![\"Project](\"https:\/\/lamesacourier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/FINAL_render_Emporium_.jpg\")
<\/a>\u201cThen we walked outside and Tony noticed \u2014 which I didn\u2019t even see \u2014the La Mesa Emporium sign, the neon sign,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s when he said, \u2018How about we do an open market for the people of La Mesa?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
If all goes as planned, by 2019 the Village will see the return of La Mesa Emporium, an arcade of small businesses like juice bars, gift shops and art galleries. According to an historical review of the building by Urban Preservation & Planning, the original La Mesa Emporium \u2014 complete with that neon sign \u2014 opened sometime in the 1940s. Before that, it was regionally the Busch Garage and then a Pontiac dealership. According to the historical review, the original La Mesa Emporium had nine spaces occupied by \u201ca rock shop, a yarn shop, and several antique and retail shops.\u201d The plan for the new Emporium is pretty much the same.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe idea is to leave the inside as is, kind of keep the rich history of the building and put in smaller tenants throughout the space,\u201d Gaipa said, adding that he plans to have two larger \u201canchor\u201d tenants by the front of the building where he is installing large roll up doors and patio seating. For the inside spaces, he imagines smaller tenants selling \u201cthings that the community would really enjoy having.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re hoping to get in an artist who would have a little studio and that studio would rotate with different art works every month or so, bringing different paintings, sculptures,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n In addition to the retail spaces, the plans include converting a currently unused loft space in the building to a 1,200-square-foot multi-use area.<\/p>\n \u201cThis will be more of a La Mesa locals space,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cIt\u2019s multifunctional, they can come in and rent the whole center area for a party. It\u2019s one of those things we lost a long time ago and we\u2019re bringing it back.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt could be used for a number of different things,\u201d Gaipa added. \u201cYoga classes, it could be meetings for small companies, it could be events for parties, whatever people want to use it for. It would be available for rent on an hourly basis.\u201d<\/p>\n In addition to creating an affordable event space for locals to rent out, Gaipa sees the retail spaces in the Emporium as a real deal for the future businesses that will operate there.<\/p>\n \u201cNormally to rent a space like this, there\u2019s a lot of taxes and construction costs and the cost really gets into at least $10,000 per month in rent,\u201d he said. \u201cBut by breaking it down into smaller venues, the starting rent would be like $1,300, $1,400 for a small space or artist studio. That makes it much more affordable for the small businesses to get started and to have a La Mesa Boulevard exposure yet have low cost.\u201d<\/p>\n Plans for La Mesa Emporium are currently under review by the city\u2019s Design Review Board (DRB). Because the building space will only go through some minor cosmetic work on the walls, floors and the redo of the front fa\u00e7ade, the only hurdle Thomas sees in holding up the project is a plan to add two parking spaces, one handicapped, as well as a covered trash bin and an SDG&E utility box at the rear building by removing a section below the multi-purpose loft space. Thomas said the parking spaces are not required as long as the square footage of the building remains the same, \u201cbut it\u2019s the right thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n If the DRB doesn\u2019t accept the proposal, Thomas said, he could find a way to keep the square footage the same by adding it elsewhere, or the idea could get scrapped altogether.<\/p>\n \u201cI could still put in something else like a restaurant and not add any parking,\u201d Gaipa added.<\/p>\n Gaipa and Thomas are hoping it doesn\u2019t come to that and are optimistic that the project will get green-lighted because it is keeping so much of and highlighting the original building.<\/p>\n \u201cKeeping the old building is, I think, the key to this \u2014 keeping the character,\u201d Thomas said.<\/p>\n<\/a>
(Foto por Jeff Clemetson)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/a>
building again as a space for small vendors and
retailers.\u00a0(Foto por Jeff Clemetson)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n