New retail space planned for Solano Avenue

A tucked-away retail outlet west of Highway 29 is about to undergo a significant makeover, adding an almost 5,000-square-foot addition to house up to four retailers or businesses.

The project, known as Solano Plaza, will include a 4,800-square-foot, single-story building facing an existing strip of shops home to a furniture store, a nail salon and a barber, among others.

Owned by longtime Napans Gemy and Betsy DAdamo, the proposed building was designed by local architect James Jeffrey. It will sit atop a former gas station site that has been cleansed of toxics, said owner representative Tina DAdamo.

The project would likely have been started sooner, except for a corner sliver of excess right-of-way area that needed to be conveyed to the DAdamos by the city. The city agreed to relinquish the section of corner that was reserved many years ago for the possibility that an overpass might be created from West to East Pueblo over the highway.

The proposed project will include the new retail space, landscaping, trees, new signage and other improvements. We want it to look uniform and blend in with the existing center, Tina D'Adamo said.

The DAdamos have owned the parcel for almost 40 years, said Tina DAdamo. It was originally home to a gas and service station. For many years the family operated the Shell Pueblo Tire Service at the site.

A commercial strip built many years ago at the back of the corner was remodeled two to three years ago said DAdamo. That section, or Phase I, is almost fully leased and includes several longtime tenants, she noted.

DAdamo said the family was flexible about potential tenants. Because the center is off the beaten path," she thought neighborhood-serving businesses would be a most likely fit. She suggested light retail, perhaps a caf, dentist or doctor office, or even a small market.

I would hope we could get something that caters to the surrounding neighborhoods, said DAdamo.

Construction could begin next spring, she estimated.

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New retail space planned for Solano Avenue