there is more than one family. That area will continue to be the slum it has been for years. I would never live there and I sure wouldn't raise a kid there.
To Escondeeter wrote on Sep 7, 2007 4:02 PM:Who would live there if if they had "significant net worth"? I don't know of many people of means who would choose to live in a slum/barrio
Lisa wrote on Sep 7, 2007 9:41 PM:Does anyone have a drool bucket? Ed Gallo's drooling is getting a little ugly. He is soooooo excited that DR Horton has resubmitted plans (sans the "rebuilding plans". Huh?). Gallo doesn't care about the largest structural fire in the city's history or the cost for the EFD to "fight" the fire (or should I say: watch it burn, since they couldn't get on the developement site). Nor does Gallo care about the fact that DR Horton postponed work on their other two projects, despite the fact that the un-finished projects have been an EYE-SORE in the City. Mr. Gallo doesn't care who will eventually live in the units, just AS LONG AS THEY ARE BUILT!!! (I mean can you imagine the property tax revenue of the development). I'll be curious to see if DR Horton will contribute to the 2008 campaign of "sure to run" Gallo (of course, the contribution will be the new increased max allowed amount - thanks to the council's recent resolution regarding such --- things that make you go "HMMMMM"). Mr. Gallo is trying to realize his dream of downtown Escondido becoming a 24-7 life-style... irregardless, of how the city will fund the increased need for services (you know: police/fire/ schools/traffic/water/sewage/electric). Hello? Will the new plans also include a new Environmental Impact Report (I mean, "Mitigated Negative Declaration" (aka. the less costly & scaled down version of an EIR)? So...get the drool bucket out, Ed Gallo obviously needs it. (Now...come on NCT...print this blog...you know that many others feel the same way.)
To Lisa wrote on Sep 8, 2007 10:45 AM:If anything is ugly it is your unsubstantiated personal attack on Ed Gallo. It's obvious the drooling going on is yours onto your keyboard. And Lisa, regardless of what position Ed Gallo takes everyone knows you will make the effort to find fault, deservedly or not.
To "To Lisa" wrote on Sep 9, 2007 11:58 PM:Oh, that's a good one. "Unsubstantiated personal attack" you say...Hey, I'm just letting Gallo's track record speak for itself. Come on, now...me think thou doth protest too much. Speaking of personal attacks...what about the time when "Mr. Gallo" called the people of Escondido: 'Hayseeds'? Do you remember that? And his reason for his remark would be....???? And his "substantiated proof" would be...???? I also found your last remark humorous...re: 'everyone knows you will make the effort to find fault, deservedly or not'. Who is 'everyone' that you refer to? Your comment is ridiculous. Believe me! I could show plenty of substantiated proof of Mr. Gallo's rash & bad decisions, in addition to his regular insulting remarks to the people and about the people (you know the ones he supposedly represents). Obviously, he represents you...But, he does not represent me. I occassionally agree with his view/position, but I honestly do not believe, nor have I seen him act in the best interest of the majority of the people of Escondido. And BTW, I think you were personally attacking me with your comments, but that's "no biggie", I expected at least one die hard Gallo Fan. Have a good one!
pablo wrote on Sep 10, 2007 9:16 AM:... You are right about one thing Lisa I do support Ed Gallo's efforts to clean up the mess Escondido has become. Many, many others feel the same way. There is proof, in case you missed it. Ed Gallo and Marie Waldron vote the same on most issues and in Escondido's city council election last year Waldron ran away with the vote. Ed Gallo will do the same in 2008. ...
Dennis A wrote on Sep 10, 2007 9:30 PM:Young or not How are you to get your food bags or any thing else like the Grand Ma or Grand Pa up stairs! I would need at least one elevator per unit. If I read this wrong, sorry to take your time I need to check my glass's
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