Ready to fill with North Park foodies

The long-empty storefront at 3020 University Avenue in North Park may at last find a lessee. The building has been an eyesore for several years in the ever-growing, popular foodie district of North Park (in the vicinity of 30th and University).

Edwin Lohr, president of the North Park Community Association, said the building site “definitely has been a blighted corner for years. To be honest, I think anything would be better than what was there.” But Lohr warned the rent amount could be a challenge. “If it is not a big money-maker, [it’s] hard to afford the rents,” he said.

The property recently changed ownership, as well as its commercial realtor. The graffiti tags are gone, and the exterior was spiffed up with a new paint job.

Nate Benedetto, principal with Next Wave Commercial, said, “We started marketing the space around the holidays, and we have had a fair amount of activity thus far. We are optimistic that we can bring a very exciting offering to the North Park community…. This could be the coolest restaurant in North Park if it is done right.”

The “industrial feel” building has a 20-foot exposed ceiling, with about 3025 square feet of ground space and about 1200 square feet of mezzanine space. Asking price is $2.75 per square foot + NNN (which means “triple net lease”; the lessee pays all operating expenses). Tenant improvement allowance is “negotiable.”

The structure, along with Discount Cigarettes at 3018 University, was previously the Ramona Theater, a 500-plus-seat movie house with balcony built in 1926. In more recent years, it housed a discount clothing store.