The long-awaited Staples-anchored strip mall redo at Jewel Street and Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach is on track for completion before summer’s end, including a roll out of its six tenants who are presently customizing their individual retail spaces.
“The center should be complete near mid-August,” said Vicki Piazza of Carrier Johnson + Culture, project architects. “Most of the tenants have started working on their interior spaces, with staggered openings starting late August. 
Piazza confirmed that the tenants in the strip mall at 1650 Garnet Ave., which already have signs up around the construction fencing, include: San Diego County Credit Union (SDCCU), Staples and Trader Joe’s. 
“PetSmart is under construction and will probably open after these first three,” said Piazza adding, “There are two other tenants, that are working through their lease agreements, so they are not final, but I think most people will be pleased with the tenants.”
 Piazza noted the initial idea was to keep half of the building space at the Staples mall and rebuild the other half, which had to be abandoned because, she said, “The building, built in 1962, just wasn’t equipped to handle modern big-box retail.”
The architect said previously that the new Staples is a “prototype store,” as much as 2,000 feet smaller than its previous space.
Two businesses previously in the mall, Empire Beauty Supply and Salon, and Daisy Cleaners moved across the street to the property that once housed Pacific Coast Bicycles at 1637 Garnet Ave.
Three other businesses formerly in the Staples mall – Little Caesers and Postal Annex – have left and will not be returning. CVS has an existing pharmacy across the street in the Vons shopping center.