SemaConnect smart EV charging station

Historic Downtown Riverside’s Top Residential Destination Installs Smart Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Imperial Hardware Lofts is leading the way for historic properties uniting Riverside’s past and present. The new SemaConnect stations are just another way to serve California’s upscale urban dwellers.”
— Kevin Zheng, sales manager at SemaConnect

RIVERSIDE, CALIF., USA, May 13, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ — SemaConnect, the leading provider of electric vehicle charging stations to the North American commercial and residential property market, announces that it has installed three dual pedestal Series 6 EV charging stations for historic downtown Riverside’s newest and most elegant apartment community, Imperial Hardware Lofts. Located in the core of historic Riverside, Imperial Hardware Lofts combines the 1930’s Art Deco façade of the old Imperial Hardware Building with newly designed apartment lofts and ground floor retail. The three dual pedestal EV charging stations will allow six residents at a time to charge their electric vehicles.

“SemaConnect is honored to provide smart electric vehicle charging stations to the historic Imperial Hardware Lofts,” said Kevin Zheng, sales manager at SemaConnect. “IHL is leading the way for other historic properties who are working to unite Riverside’s past with its present. The new SemaConnect stations are just another way for Ratkovich Properties and the Sares-Regis Group to serve California’s upscale urban dwellers.”

The Series 6 EV charging stations at Imperial Hardware Lofts are designed for shared use and incorporate the latest in EV technology. In addition to the sleek, futuristic, and compact design, the Series 6 EV charging station is also weatherproof and ENERGYSTAR certified to use less energy than other charging products. The EV charging stations at Imperial Hardware Lofts come with one year of SemaConnect Network services, which provide station management features such as usage reports, access controls, and custom pricing plans. The three charging stations are open to IHL residents and can be found in the resident parking garage.

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• 2019 Downtown Improvement Award at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the Riverside Downtown Partnership

Certificates of Recognition from Mayor of Riverside Rusty Bailey, Senator Richard Roth, and Riverside County Supervisor Karen Spiegel.

• 2019 Business Activity Award

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• 2018 Champion of Pick​​​​​​

• 2018 Greater Riverside Chamber of Commerce President's Award

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RIVERSIDE, CALIF. – Ratkovich Properties, led by veteran Southern California real estate developers Cliff Ratkovich and Rob Dodman, today confirmed that The Salted Pig will be the anchor restaurant tenant in a transformative new mixed-use project in the heart of downtown Riverside.

The Salted Pig will occupy 2,470 square feet of interior space, plus an area for outdoor dining, of the Imperial Hardware Lofts project along Main Street. The restaurant will be located on the ground floor behind the historic Imperial Hardware façade, which Ratkovich Properties is rehabilitating as a key design element of the development. The restaurant will debut this fall following the opening of the residential apartments in late spring.

“Fierro Foods started with the goal of bringing unique spaces, and one of a kind experiences, to downtown Riverside. It was immediately apparent that Ratkovich Properties was looking to achieve a similar goal with the creation of the Imperial Hardware Lofts; therefore, it only made sense that our two brands would find a way to collaborate and deliver a project that would serve that goal,” The Salted Pig owner Ronaldo Fierro said.

“The Imperial Hardware Lofts are a major first step towards turning downtown Riverside into a densely populated urban area,” Fierro continued. “With this in mind, it was apparent to us that we needed to be in a prime location to capitalize on the current and future growth of downtown. We are ecstatic to play a small role in helping the downtown area reach its full potential as an entertainment destination, and believe that IHL is an ideal location for us to do just that.”
The Salted Pig was established by Fierro seven years ago within the Courthouse District of downtown Riverside. It was considered a pioneering effort at the time, and the restaurant has become one of the most successful and sought-after destinations in the downtown area.

