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Pomona Arts Colony
The Pomona Arts Colony, Arteco Partners' flagship development, is a historic neighborhood dedicated to the creative arts, creative commerce, education, and urban living. The Arts Colony is home to Artist Lofts, the Second Saturday Art Walk, and numerous works of Public Art.
Among the many different developments done by Arteco Partners in the Arts Colony neighborhood are the Progress Building and its basement art gallery; the Founder's Building; the Union Block; the Fox Theater; the Glass House; Acerogami; the Oxarart Block; the Wright Brothers Building; the Wurl Building; the Armory Lofts; the Tate Building; the Opera Garage; the Civic Center; and the School of Arts and Enterprise .
To find out more about the Pomona Arts Colony, check out PomonaArtsColony.com.
The Progress Building
This 1931 Art Deco building was formerly the headquarters of the Progress Bulletin, now known as the Daily Bulletin. It was abandoned and cocooned in 1960's style metal screening and asbestos when Arteco began revitalizing it. The beautiful facade was exposed, and the formed concrete ceilings and other architectural delights were re-discovered inside. The Progress now features upper floor live/work artist lofts, ground floor retail, and a non-profit community art gallery receives donated space in the basement.
The Founder's Building
The 1915 Investment building was partially modernized in the 1980's. After Arteco Partners acquired the building, they revitalized it with open floor plan live/work lofts on the second and third floors, creative offices on the fourth and fifth floors, and with two non-profit community art galleries in the basement. Two retail spaces activate the ground level, including local favorites, Pho Vina Vietnamese restaurant and Homage Brewery.
The Wurl Lofts
The 500 Block of West Second Street is one of the best surviving examples of pre-WWII industrial blocks in Southern California. Arteco performed the adaptive re-use of three historic buildings in the district into twenty-two live/work lofts. Lofts feature open-beam ceilings, concrete floors, original brick walls, central heating and air, a full kitchen with stove, and full baths. Some units feature roll-up door access and some feature glass store-front frontage.
Union Block West
With portions dating to the 1890's, the Union Block West is one of the oldest structures in Pomona. It now features live/work artist lofts, retail spots, and the Rookery Ale House restaurant. La Bomba Vintage Clothing Boutique has been growing along with the Arts Colony since 1996.The second floor lofts occupy former classrooms and offices of the City's first grade school. In 2003, internationally renowned artist, Judy Chicago, led a team of eight local muralists to complete the "Envisioning the Future" mural on the western facade facing Thomas Plaza.
Affordable Artist Lofts
There are a large number of affordable live/work artist lofts in many of the historic buildings owned by Arteco Partners in the Pomona Arts Colony, thanks to the "Live/Work Ordinance" that was established in 1978.
Oxarart Block
The most eclectic block in Pomona features an 1885 cast iron storefront facade (the oldest in all of the Pomona Valley), a 1950's Thrifty's-Drugstore-turned-concert-hall, and a Frank Gehry-esque 2010 sculptural metal facade on the Acerogami Lounge building. The adaptive re-use of four historic buildings includes live/work lofts (carved out of the remnants of the Clark Hotel on the second floor of the Oxarart Building), retail boutiques, a restaurant, Acerogami cocktail lounge, and the Glass House Concert Hall, which opened in 1996 and laid the foundations for Pomona's well-known live music scene.
Glass House and Acerogami
Part of the Oxarart Block, the Glass House Concert Hall opened in 1996 and laid the foundations for Pomona's well-known live music scene. Since then, it has become a nationally recognized proving-ground for emerging alt rock musicians. The Glass House bar, Acerogami, is a "showcase for fresh indie rock and indie pop gems" on the weekends, and operates as a lounge during the week.
The Wright Brothers Building
The former home of the Wright Brothers & Rice Furniture Showroom was converted into twelve live/work loft apartments and five storefront retail units. The original wood floors of the 1918 building add character throughout. The dA Center for the Arts - the valley's largest community arts non-profit organization, established in 1976 - occupies 7,000 square feet on the ground floor, along with DBA Wine Bar and Noisebug Audio. All lofts feature large bathrooms, full kitchens, wood floors, high beamed ceilings, central heating and air, and the original freight elevator still provides access.
Second Saturday Art Walk
The Downtown Pomona Second Saturday Artwalk is held on the second Saturday of each month from 5 PM to 7 PM throughout numerous shops, restaurants, galleries, and lofts in the Pomona Arts Colony. The Art Walk has been a tradition in Downtown Pomona for twenty years.
The Civic Center
The Civic Center is home to a number of offices and features multiple levels with a great deal of natural lighting in each unique office space.
The Armory Lofts
The Armory Building is home to some very unique art lofts. Occupied by downtown artists, these live/work lofts features large, open floor plans in a historic building, with a community outdoor area for the residents.
Public Art
Almost anywhere you turn in the Pomona Arts Colony, you'll find interesting examples of public artwork - another Arteco initiative. Whether on the side of a building, painted on a mailbox, a sculpture on a fountain, or a free-standing mural at the corner of an intersection, public art is visible down almost every street.
The Tate Building
The 1930's and 1940's home of Tate Cadillac and Dayco Printing was fully renovated into retail, restaurant, and creative office spaces. It is now the home of Arteco Partners' corporate headquarters.
Opera Garage
The Art Deco and Streamline Modern facade of the Opera Garage was repaired by Arteco Partners, as was the amazing wide span barrel truss ceiling on the second floor. The Opera Garage was named as such because it was the site of Pomona's first Opera House, then subsequently a car garage. On any given weekend, the two nightclubs that are now in the Opera Garage attract about 1,300 people to downtown Pomona.