New Renderings of 5800 W. Alameda Ave. Project

Metro West Housing Solutions is out with new renderings of their 5800 project, which I first reported on in February of 2015.

The $34 million dollar project, to be completed by the second quarter of 2018, will bring add approximately 150 affordable units of housing to the downtown Lakewood area, and will include a courtyard area, playground, and community garden.

Bowlero Lanes at 5480 W Alameda Ave to Become Vintage Car Dealership

You may have noticed work happening at the Bowlero Lanes building at 5480 W Alameda Ave. The bowling alley has been closed for a while now, but the new owners, Elevation Motors, are renovating the space, which is set to become a rare and vintage car dealership.

The empty building had become home to squatters, and graffiti still covers many of the inside walls. As part of the renovation, all but a couple of the original wood bowling lanes were removed, with some of the wood being repurposed into furniture for use at the dealership, and the rest sold off for use in other projects.

The front of the building has some nice, mid-century bones, and I'm expecting the renovation to keep some of the building's retro looks.

Also, from what I've learned about the kind of autos the owners deal in (vintage muscle cars, German classics), I seriously doubt any of these cars will be parked out front. That leaves the question of what Elevation Motors plans to do with the large and dilapidated parking lot that sits between the building and Alameda. Hopefully the renovation budget extends to landscaping, as this project-- done right-- could really enhance this stretch of Alameda.

Brodo Italian Scratch Kitchen to Open in Belmar

Update: Now that Brodo is open, see my 2/20/17 review.

Jane Knauf and Rachel Shaheen, owners of The Wooden Table in Greenwood Village, are getting ready to open new restaurant in Belmar. The restaurant, which they describe as an 'Italian Scratch Kitchen,' will be called Brodo, and will take the place of The Oven and the original Jamba Juice location at 7161 W. Alaska Drive.


Business Den has the details, but Knauf and Shaheen apparently plan to Americanize the fare,  making it less authentically Italian than at their other restaurant.

Personally, this sounds like a terrible idea. With entrees expected to run between $18 and $25, I'm not likely to drop in for red sauce and chicken parmesan. Not unless it goes beyond the 'really good' category and enters that of 'Platonic ideal.'

My worry is that if the good citizens of Lakewood are unwilling to try anything more cutting edge than spaghetti and meatballs, then I'm not sure how Brodo is going to compete with the chains. After all, Mark Tarbell tried much the same thing with the late Mark and Isabella's, and that didn't work out so well.

Of course, I'm no expert on the Lakewood palate. If I were, maybe I wouldn't be so shocked whenever I go by our local Red Lobster and Olive Garden locations and see how many cars are in the parking lots. I mean, really. Sheesh.

The concept at Brodo seems to be one of familiar favorites-- made from scratch and with quality ingredients-- served in an inviting and modern space. Will it be enough? I guess we'll see...

Update:

Voland1935 stresses the involvement of Rachel Shaheen's husband, Brett Shaheen, in Brodo. Brett has an excellent reputation-- Westword, for example, refers to his cooking as "stunning."

It might also be worth taking a look at the Yelp reviews for The Wooden Table. The trend seems to be  excellent food held back only by a 'meh' atmosphere (it's in a strip mall, and the decor is decidedly low-budget). Brodo's Belmar location should solve this problem.

Share Fair Nation, Education Non-Profit, to Renovate Former Library Building at 455 S Pierce St

Share Fair Nation, an education non-profit founded in 2009, has purchased the former Belmar library building at 455 S. Pierce Street in Belmar to be their national headquarters.

The building was most recently home to the Learning Space, another education non-profit. Under the Learning Space, the exterior facade of the former library was renovated with grant funds to make it more energy efficient. Now Share Fair Nation is working on a complete, down-to-the-studs renovation of the interior.

The building is located on the residential side of Belmar, but its use as a national headquarters will likely be unobtrusive for residents. The bigger question (which has likely already been answered-- so if you know, please post below) is what will happen to the Belmar community garden, which has been using land attached to the building for a number of years now.

In Photos: First Friday on Block 7

A (Mini) Farmers' Market for Belmar

If you haven't noticed, the new, mini Belmar farmers' market has been up and running this summer on Teller St.

It's just fresh produce-- no hats, antiques, salsas, or Argentinian empanadas-- but with a "fill a bag for $10" policy, they seemed to be doing a brisk business the afternoon I stopped by.

Target Nixes Free-Standing Qdoba Restaurant for Belmar Over Parking Fears

I reported last year that Qdoba had proposed free-standing restaurant on a pad site in the Best Buy/ Nordstrom's Rack parking lot on the corner of Wadsworth and Alameda.

Well, the plan is apparently dead, killed by Target. The retailer, I've been told, exercised a contractual veto right it holds over any development on the parking lot in question.

If the story I've heard is true, it's really disappointing. As I've said before, there is no shortage of parking in Belmar, and even on weekends when the Target parking lot is full, there's always parking to be had across the street in the covered garage under Whole Foods, or in the multi-story parking garage across from Nordstrom's Rack.

I do know that Target expressed concerns over the construction of the Hyatt House Hotel as well, for the same reason, but was told by the City of Lakewood that building on that surface lot was going forward regardless.

What this tells us is that Target corporate just doesn't get Belmar or New Urbanism.