What Business Would You Like Here?
According to city officials, a mixed-use commercial and residential structure will be built at the former site of Shik Do Rock, 1137 Solano Ave. Tell us in the comments what you'd like to see in this space.
Demolition at 1137 Solano Avenue, the former site of Shik Do Rock restaurant.
Skip Moore
Photos (3)
Photos
Videos (1)
Videos
Pdfs (2)
Pdfs
According to city officials, a three-story mixed-use commercial and residential structure will be built at the former site of Shik Do Rock, 1137 Solano Ave.
We reported in July about the restaurant's plans to close. (A nearby clock and watch shop relocated to another Albany storefront.)
After minimal activity on the site since construction began in August, leaving a gaping hole on Solano, more work began in earnest in mid-December. See a video of the recent construction here.
Then tell us, Albany, what kind of business would you like to see move onto Solano Avenue?
In This article
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Shik Do Rock
1137 Solano Ave, Albany, CA -
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Time Masters Clocks, Watches & Jewelry
1201c Solano Ave, Albany, CA
Craig Westbrooke
9:06 am on Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Please not another title company or nail salon !!!
Moriah VanVleet
9:08 am on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
A dessert/coffee house that's open late hours. A "Made in Albany" store full of locally made arts & crafts. A cheese shop. A little hardware shop (I know; typical suggestion).
Ross Stapleton-Gray
1:16 pm on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
> A cheese shop.
Where we can negotiate cheesy comestibles, once we've curtailed our Walpoling activities?
Craig Westbrooke
9:25 am on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
I would love to see Top Dog come this way so I don't have to go to Berkeley. Would be nice to have some walking food on Solano
Michael Cabanatuan
1:52 pm on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Top Dog would be cool. I'd like to see a Greek restaurant or maybe a brewpub.. Anything but a nail salon. We must have one per 100 residents by now.
Craig Westbrooke
2:14 pm on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
a pub sounds interesting. just the one other one across from Supercuts? I think the street could handle 2 of them.
I would indulge there. Supposed to have mixed housing and business so I guess that would count out live music..
Tim Q. Cannon
3:11 pm on Wednesday, December 21, 2011
a recycled scrap metal yard?
Mary Flaherty
9:15 am on Thursday, December 22, 2011
I've always wanted to see a kids' shoe store somewhere on Solano. I spent years driving to Cotton & Co. in Rockridge, where the clerks were knowledgeable in the mysterious art of fitting shoes to toddlers. And then Cotton & Co. closed... Admittedly, someone in the shoe business told me there's no money to be made in kids' shoes.
Craig Westbrooke
9:44 am on Thursday, December 22, 2011
There was a kids only shoe store in the EC Plaza that closed for the remodel of the mall. That store was always busy. Albany would be a great fit for that.
Ross Stapleton-Gray
10:12 am on Thursday, December 22, 2011
I've raised this before on Patch, and would be willing to be an investor in something like a co-op (e.g., get a hundred or more families to charter something with profit sharing, a la how REI was). With five (two in Berkeley, at 1000 Oaks and Cragmont) elementary schools within a half mile, you're talking about perhaps 2,500 kids (and many more if you aim also for preschool) in the pool of potential customers, and if it were set up with parent investors, there'd be huge word-of-mouth marketing. I've never run retail (and defer to those who've got better insights into the kid show market), but it feels like a winner.
Maureen
1:39 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Something local, NOT another chain store, please! Also, no more nail salons or Chinese food; we have those in abundance already.
Brian Parsley
5:59 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
Might be worthwhile to ask the property owner what their plans are.
Emilie Raguso
6:52 pm on Thursday, December 22, 2011
I haven't gotten that far... :) I do have the related staff reports for the construction here attached above... the last thing we reported was just three story mixed-use... Not sure if any more detail is available. Happy holidays, Brian!!
John Doh!
7:30 am on Sunday, December 25, 2011
Best way to have a variety of retail stores and support your community is to buy Local & Independent.
There isn't a way to get your hair and nails done online. Salons are one type of business that isn't competing with online retailers.
Think about that the next time you order shoes online and don't pay the sales tax. Most people don't even realize that they are required to pay the sales tax on their state return.
Amazon certainly doesn't support local schools.
DALE GREENE
9:01 am on Saturday, February 18, 2012
New and Used bookstore/cafe. Buy, lounge, read and eat light fare, like salads, desserts, coffee.
Emilie Raguso
7:40 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Have you checked out the used book shop on Solano west of San Pablo? I need to get them into our directory but I just haven't had time.
Paul D
7:59 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Emilie... the 'used' book shop on Solano west of San Pablo is owned and operated by one of the most egregious violators of the book recycling ethic at the El Cerrito Recycling Center. He loads up his personal vehicle with boxes of books intended for individual reuse in the Recycling Center, not resale, and then puts them in his bookstore for sale. He also uses several other individuals to bring him books from the Recycling Center when he feels his welcome is wearing thin.
Supporting this guy is like supporting the people ripping off metal and reselling it.
Emilie Raguso
8:10 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
I had no idea!
Paul D
8:02 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
What business would I like to see in that empty lot now under construction? ANYTHING other than a nail salon or one of the pestilential "massage" parlors that offer those special services you can't get at home. Enough with the hookers already.