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COURIER photo/Gabriel Fenoy
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| The Skinny Institute recently moved from its Yale Avenue location to a loft in The Packing House. The average size of the Packing House live/work lofts is 1100 square feet. |
The Packing House: tenants give mixed reviews after one year stay
With their one-year leases expiring at months’ end, residents of The Packing House’s second story live/work lofts have been contemplating their futures. While many have said they enjoy living in the urban environment with so many of the city’s amenities just footsteps away, others who run businesses have decided The Packing House is not the place for them.
The mixed-use dwellings allow tenants to use them for a variety of purposes. Some residents work from home, others operate a regular storefront business and some do both. All tenants are required to have a business license related to their loft spaces.
After one year, 4 store front business owners have walked away from their second story lofts out of 11 listed on The Packing House’s website. Some did not have the success they were hoping for, while others left for personal reasons.
Kathleen Galipeau, who ran an art studio in her loft, decided to move out due to poor business sales. She had hoped for greater foot traffic throughout the building to support her business and believes she will have more success in her previous location in Upland.
“There have been some growing pains along the road there,” she said. “Live/work lofts are such a new idea. It’s a great place to be, but there are a few integral problems with how upstairs is laid out.”
Lynnette Barron, who ran a floral business, worked an agreement to cut out of her lease early. She complained of difficulties with the building’s management, structural problems in her loft and excessive noise.
A 3rd tenant not renewing his lease was Chas Seward, whose ad agency, Spitfire Studios, ran Claremont’s holiday marketing campaign. Mr. Seward said he left because the loft was too big for his company’s needs and has moved to a smaller location in the Village.
“As far as environment, it’s a great space,” Mr. Seward said. “It just wasn’t conducive to our business.”
Artist Yi Kai used his loft for work space and displaying his paintings. Since he will be spending some time back in his native China this year, he decided to move out. Like Ms. Galipeau, Mr. Kai complained that there just is not enough foot traffic to support a sustainable art business.
“To be an artist here, it is very hard to break even,” Mr. Kai said. “No one can make that kind of money in that location.” (story continues below)
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COURIER photo/Gabriel Fenoy
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| Some live/work lofts, such as the one pictured here, have become home for their tenants. |
But Jerry Tessier, whose company Arteco Partners revived the historic building, argued that live/work lofts are a great way for emerging artists to display their work publicly and cut down on costs.
“It allows individuals to avoid major expenses,” Mr. Tessier said. “Rather than renting a studio or shop and an apartment, they can combine it into one.”
Some Packing House residents would agree.
Allison J. Petty lives in her loft and also has her ceramic work on display. She said she gets most of her business through events and shows rather than by regular foot traffic.
“I feel like I’ve just gotten my studio up and running,” she said. “It hasn’t been bad for the first year. Starting a successful business doesn’t happen overnight.”
Other tenants decided to renew their leases because they enjoy the amenities that the Village has to offer and feel a sense of community among The Packing House’s residents.
Erika Saito and her husband moved to Claremont from West Los Angeles after driving around the area and seeing a sign for loft rentals in The Packing House. A teacher in Anaheim, she hopes to start an afternoon business tutoring local children.
“We love it,” Ms. Saito said. “I can wake up and go downstairs to get a fresh cup of coffee. We walk everywhere – to the theater, to restaurants, the jazz bar, shops. It’s great to come home and not need to use your car the rest of the day.”
Former Pasadena residents, Monica Argandona and her husband also came to The Packing House from out of town. Ms. Argandona works mostly from home as Desert Program Director for the California Wilderness Coalition and teaches part time at the University of La Verne.
“We thought we would miss Pasadena when we moved, but we really don’t,” she said. “We hardly ever leave on the weekends.”
Mr. Tessier, who also lives in a Packing House loft with his wife Nancy, said there is a waiting list to get into the soon-to-be-vacated spaces. With less visibility than the upstairs businesses, tenants are offered lower rental rates than the ground level shops. Average lofts size is roughly 1100 square feet and run for about $1650 per month. One cat and no dogs are allowed in the lofts.
“They’re not always going to work perfectly for every type of use,” Mr. Tessier said. “But their hybrid quality can really be advantages to the right artist or entrepreneur.”
— Tony Krickl
