The Buzz: Some shops still feel downtown parking crunch. Turtle Bay rebrands cafe

David Benda
Redding Record Searchlight

More than three years ago, I wrote a story a few months before the old California Street parking garage was razed.

The headline: “Growing pains: Why demolition of the downtown parking garage could be tough on business.”

And for some downtown merchants that has certainly been true.

Tamara Vogl, who owns Market Street Uniforms, finally had enough and decided to move her business to Buenaventura Boulevard in early September after more than a decade in the downtown.

“It’s definitely a problem. Ninety-nine percent of my customers said it was a problem," Vogl said of the parking crunch since the parking garage was demolished to make room for Block 7, which features a new, six-story, 398-space parking structure that opened late last year.

The old parking garage had 650 spaces and it was free.

Pat and Sandy Watson, owners of the Sandwichery in downtown Redding, pose inside their sandwich shop on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. Parking is scarce outside their shop as it is in most of downtown Redding.

Cost to park in the new structure is 50 cents every 30 minutes and up to $8 for the day.

“Redding is a small town and paying for parking in this town, everybody is not used to it,” Vogl opined.

“I even went so far to tell people if they paid for their order (ahead of time), I would run it out to them. I was doing everything to help the customer, but then we decided to move to make it better, and we have front-row parking now.”

Sandy and Pat Watson of the Sandwichery, left, take a sandwich order from Owen Scott and his son Jasper before they go on a fishing expedition to Whiskeytown on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022. Scott parked around the corner where parking is at a premium in downtown Redding.

Pat and Sandy Watson have owned the Sandwichery on Tehama Street since 1984. The portion of downtown where they operate has gone from a roofed mall to, after nearly 50 years, re-opening the streets to vehicular traffic. So they have seen a lot of change downtown.

Pat Watson said customers complain about the parking nearly every day.

But it hasn't been debilitating for business as Watson sees it as an annoyance and hopes things will improve after work is finished on Block 7.

“We’ve had a lot of frustration in 38 years. You just work around that,” Watson said.

The former Market Street Uniforms location on Market Street in downtown Redding.

Business has been good for their sandwich shop. The Watsons enjoyed one of their best years in 2021 and recently renewed their lease for three years. He attributes last year’s success to pent-up demand after people spent much of 2020 homebound due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Still, Watson looks at the empty shop spaces along the reopened Market Street and believes it’s going to be difficult filling them.

“They got all those nice store fronts; they’re just going to stay empty,” he offered.

For the record, Apricot Lane Boutique, a women’s clothing store, is scheduled to open in Market Center this fall, and New Clairvaux Vineyard will open a tasting room next to Apricot Lane Boutique next spring.

Chris Haedrich of Haedrich & Co. is marketing space in the Market Center building. He does hear about the parking.

“If I’m down there, I take (people) to the parking structure and the parking below Market Center because every time I go down there, there is nobody there,” Haedrich said, adding that maybe somebody needs to make a video to show people how to access parking downtown.

Both Watson and Vogl believe there are empty spaces underneath Market Center because residents of the apartments there park along Market Street to avoid paying the $100 a month fee for the underground garage.

Redding Public Works Director Chuck Aukland said the city hasn't been enforcing the metered parking along Market Street. That's about to change in the coming weeks. He believes when enforcement starts, that will discourage Market Center residents from parking on the street, freeing up spaces for businesses and their customers.

A sign was posted on the front of Market Street Uniforms announcing the move to Buenaventura Boulevard.

Rates at downtown spots are expected to go to $1 per hour. The new parking plan is expected to go before the City Council on Oct. 18.

Meanwhile, the North Tower in Block 7 is expected to open later this year or early 2023. Shasta College will occupy four floors in the five-story tower. Sandie Burns, area manager of Ace, which operates the new parking structure, said about 70 spaces will be reserved for college staff on weekdays until 7 p.m.

There won’t be reserve parking for the residents of the apartments being built on the other side of parking structure, Burns said.

More Buzz: Why the old Shopko's plans are changing. Bethel buying Tucker Oaks Golf Course?

There is talk of business being able to validate parking for their customers. But businesses that participate would need to purchase parking tickets, Burns said.

Stay tuned.

Turtle Bay opens Branch House Bistro

Employees take orders during the grand opening of Turtle Bay's Branch House Riverfront Bistro on Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022.

I attended the recent Redding Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting for the Branch House Riverfront Bistro at Turtle Bay Exploration Park.

Soon after the festivities, I chatted with a Record Searchlight reader about the new café, and he marveled at how undervalued that spot has been in the twenty-something years of Turtle Bay’s existence.

With views of Redding’s signature attraction, the Sundial Bridge, I agreed that it was mystifying why the original Sundial Cafe never caught on. Maybe it was the disjointed hours. You never knew when it was open.

But with Branch House Bistro, Turtle Bay aims to correct that wrong.

“Isn’t this overdue?” Turtle Bay CEO Mike Warren said during the ribbon-cutting. “We move slowly, but eventually we get there.”

Branch House is open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily with a breakfast menu that features egg bites, quiches, parfaits and fresh fruit. Redding’s own Theory Coffee and Eden Bakery pastries also are on the menu.

Lunch and dinner items include sandwiches, wraps, and a bistro menu that includes walnut crusted brie, charcuterie, taco PIBIL and tostados. Beer and wine also are on the menu.

“This is going to be one of those first date locations in our community. It’s the perfect complement to the Sheraton, Turtle Bay and Mosaic Restaurant,” chamber CEO Jake Mangas said.

Lindsay Myers, general manager of the Sheraton and Turtle Bay’s executive vice president, believes the Branch House will enhance the entrance to the park museum and the Sundial Bridge.

Jake goes to Washington

Redding Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Jake Mangas introduces Todd Jones, president of the Economic Development Corp. of Shasta County, during the State of the City presentation on Friday, Sept. 23, 2022.

Redding Chamber of Commerce CEO Jake Mangas will be one of 35 chamber representatives to converge on our nation's capital in early October for the Business Leads Fellowship Program.

The fellowship kicks off Oct. 3.

Mangas said the program focuses on economic development and workforce.

"What's really exciting for me at the chamber and the local business community is I am going to be able to learn from my peers across the country and make inroads in talent development and (employee) retention. That is one of the top issues facing employers in Shasta County," Mangas said.

Related: Shasta County's jobs picture still strong, supply-chain woes begin to wane

All told, the sixth-month program also will focus on the link between education and the workforce, covering early childhood education through post-secondary education.

"The EDC (Economic Development Corp. of Shasta County) is trying to attract talent from the outside to come to our community whereas the chamber is more focused with retaining the talent we have here," Mangas said.

David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He’s part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today.