First Street project will add condos, commercial

A 5,000-square-foot rectangle of downtown land on First Street, across from Whole Foods, is slated to become a four-story, mixed-use project.

Giovanni Migliorini, co-owner of Main Street restaurants Café Epicure and Mediterraneo Restaurant, plans to construct a building at 1458 First St., which is currently the site of a fenced parking lot.

Migliorini calls the building’s design “streamlined and minimalistic.”

“It is a clean building,” Migliorini said, “with a lot of glass, steel and concrete.”

The first floor will feature 3,200 square feet of commercial space. Migliorini said his plan is to lease the first floor to a restaurant tenant, although he says retail is also a possible use.

The front of the first floor was set back to allow for patio space facing First Street.

“I pushed the wall inside so there would be a dining area, similar to Selva (Grill),” Migliorini said.

The next three floors will be single-floor, 2,200 square feet condo units. The condos will not be listed for sale. Migliorini will occupy one of the units, and his business partner will occupy another unit. It is not known who will occupy the third unit.

Migliorini is applying for a building permit with the city and hopes to break ground in early summer. He estimates the project will take eight months to construct.

Once construction is complete, Migliorini will be moving from Sapphire Shores to his new downtown condo building.

“I love the location,” Migliorini said.

Migliorini’s Beans & Machines LLC purchased the land in July 2011 for $405,000.