A new public food market is in the works for the Bonetti Ranch property in San Luis Obispo, courtesy of San Luis Obispo-based development firm PB Companies.
The San Luis Obispo Public Market, planned for a site at Tank Farm and South Higuera Street adjacent to the San Luis Obispo Tribune building, will include artisan-food vendors, locally grown produce, restaurants and a wine-tasting room. The anchor tenant will be Buellton-based Figueroa Mountain Brewery, which will open its fourth location there in a 5,500-square-foot space.
Architectural drawings show that an existing barn on the site will undergo a major transformation and will house the rest of the tenants.
The first phase of the buildout also includes space for an adjacent Tractor Supply Co., a national rural lifestyle retail chain. PB Companies is planning to maintain the country vibe apparent across the property by keeping several of the existing buildings, including the historic barn, water tower and farmhouse. A large public plaza is also envisioned for the site.
The entire project is slated for completion by December 2015, with several local design firms collaborating on the project. Isaman Design is designing the market space, RRM Design Group is responsible for the brewery design, and Arris Studio Architects is designing the Tractor Supply Co. location. The public market will be operated by Mark Woolpert and Darren Smith, principals of Compass Health.
The development is similar to the Santa Barbara Public Market, a project by Urban Developments that opened at Victoria and Chapala streets earlier this year.