“Having the Salted Pig as our first commercial lease at IHL comes as no surprise considering Ronaldo's early adopter history in Riverside,” Dodman said. “When the Salted Pig first opened in the Courthouse District, it was a bold step and skeptics opined that it was premature for downtown. Ronaldo proved the doubters wrong; Riverside was ready then — and it is now — for another bold move: bringing this landmark brand to the historic Imperial Hardware Lofts building. We are so excited to see Ronaldo make this commitment, and we know it will be a resounding success as well as serving as a terrific amenity for our residents."

The six-story Imperial Hardware Lofts project has topped-out with 89 apartment lofts including studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom units located at the intersection of Main Street and University Avenue. It is a half block from the historic Mission Inn and one block from City Hall.

The project will be the first of its kind appealing to the new downtown Riverside resident searching for the best of urban living. The units have dramatic views of the historic Mission Inn, the skyline of downtown, Mount Rubidoux and the surrounding San Gabriel Mountains. The project is rich in amenities including The Deck, which includes a pool, spa, fitness center, gourmet kitchen, community lounge, game area, grill stations and fire pits, and The Roof sky lounge which has panoramic views, outdoor lounge, fire pit and dog park.

The development is a joint venture of Ratkovich Properties and The Owl Companies, a multi-generational, privately-held real estate investment and development company. Both companies are based in Irvine. Ratkovich Properties and The Owl Companies will be breaking ground next month on Main & 9th, a sister project to IHL. More information on that project is available on Ratkovich Properties' website: http://www.ratkovichproperties.com/

In related news, Ratkovich Properties will be the recipient of the Riverside Downtown Partnership's Business Activity Award at the 31st Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony on Feb. 21.

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RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The public is invited to an Oct. 11 groundbreaking ceremony for the new Imperial Hardware Lofts project from Ratkovich Properties, which will bring retail stores and 91 apartments to the Main Street mall between University and Mission Inn avenues.

We firmly believe the Imperial Hardware Lofts project will be pivotal for the future of downtown Riverside as it continues its transformation into a vibrant place to live, work, and play.”
— Rob Dodman, Principle Ratkovich Properties

The 11 a.m. event will be held in front of the former Imperial Hardware Building at 3768 Main Street. The former hardware store, which has been closed for many years, is being transformed into the first residential project of its kind in the core of historic downtown Riverside.

This project is a new type of development for downtown Riverside,” said City Councilmember Mike Gardner, who represents the area. ;Imperial Hardware Lofts will give Riverside residents an opportunity to live within close walking distance of many of our downtown amenities, such as the Fox Performing Arts Center and the Riverside Municipal Auditorium.”

Rob Dodman, Principal of Ratkovich Properties, called the project's location — a half-block south of the iconic Mission Inn Hotel & Spa and a block north of City Hall — a ;double bullseye.”

We couldn't have picked a better site in the heart of downtown,” Dodman said. ;We firmly believe the Imperial Hardware Lofts project will be pivotal for the future of downtown Riverside as it continues its transformation into a vibrant place to live, work, and play.”

The Imperial Hardware Lofts project will adaptively reuse and retain the historic Imperial Hardware building façade while creating approximately 8,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor and 91 apartment units on the upper floors.

Ratkovich Properties of Irvine recently started pre-construction activities at the project, fencing off the area and beginning the demolition of the portion of the building that will not be retained as part of the new project, which is aimed at people who want to live an urban lifestyle in downtown Riverside.

Riverside has always offered a wide range of housing options to its residents, from citrus ranches to horse property to historic bungalows,” Mayor Rusty Bailey said. ;Our city is taking a huge step forward as a result of the innovative approach Ratkovich Properties is taking with this project, and I look forward to the day our newest downtown residents start moving in.”

More information about the Imperial Hardware Lofts project can be found at: http://ratkovichproperties.com.

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August 2015 | by Debra Gruszecki, The Press Enterprise | The Edison Building project to turn a former Long Beach City Hall space into a residential complex for artsy millennials was well underway when Cliff Ratkovich got the call from a former community development director in Fullerton.

“We need you in Riverside,” Riverside Assistant City Manager Al Zelinka said.

Ratkovich said he shrugged off the invitation at first.

