ESCONDIDO — Some downtown business leaders are excited about the future after a new owner has taken control of several vacant storefronts adjacent to Maple Street Plaza.
In August, Majid Mehdi, his wife Laurie, and an unnamed partner purchased six buildings along Grand Avenue between Maple Street and Broadway Avenue.
The purchase includes 126 W. Grand Avenue – the home of A Delight of France, a popular French bakery, breakfast and lunch spot – and 138 to 158 W. Grand Avenue, which includes several empty storefronts.
While the purchase is next to Maple Street Plaza, it does not include the plaza itself, which is a public right-of-way. The plaza is located directly across Valley Parkway from Escondido City Hall and the California Center for the Arts.
The Coast News reached out to Mehdi for comment but has not received a response.
Mehdi told the Escondido Times-Advocate that the Maple Street and Grand Avenue “corner is dead and I want to bring it back to life.” He plans to add four retail storefronts, including two restaurants, with a projected buildout completion date in the next 18 months.
One of those spaces is the former 150 Grand, a fine-dining restaurant that closed in 2009. The space will remain a restaurant.
Carol Rogers, a board member of the Escondido Downtown Business Association, is enthusiastic about the new owners.
“He’s talking to people, he’s contacting restaurants, he’s working with the city on what’s allowable, and he’s really engaged with the rest of the business owners downtown,” Rogers said. “He understands the ups and downs on the street over the last few decades.”
Rogers noted that the economic downturn in the 2000s, the coronavirus pandemic, the slowdown during construction of the Grand Avenue Vision Project, and tariffs imposed last year are all factors downtown businesses have had to navigate over the past two decades. She said Mehdi has spent time getting to know the individual business owners and their struggles.
While the Grand Avenue Vision Project slowed business for several storefronts along Grand Avenue during construction, the outcome may help revitalize the storefronts next to Maple Street Plaza, which now have wider sidewalks perfect for expanded outdoor seating.
So far, the Grand Avenue Vision Project has completed work between Juniper and Maple Street, including two roundabouts at the Broadway and Kalmia Street intersections along Grand Avenue.
The next phase will extend improvements between Maple Street and Escondido Boulevard, and will include construction of a roundabout at the Grand Avenue and Maple Street intersection.
Other plans that may activate the Maple Street Plaza area include The Maple – a five-story, multifamily development with 128 units on a 1.04-acre site, which is currently a parking lot connected to the plaza directly across from City Hall. An Escondido City Council majority approved the project earlier this year.
Some other downtown businesses have expressed concern about the loss of parking downtown. Mehdi previously acknowledged that while parking may be a challenge, he believes people will be willing to park a few blocks away to visit their favorite stores.
