A historical building sits at 1400 Park Street — the same corner as Starbucks and Peet’s near Central Avenue.
The building has been vacant for about five years. The most recent tenant was Total Travel Gallery, but previous to that it was a Wells Fargo branch office where they were the original tenant since the building was built in 1888.
Part of the reason why this building has been vacant for so long is because of its size, price, and some limitations of the building that make it difficult to accommodate certain types of businesses that might otherwise work here.
The space is 6,500 sq. ft. on two floors. Because it's in such a prominent location the price per square foot is on the high end of the spectrum. One issue with the layout is about half of the square footage comes from the offices on the second floor which isn’t very useful for retail shops or restaurants.
A brewpub was interested in this space but the floors can’t support the weight of the beer tanks and the added costs of rebuilding the floor was a deal breaker. Some restaurants have looked at it, but a kitchen would have to be built which is very expensive, so they would have to feel really good about their odds. Chase Bank also considered this building, but they decided on another location that has a parking lot.
The owners of the building are aware of the size and price so they're willing to negotiate. But even if they brought the rate down to mid-market levels, the size and layout of the space would still be a problem so they’re considering diving up the space into smaller units that could be used for retail, restaurant and office space.
We’d like to get your suggestions on the types of businesses you would like to see here.
Please use this link to suggest on Spotmojo: http://www.spotmojo.com/openspot/1400park/
Alameda Patch has partnered with Spotmojo to collect your suggestions. The suggestions submitted on Spotmojo will go to the broker and potential businesses. You can make your suggestions in the comments section below, but please note, your suggestions posted on Spotmojo will go directly to the broker and potential businesses.
Spotmojo is a website where you can suggest the businesses you want where you live, work, or play. The suggestions are provided to new businesses and commercial real estate brokers to help new businesses find their ideal location. This gives you a voice in the businesses that open in your neighborhood and it helps local businesses succeed.
