The Charleston to Serve More Arts District Dining

Startling new plans for the corner of Charleston and Casino Center boulevards seem to confirm Fremont East and its side streets have lost some appeal as the first choice among investors and restaurants looking for a downtown perch.

The latest news out of Fremont East reveals the future revitalization of the Fergusons Motel will no longer be dedicated to taverns, restaurants and a retail hub, but instead be repurposed into a "26-unit single room occupancy residence" plus a trailer and RV park. It adds further evidence the money is headed west, to the Arts District.

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Joining a handful of large-scale projects, The Charleston will be the most visible. Plans call for the hard-to-miss empty lot at 201 Charleston Boulevard to be filled with a split-level, two- and three-story, 18,000-square-foot business center, anchored by a 3,332-square-foot restaurant on the ground floor.

The project, sleekly designed by local team Atlas Design, also imagines a possible 1,800-square-foot cafe or lounge on the second floor, with a bonus roof deck.

Parking would be located on the north side of the building, with the building’s frontage flush with Charleston Boulevard. Current plans imagine eight office tenants inside.

Project applicant Jared Bonnell is a "Principal" with the Brett Wesley Group, of Art Square, Brett Wesley Gallery and Artifice bar fame, all located a very short walk across Art Way. A timetable for construction or completion has not been officially revealed, although Atlas expects it to debut in late 2017.