Your Dream of Living Above Atomic Liquors Was Just Revived

The once abandoned plan to build a five-story residential building next door to Atomic Liquors is back on track and the owners want to bring businesses and a farmer's market to the footprint.

In July 2014, Tony Hsieh and his Downtown Project team spent $3.48 million to buy the land under Atomic Liquors and the building itself, promising they would honor the bar's then 10-year lease. A month later they pulled plans to seek permission to build a residential property on the land, but have now revived the concept in much greater detail.

901 Fremont. Rendering: 901 Fremont LLC

The current dream is to create 226 living units, five live-in work units and add 15,000 square-foot of commercial space on the ground floor, where you'll also find six rotating "art locations." The commercial use, whether it will include more local bars or restaurants, is yet to be finalized, but between Fremont and Carson they envisage hosting street festivals, farmer's markets and other events.

Atomic Liquors is also seeking planning permission for their own upgrade, hoping to build the "old Vegas" themed Atomic Kitchen tavern in the garage next door to the venerable bar.

No timetable for breaking ground on the 902 Fremont site has been announced, but the Downtown Project is also seeking to keep the permits alive for their equally stalled Ferguson's Motel revamp, designed to be filled with bars, dining and retail a few blocks further down Fremont.