A 1950s motor court in Riverside that sat vacant for nearly two decades is on the verge of new life.
The Farm House Motel, a nearly 1-acre property at 1393 University Ave., is being transformed into a shopping center called the Farm House Collective.
Tenants have been found for most of its units, and its developers are shooting for an opening some time in October, according to a news release.
It is owned by the Bailey family, local developers who bought the property from the city for $210,000 in 2018. Riverside had acquired the property for redevelopment in 2008, before former Gov. Jerry Brown shut down the state’s redevelopment agencies in 2011 to redirect money toward education.
The makeover has been a big job complicated by the age of the buildings and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We put a lot of heart and soul into it. It’s a labor of love for our family,” according to Alyssa Bailey, director of business development for Stronghold Engineering and daughter of the founders Scott and Beverly Bailey.
In a phone interview with other family members, she said her parents had their first date at a now-demolished Cask & Cleaver restaurant on the east side of the property.
The Farm House Motel was opened in 1953 by members of the local Basque community, which was known for working in dairies. Its red buildings and neon sign depicting a barn attracted visitors on their way to Riverside International Raceway, Alyssa Bailey said.
“People remember really cool cars going to Riverside Raceway, and they would stay at the motel.”
The motel once had 24 units and 10,000 square feet of building area, but a fire in 2017 destroyed four units and the property was repeatedly vandalized while it sat vacant, according to a news release from the city at the time of the sale.
The new shopping center will retain the feel of the motel while adapting the buildings into an “elevated marketplace,” said Kyler Bailey, development manager.
“For most of the tenant spaces, we’ve connected two of the existing motel rooms to create one space.”
The Farm House Collective will have nine restaurants, a beer shack and five retail spaces, Alyssa Bailey. There will also be a stage for live entertainment.
The Baileys bought the land next door, 1435 University Ave., for a parking lot. It had once been the site of Hacienda Home Care Services.
According to a news release, tenants will include Bar Ni Modo, a Mexican restaurant in collaboration with Arcade Coffee Roasters; Batter Rebellion, the second location for a Redlands restaurant; Blue Bowl Acai, a chain with locations throughout Southern California; Benedetto Gelato Artesanal; and Eco Now, a “zero waste” business with eco-friendly goods from Orange County.
The project included rebuilding the infrastructure of the motel with Wi-Fi, water and power lines as well as taking overhead wires underground.
“We inherited a property that needed a lot of tender loving care,” Alyssa Bailey said.
Information: farmhousecollective.com
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