Bricklight District business owners say they look forward to the new Harvard Mall.
Louie Torres, owner of Rock 'n' Reels at 105 Harvard Drive. S.E., said he is excited about the prospect of additional customers drawn in by the renovation.
"I think it will be good, because a business park will move down here," he said. "So, I actually look forward to it business-wise."
The 60,000-square-foot, 4.5-acre mall on Harvard Drive has 25 lots and 23 buildings, including 28 apartment units. The building will have businesses on the first floor and living quarters above.
Frederico Sanchez, the foreman in charge of the mall's construction, said he expects to finish in a month.
Sanchez said the building process has been smooth due to the good weather and a large crew.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"If you include plumbing and electricity, stucco, we've probably used 10 crews - that's about 200 people, probably," he said.
Sanchez said he hasn't received any complaints about drilling from the community.
"The builder is the main person who gets all the bad words from the neighbors," he said. "Not me."
The mall might give surrounding businesses an economic boost, said Christina Harris, an employee of Mar y Sol at 143 Harvard Drive S.E.
"I think that it will bring in much more business and that we'll get more customers through that business," she said.
The mall won't be open for another six to eight months, Harris said.
"We're considering moving over there," she said. "I don't think that it will change the Bricklight District. If anything, it will enhance it."
Torres said he sympathizes with people who are against the construction.
"I can understand why some people were not happy when they knocked down the old buildings," he said. "But, being a businessperson, like in business terms, I think it will be good for the neighborhood, and it will bring more business to the area."
Some feel the older buildings are what gave the Bricklight District its charm, he said.
Torres said he hopes the mall's owners will keep the small-business theme of the Bricklight District.
"I think they should go more the independent route as opposed to the corporate route," he said. "There are plenty of corporations around here - in the neighborhood and especially when you get closer to Nob Hill."
The independent businesses of the Bricklight District have always made the area unique, Torres said.
"I hope that Harvard Mall goes with more mom-and-pop, more independent-type businesses," he said. "I think that's what the students around here would favor."
