Older Stockton Building Will Be Transformed Into Artist Lofts
STOCKTON (CBS13) — One of the oldest and largest buildings in downtown Stockton is about to undergo a huge renovation as part of the city's plans to help revitalize and bring more life to the area.
The structure, which is roughly 90 years old, is turning into a mixed-income apartment building. It's a first of its kind project focused on attracting area artists and retail.
A few days ago, Stockton business owner Patricia Ayala became part of the downtown landscape with a new hair salon located inside an old building that was recently refurbished.
"It felt like this is the place that we were meant to be; it's so multicultural around here, you see lawyers walking by, you see the kids walking by. It's so urban, yet so sophisticated," said Ayala.
Ayala is expecting her list of clients to grow once Stockton's first mixed-income apartment project is complete. Developers are turning the 90-year-old Medico-Dental building into the Medici Artist Lofts, creating 33 units, most of which will be affordable housing.
"It brings more people, more life, it brings color and flavor to downtown. For many years, downtown has been desolate, boarded up buildings. Only a portion of downtown has been utilized. I want to bring more activity, more street activity and that's restaurants, shops and housing," said Zac Cort of Ten Space.
The new apartments are part of the open window project approved by the city last year. It allows developers like Ten Space to bring abandoned buildings back to life.
"We're really fortunate that these kinds of housing projects are moving forward in downtown, because that is really going to improve the progress of the downtown revitalization," said Cindy Fargo of the Stockton Downtown Alliance.
Developers have a goal of bringing 1,000 residential units and 400,000 square feet of commercial space and retail to downtown by redeveloping old structures.
"It's going to be popping, there is going to be all kinds of amazing businesses around here, all the new development that are happening, the housing, this is it, this is the future of Stockton," said Ayala.
A groundbreaking for the mixed-income apartment project is set for March 2018.
