Three storefronts in the center of the Third Street Promenade are getting a makeover.
Architect Josh Shedd is stripping off the stucco covering the brick building, replacing the red tile roof with curved metal and marking off three outdoor dining areas with enclosures and awnings. 1319, 1321 and 1323 3rd St. currently share a single roof but their façades vary in design. The renovation will unify the building with a simple, modern aesthetic.
Silverlake Ramen moved into 1319 3rd St. in October, but the other two spaces are empty. Bobarrito used to occupy 1321 and changed ownership in September, taking on the name Pink Sushi, but has since closed. (Shedd designed Silverlake Ramen.)
The building won’t be empty for long, though: Shedd said the upcoming renovation is attracting new tenants.
“Tenants are now fighting to get these spaces, and all I did was bring the old building back and clash it with metal to create a high-end looking concept,” he said.
Shedd said the new architecture will help restaurants that move into the space to attract customers, especially millennials, whom he said prefer restaurants with a sleek, defined look. The Gallery Food Hall, located immediately to the left of Silverlake Ramen, reopened in May 2017 after undergoing renovations that modernized the 1991 building.
The renovation to one of the Promenade’s most central spaces comes during the early stages of Promenade 3.0, an overarching plan to update the shopping district as the country experiences a retail apocalypse driven by the growth of online shopping. Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM) installed sidewalk furniture and games in September to encourage visitors to linger and conducted a survey last week to better understand how people use the Promenade.
Making the physical space of the Promenade more attractive helps bring in foot traffic, said DTSM CEO Kathleen Rawson.
"We simply have to evolve with the times in order to maintain the vibrancy of our community,” she said. “Renovations and upgrades to the buildings that line the Third Street Promenade will play a key role in the future success of the street.”
Shedd said he is in talks to renovate another building at 1360 3rd St. using a similar technique. The building was built in 1916 as a bank and was renovated in the 1960s.
“To bring the Promenade’s buildings back to life, it just requires creativity and support from landlords,” he said. “They’re learning right now that … no tenant wants something that looks ordinary.”
The renovation will take about two months and begin after Shedd obtains building permits, he said.
