Steelcraft eateries, music festival OKd

By Jim Tortolano

The re-imagining of Garden Grove’s central community continued apace at Tuesday’s meeting of the city council as two major projects won approval.

On a 7-0 vote, the city council approved a lease agreement for the creation of a unique development on the old Black Angus site which will bring an “urban eatery” and other uses to the civic center-downtown area.

The deal is for a 10-year lease agreement with Steelcraft LP for the 1.84-acre site – owned by the city – at 12900 Euclid St., north of Garden Grove Boulevard. The developer, Howard CDM, is planning on working with Steelcraft to create the new project which will be built primarily out of recycled metal shipping containers. Up to 14 users would occupy the space, with boutique eateries, breweries, wine vendors and community eating areas throughout the site.

The project would be similar to a development in Long Beach which includes a craft beer micro-brewery, a waffle house and gourmet burger restaurant.

The lease agreement includes a 10-year term with up to four five-year extensions with a monthly lease payment of $8,120. In addition to the annual rental payment of $97,440, the city anticipates additional sales and property tax revenues of $85,000.

According to representatives of Howard CDM and Steelcraft, the project could be open and operating as soon as late spring 2018.

Also on Tuesday night, the council approved a two-day music festival to be held at the nearby Village Green Park on Aug. 5 and 6. The festival, which is expected to draw as many as 10,000 patrons to the park at Main and Euclid streets, drew support from all but one of the council members.

Coucilman Phat Bui, who represents District 4, raised numerous questions about the festival, expressing concerns about parking, noise, drunk driving and more. He worried that the city was “putting the cart before the horse,” and suggested that full approval be delayed for two weeks in order to gather more information and consult with nearby residents.

But Mayor Steve Jones weighed in on behalf of the proposal, reminding all that the organizers of the concert – LFA (Large Format Assembly) – already had a contract to manage the adjacent Festival Amphitheater.

“I think we need to step up our game and keep with the speed with which they are generating ideas,” he said. He added that the event was “in jeopardy if we give them a half-hearted approval.”

Finally, the council voted 6-0 in favor of the agreement, with Bui abstaining on the grounds that he was not prepared to support the festival “at this time.”