Work began this week on a major redevelopment at Uptown District in Hillcrest—you know, that shopping madhouse where Ralphs and Trader Joe’s are located. Big changes are already underway as the center becomes The HUB | Hillcrest Market.
Walls are up around what will become a courtyard between two food and beverage tenants. Regency Centers, who purchased the development at the end of 2012, is currently seeking unique restaurant concepts to lure guests into the new courtyard area.
They’ve already started tearing up the concrete. La Salsa and Pick Up Stix previously occupied the spaces on each side of the courtyard.
The $3 million renovation will include custom murals by local artists, new wayfinding signs, new landscaping, and art sculptures by Chris Puzio and MakeFab.
Uptown District opened in 1989, replacing a Sears department store. The mixed-use development was a pretty new idea for the time. Next time you’re in line at Trader Joe’s, look around for historic photos of the site as it was before redevelopment.
We’re okay with a little mess if it means neighborhood improvement.
HUB stands for Hillcrest Uptown Block. We can’t decide if that’s clever or just marketing baloney.
Spoiler alert: that Facebook page doesn’t yet exist.
Here’s what that new courtyard will look like. It’s not a huge area, but it could turn out really nice.
RadioShack wants you to know they still exist, but you’ll have to walk around if you want to go in.
Napizza, a popular Little Italy joint, is moving into the 2,010-square-foot space to the right.
If there’s one thing we love, it’s a public notice of alcoholic beverage sales. No protest here.
It will be great to see these empty spaces transformed into lively restaurants. We think Hillcrest has lost some of its luster in the last year or two, but this boost in development could make a big difference.