La Plaza La Jolla to get new signage, including a blade sign directory

A sign renovation plan intended to improve tenancy at the La Plaza La Jolla shopping center and give existing tenants more promotion won approval from the La Jolla Planned District Ordinance Committee during its July 12 meeting.

The renovation includes installation of a blade sign with a directory of tenants facing Wall Street. Also included are new, unilluminated letters that would sit on top of an existing structure near the elevator bay, and new lettering in a different font for the existing metal screen suspended over the walkway.

All signage would be contained to the La Plaza La Jolla open-air property at the corner of Wall Street and Girard Avenue.

This is current signage in the La Plaza La Jolla open-air shopping center.

(Elisabeth Frausto)

The proposal originally went before the committee in June, when applicant representative Alexa Holtschlag said Regents Property Management had recently acquired the building and wanted to update the signs. But the board had questions about how much square footage would be taken up by the new signs, lighting and more.

At the July 12 meeting, Holtschlag said that between the new signage and renovations to existing signage, the total square footage is 225, where 270 is allowed. The remainder is allowed for new tenants.

Any new lighting would be pointed downward to be minimally intrusive, she said.

“They are not doing a massive renovation as far as the signage is concerned or other improvements. They just wanted to add a blade sign and illuminated directory sign on Wall Street,” Holtschlag said.

Because the square footage is within what is allowed under the PDO (La Jolla’s blueprint for development), a motion to approve the sign renovation passed unanimously.

In a Zoom chat, Holtschlag told the La Jolla Light that the project is designed to increase tenancy and “give existing tenants more advertising and directional use. It’s difficult to know what shops are in there right now. So the directory and blade sign will allow for a list of tenants.”

When La Plaza La Jolla opened in 2015, Catania restaurant was the sole tenant. At the time, Catania owner Arturo Kassel said he signed a 10-year lease at La Plaza with options to renew for up to 20 years.

By the end of 2015, eight more businesses had opened. Today, La Plaza is at about 50 percent tenancy, with 10 businesses operating in the 21 available spaces, including restaurants, beauty and wellness shops, offices and more. Among previous tenants were galleries and clothing stores.

Learn more at laplazalajolla.com. ◆