Hey there Gridsters,

Anyone wish to be a part of the transformation of Oak Park?

Tonight was a spectacular night for Oak Park. Its neighborhood association demonstrated a growth and maturity that was astounding to activists who have walked the road of revitalization for many years. The new Chief of Police Rick Braziel, City Manager Ray Kerridge, and potential mayoral candidate, developer, and educator Kevin Johnson all attended, spoke, and answered questions amidst a crowd of approximately 50 Oak Park members of the Oak Park Neighborhood Association on their Board of Directors election night.

Both Chief Braziel and Kevin Johnson displayed tremendous poise and affability as well as deftness in handling any potential hecklers. KJ in particular had some fun at his own expense while announcing that the old Made-Rite property will transform into a Tesco Fresh & Easy neighborhood grocery store to complement Food Source. This business will transform north Oak Park and possibly even Curtis Park with a relevant fresh food market that not only drowns out the irrelevant liquor stores masquerading as convenience but also outshines the big box Raley’s stepsister Food Source.

All of this energy speaks to the other real story, Ron Vrilakas’ 4th Avenue Lofts. With only 2 left out of 10 units, run down this weekend to check out these gorgeous blends of modern and traditional mixed use that build on the momentum of 40 Acres and The Guild Theatre as Oak Park returns to its heyday of dynamic downtown living.

Be a part of the story, just like Mr. Vrilakas, who has proven his versatility from enlivening Midtown with the mixed use Zocalo, 58 Degrees, Dragonfly, offices, and apartments at 18th Street and Capitol Avenue and now completing a brilliant first phase in the heart of Oak Park with 4th Avenue Lofts. He turns back to the cusp of Midtown and Downtown on 15th and F Street with his eco-friendly designs at 9 on F.

Soon he’ll set his sights on the designs for the Firestone property, which unfortunately will usher in a phase of unneeded chain restaurants in the downtown/midtown core. The massive structure at 15th and L Street bordering the new Marriott will house a CPK, that’s California Pizza Kitchen for those of you without a SoCal background, and a Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar. Do we need to look like every other city when our locally owned restaurant community is thriving?

At least the design is the hands of the architect of the moment, Ron Vrilakas. The Guru cannot support a CPK anywhere beyond Arden. We can appreciate Fleming’s; however, we have a robust wine bar market initiated many years ago by Tapa the World and Aioli Bodega Espanola that has matured into a full winery in Revolution Wines at 21st and P and several wine bars, including 58 Degrees & Holding on 18th between L and Cap, The Grand Wine Bar at 16th and L, and L Wine Lounge & Urban Kitchen on L between 18th and 19th. The Crepe Cafe on 9th and K will also evolve into a wonderful wine bar. It would have been more dynamic to get on the ground and talk to Corti Brothers about a wine bar & store in the heart of things combined with an expansion of Revolution Wines into a larger urban winery. Where is visionary leadership toward small business and the shape of our marketplace when you need it from the City?

This project should have taken a note from Loftworks‘ wonderful project on 16th between J and K where a PF Chang’s complements the growth of two locally owned chains with a Bistro 33 and Mikuni’s.

My hope is that Mr. Vrilakas will take a look at how to involve more local businesses into the building of the project perhaps collaborating with Green Sacramento and GreenBuilt Construction in their new shared location with LJ Urban at 20th and H Streets. Green Sacramento provides primarily residential eco-friendly home building supplies while GreenBuilt employs such resources to create green homes and buildings. The architect-developer market should turn to these two locally owned companies to usher them into a green commercial building supply and construction market that in turn would strengthen their residential business for our future as a green city.