Some tidbits about the Cedros Avenue Design District in Solana Beach, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in October with events that included a streetwide open house.
Founded: 1997.
Location: North of Del Mar between Via de la Valle and Lomas Santa Fe Drive.
Business: Some 90 businesses offer a variety of goods and services, including home furnishings, designer fashions, jewelry, original works of art and specialty gifts, in addition to caf & #233;s, restaurants, health and beauty spas and salons, and a cat and dog boutique. The avenue also features interior and graphic designers and architects, as well as high-tech professionals.
Events: Third Thursdays features art, wine and music as galleries open their doors from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. to showcase their new artists and exhibitions.
Cedros Avenue Farmer’s Market, held every Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m., offers organic fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers, handcrafted gifts and authentic specialty food items.
Demographics: Shoppers to the avenue are mostly women, age 30 to 50, with 60 percent of them traveling from a 7-mile radius, and the other 40 percent tourists, who visit during the summer, during the racing season and holidays, along with snowbirds from Arizona, and considerable traffic from Orange County and Los Angeles.
Sales tax revenue: In 1997, there was about 290,000 square feet of commercial, retail and office space in the district, generating roughly $50,000 in annual sales tax revenue for the city of Solana Beach. Ten years later, there is about 322,000 square feet, generating an average of $500,000 in annual sales tax revenue.
Commercial property values: In 1997, the prevailing market rate for for-sale commercial property on Cedros Avenue was $200 per square foot, compared to a range of $450 and $600 a square foot today.
Rent base: During the past 10 years, a number of buildings in the district have been adapted from industrial/warehouse uses, with a rent base of 60 cents to 80 cents per square foot, to current retail and office uses, ranging from $2.50 to $3.50 per square foot.
Sources: Cedros Avenue Design District; Sean MacLeod, South Cedros Property Owners Association