Old Dirt, New Neighbors

The El Camino Real off-ramp is one of our city’s major southbound entry points. Drivers exiting the freeway are currently greeted by shuttered buildings and abandoned land on all corners of the intersection of West Avenida Valencia and El Camino Real.

The southwest corner is an empty, fenced-off lot that hasn’t been used since functioning as a gas station in the 1990s. The former automotive service center Top Tune on the southeast corner has been vacant since 2013 and has been fenced up and slowly falling into disrepair since 2015.

And on the final corner to the northwest, Tommy’s Restaurant has sat shuttered since its abrupt closing at the end of 2019.

A red-carpet entrance to our beautiful city, this off-ramp intersection is not.

Soon, all three corners will have separate building projects underway simultaneously. All three projects adhere to the city’s specific Spanish Colonial Revival architecture requirements and will uphold the iconic San Clemente image we all know and love.

Unrelated, aside from the coincidental timing after the yearslong wait, these developments are slated to bring new business venues and living spaces to this current dead zone.

The Valencia Building will replace Top Tune at 1502 S. El Camino Real. This finished redevelopment will be an approximate 5,072-square-foot, two-story commercial building with a restaurant on the first floor and office space available to lease on the second floor.

The restaurant will feature an interior dining area of approximately 2,999 square feet and an outside patio of 750 square feet. Total seating will allow for about 92 patrons. Surface and underground parking will be available, with a drive-around access ramp for exiting through the back alley.