2017 was a year of great progress for Downtown Stockton and especially the Ten Space family. This year, we welcomed several newcomers to the community and continued to enliven our streets with a renewed energy that had been absent in downtown for decades.
In the spring, Channel Brewing opened their doors at the historic Belding Building, joining upstart restaurant Cast Iron Trading Company to round out a complete transformation of the formerly empty retail spaces on the prominent corner of San Joaquin and Weber Streets. On any given weekend, you’ll now find revelers migrating between the two catalytic businesses, enjoying craft brew made right in Downtown Stockton and dining on some of the city’s most flavorful fare. Between the pair, Channel Brew and Cast Iron serve as pioneers for downtown dining and entertainment, hosting a variety of events, art shows, concerts, and trivia nights along with their quality food and drink.
And downtown’s advancement was not confined to one corner. Just down the street, Uniqo Salon now provides a unique, high-end experience in a raw, rehabbed 100 year old space on the ground floor of the Cal Weber 40 building. Further down Weber, The Sycamore event space hosts numerous gatherings, bringing hundreds of people downtown every weekend for weddings, fundraisers, proms, and countless other activities. Over on San Joaquin Street, the build out for Reality Stockton Church is nearing completion as well, and upon opening will bring over 200 congregants into the heart of downtown every weekend.
On the housing front, our partners at DFA Development achieved a monumental win as they secured funding to rejuvenate and reimagine the Medico Dental Tower as a haven for artists. The Medici Artist Lofts will break ground in the spring of 2018, thanks to financing secured through the ultra-competitive state tax credit program.
We are fortunate and grateful for the success downtown experienced in 2017. And while we took many positive steps forward this year, we are eagerly anticipating the start of 2018 when we will be making major announcements regarding the Open Window Project. Our long range goal for downtown has always included a plan for housing, and we are closer than ever to realizing that goal. Thank you to the community for continuing to believe in and support our vision, and we look forward to sharing even greater successes in 2018!