The DOWNTOWN Report Early November 2023

By Mike Ritto on November 2, 2023 • ( Leave a comment )

OctoBoo Fest

Downtown Fullerton Plaza was a safe trick-or-treating event for kids on October 26. There was a costume parade, bounce house, face painting, food vendors, and plenty of treats for the whole family.

Changes in town

Toyz N Fun

A Loungefly Retailer that carries toys, backpacks, purses, Pokemon, Funko, Sannio, and many other items. They are moving from their former location at State College. Welcome to downtown.

Semilla Plants

Semilla closed its operation at 109 N Harbor on October 14, and they are now looking for another location nearby where they can sign a long-term lease for stable growth, so hopefully, you will see them return before too long. In the meantime, they will continue with pop-ups, private events, installations, and launching their website while searching for a new location. This is a family-owned and operated business, just what our downtown needs more of, and they have been able to do well here.

Sojeata Organic Café

This Café & Creamery at 115 E Commonwealth had a soft opening on October 21, serving selected items from their menu. One menu item that stands out is – croffles? Yes, it’s a croissant and a waffle made with organic ingredients, available in sweet and savory flavors. Plant-based & vegan options are on the menu. Wow, that part of downtown is evolving. The Greenery and a health food store were once located on that block. Healthy options have returned.

Walking Tour / Hike

Kay Miller was there when Business Owners and the Fullerton Downtown Business Association needed her help with Winterfest and other downtown events, and she is still there. Now, she and Fullerton Heritage invite us to meet them at the lower parking lot on Lemon and Valley View, at the base of the stairs, for a walking tour of Hillcrest Park. It starts at 9am on November 4, $5 cash/check on the event day, or go online for pre-pay and more info at http://www.fullertonheritage.org/tours. It’s FREE for Fullerton Heritage members. The hike will last about two hours; dress accordingly and bring water.

Works Progress Administration Downtown

It was called the ‘New Deal’, and the US Government undertook a huge number of construction projects to create jobs and stimulate the economy via the Works Progress Administration (WPA). They built schools, hospitals, airfields, and bridges, and here in Fullerton, we requested and received more state and federal relief funds than any other city in Orange County.

If you go on the tour mentioned above, you will learn more about the historic fountain and surrounding stonework completed with those funds and restored in May of 2018. Also, part of the WPA was the bridge we mentioned in our last issue. Here it is, restored after the unfortunate collision that took it out. The artisans on this project are doing an incredible job, and they pointed out that there is much more steel in the new railing, so it should last a very long time. They also pointed out the plaque you see here, confirming our suspicions that it was another WPA project.

Downtown Rents

There has been a lot of business turnover in the past couple of years, and we always try to fill you in on the changes here. It does happen everywhere and all of the time, but it seems a bit different now. As the popularity of our downtown goes up, so does the demand, and you know the rest –location, location, location. A local real estate professional whose business it is to know the ins and outs of this trend confirmed that some of the mom-and-pop shops we have held near and dear are having trouble making it, and there may be no end in sight. A business can’t just increase prices to keep up. Innovation is in the air, and it’s up to some creative, hard-working entrepreneurs to figure this out. They may very well be doing that right now, with several new ones from elsewhere in town finding the north end of downtown the place to be, moving in, making improvements, and adding new energy. One thing that helps our retailers? Here it comes –Shop Fullerton First.