Solano 80 Shopping Center Redevelopment SWQ I-80
& Solano Ave., Vallejo, CA
Click here to download the Solano-80 Plans and Demographic Report
A. Location
Solano/80 Shopping Center is located in the City of Vallejo, County of Solano, State of California. Situated in the geographic center of the city, Solano/80 is ideally positioned to serve southwestern Vallejo and the central portions of the City in close proximity to I-80.
The site is bound by Solano Avenue on the north, which together with Solano Avenue's easterly extension, Springs Road, is one of the major east-west surface arterials in central Vallejo. I-80, together with its west (south) bound on-ramp off Solano Avenue, runs along the eastern perimeter of the site. Fourteenth Street,
a two-lane residential collector street, forms the east boundary of the site. Residential property bounds the site to the south.
B. Existing Property
Originally built in 1968-69, Solano 80 is an existing 10. 8-acre, 113, 744 s. f. building area neighborhood center. For many years its principal tenants were a 25, 868 s. f. supermarket, originally a Lucky and then Albertsons,
and a 61, 675 s. f. general merchandise and drug store, originally a Payless NW Discount General Merchandise Store, then Payless Drug Store, and now a Rite Aid Store. Albertsons closed in the center in 2004. For many years both Payless and Rite Aid have operated in only the front half of the building they have occupied.
C. Project Description
It is proposed to transform the center into a contemporary, fully featured ±139, 126 s. f. building area neighborhood center anchored by a 45, 450 s. f. Mi Pueblo supermarket, and a 17, 400 s. f. “new world prototype” Rite Aid store with drive thru. The project will also contain a 15, 330 s. f. Harbor Freight Tools, a new Taco Bell with drive thru, and approximately 33, 791 s. f. of neighborhood serving retail and personal service uses. Two other large space leasing opportunities will also be available in the new shopping center: a 16, 000 s. f. and a 7, 800 s. f. retail space, both immediately adjacent the new supermarket.
Click here to download the Solano-80 Plans and Demographic Report
Because the new supermarket is proposed to occupy a portion of the existing ±61, 000 s. f. Rite Aid building, the project must be constructed in phases. Initially, Taco Bell which currently has a restaurant located where Rite Aid will be building its new store, must construct a new facility just east of its current location. Simultaneously, Harbor Freight Tools, which occupies part of the old Albertsons and a new 7, 520 s. f. building to be built directly adjacent to the east wall of the existing Rite Aid will also be constructed at the same time Taco Bell is relocated.
Upon completion of construction of the new Taco Bell, Harbor Freight Tools, and 7, 520 s. f. building, the existing Taco Bell and old Albertsons will be demolished and the new Rite Aid built. Upon completion of construction of the new Rite Aid, Mi Pueblo and the adjacent 16, 000 s. f. retail space compromising the entire former Rite Aid building, as well as the then remaining 16, 290 s. f. shops to be constructed, will be completed.
The entirely rehabilitated center is scheduled to be fully open for business in the third quarter 2010.
D. Neighborhood Description/Trade Area Population/Demographics
Claritas Inc. estimates that as of July, 2005 there are 23, 659 persons living within one mile of the Solano/80 center and 76, 468 persons within two miles. Of the population within one mile of the site, 46. 24% is White, 18. 81% Black, and 14. 26% Asian/Pacific Islander. The current average family household income is estimated at $62,473. Perhaps the most compelling attribute of the site is its strategic location which makes it easily the most readily accessible neighborhood shopping center to serve all of southwest and south central Vallejo. There are simply no other major retail complexes west of I-80 in the southern half of the city. An analysis of Census Tract Map Data See Section V: Trade Area Demographics/Population would indicate Solano/80 Center is easily the closest commercial complex to 16, 815 persons and most accessible to 28, 991 persons living in central and southwest Vallejo.
Trade area housing stock is characterized principally by older single-family dwellings. Small multiple dwellings can, however, be found interspersed throughout the residential areas lying west and south of the site. Higher income levels and more expensive housing is found east of I- 80 and the physical and psychological barrier created by the freeway has clearly resulted in antipathy on the part of some residents living east of I-80 to visit the site, despite the fact in many instances it is easily their closest shopping option.
The entire city of Vallejo is racially diverse. The immediate neighborhood surrounding the site reflects such diversity. The majority of residents are, however, of European descent, although it is an aging population median age 35. 77). Given the relatively affordable cost of housing in southeast Vallejo SFD ±$250-300,000), in the next decade it can be expected the area will become increasingly multicultural with younger families and larger household sizes.
E. Traffic Circulation, Access, and Visibility
Solano Avenue is a four lane major surface arterial, which with its extension east of I-80, Springs Road, runs virtually the entire east-west width of Vallejo. A raised median divides the street along half of the center's frontage closest to I-80. The balance, or west half, of the center's frontage on Solano Avenue has a center two-way left turn lane. Solano Avenue carries approximately 11, 500 cars daily past the site. Just east of I-80, Springs Road carries 17, 328 vehicles daily.
At the center's immediate northeast corner is an on-ramp to west (south) bound I-80. Built in the 1950's, there is actually a driveway off the on-ramp into the center. As of 2002, CalTrans found the on-ramp had a daily traffic volume of 4, 500 vehicles.
Fourteenth Street, running along the site's western perimeter, is two lanes undivided widening to four lanes at its intersection with Solano Avenue. Fourteenth Street has an ADT of 4, 400.
I-80 carries 145, 000 vehicles daily past the site. An east (north) bound exit is present at Springs/Solano; as well, as noted above, a west (south) bound on-ramp. Full freeway access may be found 1/4 mile north of the site at Tennessee Avenue,
and a west (south) bound off-ramp is located 1/4 mile south at Campbell. An east (north) bound on-ramp may also be found 1/2 mile southeast of the center on the east side of I-80 at Georgia Street.
F. Competing Retail Development
As noted earlier in this report, Solano/80 Center enjoys a virtual neighborhood shopping center monopoly in southwest and south central Vallejo.
The closest supermarket is a freestanding 30, 000 s. f. Safeway located approximately 1/4 mile south of Solano/80 Center on the west side of I-80 at Campbell and Lemon. Other proximate neighborhood retail competition lies 1/2 mile east of I-80 at the SEC of Springs Road and Oakwood in the ±80, 000 s. f. SpringsTown Shopping Center, and a ±35, 000 s. f. Save Mart at the SEQ of I-780 and Glen Cove Ave., approximately 2 miles southeast of the site, and a Walgreens in a small center at the SWC of Rollingwood Drive and Springs Road approximately two miles due east of Solano 80.
Perhaps, the most vital commercial concentration in west central Vallejo is the street front retail located along Tennessee Street west of I-80. That retail corridor contains upwards of fifty retail and service providers.
The heaviest concentrations of retail and the most recent developments are all found in the northern part of Vallejo, specifically along Hwy 29 Sonoma Blvd. and along Admiral Callaghan Lane located south of Columbus Parkway, just east of I-80, where retailers such as Home Depot, Target, Kohls, and Bed Bath & Beyond may be found.
G. Conclusion
Mi Pueblo is the foremost Latino supermarket in Northern California. Upon completion of its redevelopment the Solano-80 Shopping Center will be the dominant retail complex in the southern half of Vallejo, and an ideal location from which retailers catering to Latino consumers can draw customers from all areas of Solano County,
and perhaps, even Sonoma and Napa Counties, as well as conveniently serve all ±76, 000 residents living within two miles of the site.
Click here to download the Solano-80 Plans and Demographic Report