-September 26,2019-
Project includes seven live-work artist lofts and gallery
Self-Help Enterprises(SHE) has won the bidding to buy the Fort Visalia block in Downtown Visalia from the City. The fort was the first settlement in Visalia but had a more modern history as the vacant Copeland lumberyard. In recent years it has been used by the Arts Consortium to stage local art activities.
After several bids for the property, in a compromise move both the Arts Consortium and low income home builder Self-Help Enterprises will co-use parts of the square block with a plan to build three 3-story buildings – an architecturally designed mixed-use development.
CEO of Self Help Tom Collishaw says the nonprofit builder will carry out its long history of offering affordable housing, not just in rural parts of the Valley but in urban areas as well along with construction of an estimated 7 artist lofts featuring rollup door working spaces on the ground floor connected to second story residential units. The artist units built in a row – would face a proposed plaza allowing art events to be staged there along Oak St, home of not just the Consortium but Arts Visalia gallery and the dance studio.Office space for large art gallery will built on site here as well.
So you can see how they came upon the name The Lofts at Fort Visalia.All together the project is being designed with 81 units.
To add even more to excitement, the complex will likely feature a Fort Visalia model as well with perhaps space for displays telling something about Visalia’s early days,
Collishaw says like many of their projects that Self Help builds they are making the commitment anticipating funding in the next year or so.The development will likely not break ground until early 2012.
Collishaw says an award winning Sacramento architectural firm will design the The Lofts that will likely mean 100 to 200 new residents just a block from Main St.
The square block project fronts on Oak on the south,School to the north, Garden to the west and Bridge to the east.
The mixed-use development is a minute walking from significant new development in Downtown including the new Darling Hotel and its rooftop restaurant, well known Oak St restaurants, East Main brew pubs and scores of Main St eateries. It will be just 2 blocks from the convention center.
The design plan was was the subject of a city site-plan review meeting this week.