The Soft Renaissance of Historic Downtown Vista

Greg Gershman

VISTA, CA—Quietly but confidently, historic Downtown Vista is emerging as a hip, safe and culturally diverse North County neighborhood distinguished by murals and public art, residential development and fresh, appealing retail , Lee & Associates brokers Greg Gershman and John Perrillo tell GlobeSt.com. They told us exclusively about what’s been happening in the commercial real estate realm of this unassuming North County San Diego community. GlobeSt.com: How would you characterize the renaissance of Downtown Vista? Gershman and Perrillo: Quietly but confidently, Downtown Vista is emerging as a hip, safe and culturally diverse neighborhood. It is distinguished with murals and public art, and new residential development is adding density and inviting walkability. Businesses and residents are taking note, and the buzz is growing. Downtown craft breweries Mother Earth and Belching Beaver helped anchor the “craft” scene. Coupled with eateries like the Flying Pig, Urbn Pizza and Yellow Deli, Downtown Vista is evolving to the compact and vibrant energy of North Park and Little Italy. In addition to the influx of creative, hip new retail locations, the City of Vista has invested heavily into streetscape improvements along S. Santa Fe Ave, including a linear park, new sidewalks, decorative light posts and a gateway arch.

John Perrillo

GlobeSt.com: Tell us about the residential development taking place. Gershman and Perrillo: More than 1,000 modern, class-A multifamily units have been built in the last two years within a one-mile radius of Downtown, and more development is in the pipeline. The Skye Apartments located at 501 W. Bobier is another large multifamily development that is approaching completion. This project consists of 290 innovative apartment units. This apartment complex is taking advantage of the vibrant energy of the “New Downtown Vista” by creating a more social living environment. The Skye Apartments has multiple social spaces including outdoor sitting areas, state-of-the-art gym, child play zones and many more groundbreaking amenities. GlobeSt.com: What other types of properties are being developed? Gershman and Perrillo: Multifamily projects are not the only property type drawing interest from developers to Downtown Vista. Tideline Partners , whose business is composed of investment-management and client advisory services, recognized the need for aesthetic yet functional retail properties in the underserved market of Downtown Vista. Its goal is to build experiences in developing markets that foster economic , social and environmental value. Tideline’s commitment to quality and creating inspiring spaces is evident in its most recent redevelopment project at 227 Broadway . The property is located in the heart of the historic Downtown and provides a unique and rare opportunity to secure a hard corner in the center of all the activity and growing foot traffic. Tideline acquired the site and began brand-new, ground-up construction . They hired Point of Departure Architecture to design a full renovation of the existing site, and Jbrown Construction was brought on to build the project. This has resulted in a mid-century, modern, retail/restaurant location that encompasses the beauty of modern architecture while remaining environmentally responsible.