RANCHO CUCAMONGA >> With online shopping crimping sales at department and big box stores, what are city planners and developers to do with abandoned, older brick and mortar stores?

One concept, called Haven City Market, is taking shape in Rancho Cucamonga.

The plan is to repurpose an older store property — in this case a former 85,000-square-foot J.C. Penney at 8443 Haven Ave., which closed in 2014 — into something to attract millennials.

The concept, according to city officials, will be similar to the Anaheim Packing House, which served somewhat of an inspiration for the new retail proposal.

The Anaheim Packing House, opened in 2014 and is located in a 42,000-square-foot renovated 1919 Mission Revival-style citrus packing house. The historic property’s interior was transformed into a food hall that hosts a number of boutique food and beverage retailers.

The Orange County Register called it a “culinary walkabout.”

Rancho Cucamonga is ready to emulate it.

“What we approved is for the tenant spaces to be occupied by food tenants,” Associate Planner Dominick Perez said. “We’re anticipating that it will be occupied entirely by food tenants.”

The Haven City Market, a short distance south of City Hall, will include a food hall, a gourmet food market, and retail space for food and beverage boutiques and retailers, with an outdoor garden area, officials said.

Perez said a number of local breweries have expressed interest in leasing space when it opens sometime in 2018.

“It’s exciting because it’s probably the first one in this general area, probably in San Bernardino County besides more of the traditional mall and food court settings,” Rancho Cucamonga Planning Director Candyce Burnett.

“We see it as a kind of destination for all age groups,” she added. “It appeals to millenials, but what we’ve seen at the Anaheim Packing House is it’s trendy for a while, but the eateries have drawn from all demographics. So we expect the same type of results here.”

The city, according to associate planner Dominick Perez, has approved all interior improvements, with exterior building permits still in review and pending approval.

“There is going to be outdoor garden eating area and that’s going to be 20,000 square feet,” Perez said. “It will be connected to the south end of the building. They have talked about applying for an entertainment permit in the future.”

A similar project, called the Redlands Packing Plant, is planned for a historic 1912 packinghouse at 330 N. Third Street near the Krikorian Cinema. Officials say the property will be restored to historic standards and will offer space for restaurants and specialty food retailers. Included will be history displays, public art and common areas.

The project is anticipated by officials to take about two years to complete, with construction expected to start some time this year.

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