“Frankly, Riverside has been the city you give the affectionate postcard wave to as you drive from Orange County on your way to Palm Springs,” Ratkovich confessed.

Were it not for Zelinka's reputation as a community developer, the Irvine-based Ratkovich Properties president might not have hopped into his car with another principal in the firm, Rob Dodman, to take a drive to Riverside.

They took the Mission Inn Avenue exit, cruised the downtown district and did a 180-degree turn.

Months later, Ratkovich Properties bought the Imperial Hardware building from the city for $1 in a deal to put Riverside on the map for modern city dwellers. Now, Ratkovich Properties has its entitlements in hand to build Imperial Hardware Lofts, a six-story, 91-unit loft apartments and ground- floor retail project using the historic downtown structure for the transformation.

Now in the construction drawing phase, Ratkovich Properties plans to begin building the $25 million Imperial Hardware Lofts development at Main Street and University Avenue in 2016.

“What we saw blew us away,” Ratkovich said, as the urban developer clicked off buildings with notable historical and architectural flair that add to the city's vibrancy: the Mission Inn, Riverside County Courthouse, Fox Performing Arts Center, the new Riverside Convention Center and Centennial Plaza, where the Culinary Arts Academy and Riverside Community College District offices are coming into view.

“This is an authentic, walkable downtown with history,” Dodman said.

“We looked at one another and said, ‘Wow.' This is one of the most beautiful cities we'd seen,” Ratkovich recalled. “The only problem was no one was living downtown.”

The firm, which worked out the particulars to acquire Imperial Hardware with Riverside's development director, Emilio Ramirez, inked the $1 deal with a promise to spend $1.3 million for restoration and other work – sell above the $495,000 appraised price – to build the Imperial Hardware Lofts, a six-story, 91-unit building with apartments and shops, at Main Street and University Avenue.

Originally two separate buildings put up in 1900 and 1920, the Imperial Hardware building is clad with a 1930s art deco facade.

Imperial Hardware Lofts will rehabilitate and integrate the building's facade, brick and tin ceilings into its design plans. Renderings presented to the city show a building with midcentury modern lines.

“It's a look that mixes history with modern appeal,” Ramirez said, and puts a historical property back to use at the downtown core.

STORIED PLANS

Imperial Hardware Lofts plans to serve active, urban professionals, Dodman said. “Our goal is to create a permanent population downtown that will be walking to work, shopping downtown and having dinner downtown 24/7,” Ramirez said.

Drawings for the project show the first floor with about 8,000 square feet of retail space and restaurants that are chef-driven.

“We see a fresh, daily needs market,” Dodman said, and an amenity deck on the parking garage with a pool, spa, fitness center, community kitchen, fire pits, a dog walking station and place to work on bicycles.

There's also talk of a lounge for residents and guests to watch the sunset, take in the skyline and chat over drinks. The target completion date for the project is summer 2017.

City officials are ebullient over its prospects to give the downtown region residential finesse.

On-the-street reaction to the plans so far seem to be mixed.

“My fantasy would be to see a children's museum there,” Nadine Loza of Riverside said, as her children danced in a water attraction in the Main Street promenade.

From local artist Anthony Martin's vantage point, layers of Imperial Hardware taken back further. “There's a third-rate art deco skin on it now,” he said, as he drank coffee in a mall one recent afternoon. “I'd prefer to see it restored to its original 19th-century configuration.”

Martin said he is glad to see the city move toward the arts. Any emphasis away from sports bars and insanity in the streets would be welcome, he said.

“I think it's cool,” Autumn Zamora, a Riverside City College student, said. “It sounds different. I'd like to live there.”

PROJECTS PORTFOLIO

Ratkovich Properties, with a combined 45 years of real estate development experience, has developed residential, mixed-use and commercial projects throughout Southern California. Notable projects include The Wiltern Theatre, Pellissier Building and Chapman Plaza in Los Angeles.

Cliff Ratkovich said he also had a hand in developing Paseo Colorado in downtown Pasadena while working in partnership with his uncle, Wayne Ratkovich, of the Ratkovich Co. in Los Angeles.

