When Mission Mission tipped us off to a new vacancy on Valencia, we had to find out more. Would this space be subject to the same mind bending rents as the abortive AA space?
Happily, no! When the Appeal called the number listed on the sign, we spoke to a very nice man who told us that the rent on the 1350 square foot space was $3150 a month, plus PG&E. Located at Valencia and 21st, this space is a bargain $2.33/sq ft, compared to the $4.30/sq ft being asked just a few blocks further down that delicate flower we call Valencia.
We rang up notorious Keep Valencia Indie agitator Stephen Elliot, because we love to hear him go off about rents on Valencia. Seriously, it’s awesome.
“Judging from the business owners I’ve spoken to, anything over $2/sq foot is high for Valencia.” Are these new businesses, or have these folks been there a while? “Most of them have been there for at least two years, but what that does mean is that rents on Valencia are going up, and that’s not a good thing.”
We asked Elliot if he held AA responsible for this uptick. “No, but I do think rents would be rising even more sharply if American Apparel did move in. If they had opened their store, things would have gotten a lot worse.” So, you’re not going to be renting this space any time soon, eh? Elliot admirably ignored our flippancy, responding “we should all be looking for creative ways to keep local businesses in the Mission at a reasonable price.”
