Developer Hopes To Buy 12 Acres Of Downtown Stockton Properties For Renovation
STOCKTON (CBS13) — The Stockton City Council is considering selling 12 acres of downtown properties to a private developer.
As an example of their work, Ten Space developers renovated a building on North Sutter Street that had been vacant for 30 years and found a tenant for it, a daycare.
"We took a lot of the historic elements the building had and we worked within those guidelines. The floors, the exposed beams, the concrete, the existing staircase," said CEO Zac Cort.
Ten Space hopes to do the same for dozens of vacant buildings in Downtown Stockton as the City Council considers selling 51 parcels for the company's open window project.
"I think it would be a good thing. Anything that draws more people downtown is a good thing," said Midtown Barbers owner Zak Sarras.
He recently opened his first business and he's attracting clients who just happen to walk by his shop.
Ten Space says there is a lot of interest in the downtown area because of its location and art deco architecture. It says many of the historic buildings are safe to renovate.
"We've done a lot of work on the front end, so there are no surprises going forward," said the company's community development director David Garcia.
But before Stockton can see any rehabilitated buildings, some of the buildings in its plan will have to come down.
"This old hotel and some other dilapidated and buildings that have been a cause of blight on the downtown area," Garcia said.
Ten Space says if it can buy up the vacant city properties, it won't ask for any public money, and the entire project would be paid for with private funding.
If approved, demolition of blighted properties will begin in the coming months.
