Downtown Visalia’s Main Street could see a mixed-use development with up to 41 apartment units according to a plan filed with the city this week.The quarter block development is planned where the Giant Chevrolet car dealership was for decades, at the SW corner of Main Street and Liberty, east of Santa Fe.
According to the preliminary plan to be heard by planners this week, the project involves two proposed buildings, one of which would have a retail ground floor space. One building would be four stories and the other would be three stories and include gated parking for the 41 residential units in the project.
The site is vacant, having been cleared years ago where the Chevrolet dealership once stood. The location is next to a transitional growth area for downtown and current site of a number of popular retail and restaurant spots including Barrel House,Simply Brewing and Sierra Bicycle Werks.
This part of downtown was known as the auto sales and repair district for the city but has, over the years, been reinvigorated with new investment in retail and restaurant spaces.Now the area could see its first major residential project right on Main St, only blocks from where the new Visalia Civic Center is being built.
The $7 million project at 617 E Main St is being proposed by Seng Saephan with Visalia architect Norwood David Williams submitting the plan. Buildings would add up to 65,000 sq feet with the ground floor retail space (in building A) of 11,722 ft.² feet being split into six different size storefronts. The design would replicate the small storefront frontage found next door along Main.