The $250 million project turned an enclosed mall that choked off the life and energy of downtown Pasadena inside out and opened it up to the street. The mixed-urban village with 600,000 square feet of urban retail and street retail also was designed in a way to house 400 apartments above the retail complex.

Zelinka said the company has an excellent reputation for creating great and memorable places.

Ratkovich-inspired projects are legendary, he said, and the momentum for downtown districts that serve everyone from young millennials to empty nesters is growing.

“I see a yearning all over the country to live more simply, walk more and enjoy cultural events,” Zelinka said, so projects like these play well in urban areas like Riverside that are focused on downtown revitalization.

A number of other projects are bubbling up in Riverside, among them The Stalder Building project across from the Fox, a mixed-use residential project that includes 165 units of housing and about 20,000 square feet of retail space. The project, estimated at $40 million, is in negotiation with another developer, city officials said.

“It's been great to see the aspirations of the downtown specific plan are unfolding,” Ramirez said.

Currently, Edison Lofts in Long Beach is creating a buzz.

Acquired for $2.1 million after closing escrow in June 2013, the 1959 Kenneth Wing-designed building is being turned into a 150-loft apartment, mixed-use complex.

The midcentury modern building, which was vacant since 2005 before it was purchased by Ratkovich Properties, will feature concrete floors and high ceilings, glass windows and a rooftop deck with a pool, community lounge, grills, cabanas and fireplaces.

Edison Lofts also has a ground-level cafe and wine bar and a link to Long Beach's East Village Arts District. Construction is expected to be complete in three months.

Another 500 units are in the pipeline by Ratkovich Properties and other ventures in Long Beach as a result of the Edison Lofts' adaptive reuse development.

“We can draw a lot of parallels from that to the Imperial Hardware Lofts project,” Dodman said.

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July 2014 | by The City of Riverside | On Tuesday, July 22, 2014 the City Council approved a Purchase and Sale Agreement with Ratkovich Properties, LLC for the sale and development of the Imperial Hardware Building and adjacent parking lot into a mixed-use apartment building with leasable retail space on the ground floor. To serve the new Riverside urban dweller, Ratkovich Properties is adaptively reusing the historic Imperial Hardware Building, built in 1900 and located in the heart of Downtown. At the intersection of the University Avenue and Main Street, this mixed-use project will include 91 apartment lofts, 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail and commercial uses, and rehabilitation of the historic facade. This catalytic development will be the first residential project of its kind in the downtown core. The image above shows the current condition of the Imperial Hardware building on the left and the right shows Santana Row in San Jose, CA which is the vision for the redevelopment project.

The Ratkovich team has a combined 45 years of real estate development experience and has developed residential, mixed-use and commercial projects throughout the Southern California region, with notable experience in historic districts and the adaptive re-use of historic buildings such as the Wiltern Theater, Pellissier Building and Chapman Market in Los Angeles and the Edison Lofts in Long Beach. Ratkovich Properties' “vision is to develop vibrant communities where people do life together and share in the best urban life has to offer. We aim to create special places that are beloved by our residents and embraced by existing communities.”

This development project is an exciting new step towards more residents living and working in Downtown Riverside.

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April 2015 | by Ratkovich Properties | Ratkovich Properties formally submitted its Site Plan Review Package and Application to the City of Riverside on March 25, 2105 for its Imperial Hardware Lofts development in Downtown Riverside.

The 6-story, 91 unit loft apartments and ground floor retail project will be the first of its kind in the core of downtown for the New Downtown Riverside Urban Dweller. Designed by DesignArc, Imperial Hardware Lofts will include the rehabilitation and adaptive reuse of the historic Imperial Hardware Building facade, originally built in 1900.

The goals of the design are to be respectful of the existing building's history and the rich history of downtown's architecture while also looking to Riverside's future with a contemporary design that is sophisticated and enduring.

The $30 million development is targeted for a 1st Q 2016 start of construction with completion in mid 2017.

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