Big Things May Be Coming. Or Not.
This corner is where it all got started in Fullerton almost 125 years ago.
Now that Tiger Yang’s safely down the road, the building at the northwest corner of Harbor and Commonwealth is being remodeled, or as is more likely, given Fullerton’s history of downtown Redevelopment and design foilbles, remuddled.
Still, it’s hard to imagine anything worse than the aesthetic horror that’s there now – pure 1970s schlock.
Whatever happened to the Save The Tiger yang Mural movement? I remember it was picking up steam.
Whats going in there now?
If you are a believer in the benefits of Redevelopment you just have to have faith that the process is going to create a real architectural jewel.
Just like it did on the other three corners in this intersection!
How come the one picture looks so vibrant and the other looks like a freakin’ ghost town?
Could it be redevelopment? Just a educated guess. And Fullerton is the Education Community, right?
Why are those trees on the left trimmed into the shape of giant mushrooms?
Certain former council member likes to shroom…
That should be obvious from the way they just kept spending even after everything was spent.
It can’t be any worse looking, right? At the same time I can’t imagine how anyone could make it look any better. I think it has achieved a perfect zen state of dullness. It was a bank, right?
I wonder how much puke and piss is soaked into that wall, from patrons gettin drunk at shawn nelson’s bar
Wonder if there was/will be a going away party for Field Marshal Zur Schmiede. Someone should attend to, you know, wish him well..
Give me a trophy! A bronze toilette mounted firmly to the top of a big shaft. Symbolic of what I have done to the City of Fullerton.
prior to being a karate studio, this building was a bank until the mid 1970’s. Though restoration of the fox theatre consumes fullerton’s historical heritage society or whatever they call themselves, this building has more right to be preserved because it unusually reflects a juncture in american suburban lifestyle where life imitates art and from the mural drawn on the side of this building not very well. East began to meet west in the sudden popularity of the Bruce Lee karate movies that inadvertently opened the door to mass marketing of Asian culture( the embarrasing David Carradine TV series Kung fu was USA’s crass cashing in on Bruce Lee’s popularity) and karate studios american style became popular in the 1970’s. this building and its mural possesses more americana historical significance than the the fox theatre because it is a rare rendition of american society accepting and interpreting Asian culture. instead of saving a fox, fullerton should save the tiger
The tarantula building across the corner is much more offensive. It’s hard to beat a fake 2nd story and purple psuedo columns.
Whew, I’m glad my master is back to talking about things more his speed, like the shape and style of buildings. It gets awfully uncomfortable in here when he’s talking about politics, because the words are coming from where he keeps me. But at least he gives me a warm home. Thank you, master.
Since I work next door, I got a peek inside. Got a brochure of what it will look like in 4months time (if weather permits)
http://twitpic.com/3koxzt
Are the palm trees included in the deal?
I asked, the project manager didnt know 🙂
He did tell me that a beauty salon is moving in when its finished in the front part of building.
They are extending the building in the back to align with the Matador building. They removed the two bank safes that were in there. All new plumbing, new electrical (1600amp). A lot of remodel/earthquake work.
Now if the building in between Matador and this one (old jewelry store) actually completes their work, there will be a coffee shop.
Parking is horrendous (who the crap designed the parking lot anyway?)
Nice that they labelled the pic it ‘Fullerton’ so it wouldn’t be confused with every other dime a dozen, lowest common denominator facade. Insert Borders, Jamba Juice or Barnes & Noble sign and go.
Jim, I hope the contractor’s planning to place scaffolding over the sidewalk to protect you and your clients. It’s going to get dangerous for pedestrians who walk by there when they start blowing out those openings to make way for the bigger storefront fenestration systems shown in the rendering.
I can’t believe another freakin salon is going in down there. seriously???? on the corner??? so dissapointing
What would you put there?
there are several places that i enjoy to walk around, some have identities like the vintage/furniture distict on 4th street in Long Beach or the jewelry and fashion district up in LA or certain areas along melrose. Other places that are cool have quite a large variety like 3rd street in Santa Monica or up along Colorado in Pasadena. I guess you could go quite a few directions given what is already established. In line with American Vintage, The buffalo exchange, Roadkill and the couple vintage stores next to it you could probably drop in a larger known store like Urban Outfitters or something with a little name recognition. That type of store would help bring flow of people over that wouldn’t normally find there way to some of the cool smaller boutiques and hopefully would future businesses incentive to come down. Right now things are a bit over run with tatt studios and bars, not that i am against those, so something that would encourage daytime walkability would be helpful. Just a thought.
Good ideas. I bet Urban Outfitters is holding out for some of them taxpayer subsidies in the form of redevelopment cash. In the meantime, more bars and tats!
Yeah. That’s what the market will deliver. And this after 40 years of Redevelopment! There’s a painful irony here. Martial arts studio, salon, what’s next? My guess is thrift store or non-profit storefront.
Viva Redevelopment!
Well, at least we know that Gumby’s position on the corner is still safe.
tony’s gerbil has a name, its joe
compton are you now back living in a cage in Sidhu’s back yard in the 3rd District?
Looks like the mushroom trees will go for new palm trees. Who’d a thought the old men on the council hated trees!?!!
Hey I love that building!
Someone just told me that this building will be occupied by a “Korean gay spa.” I think they meant day spa, but whatever.