The MARRS Building is a mixed-use building in Midtown Sacramento at 1050 20th Street, on the corner of 20th and J Streets, that functions as a commercial and cultural hub anchoring an active block of Midtown street life, music events, and small businesses.[1][2] Submerge characterized it as one of Midtown's "hot-spot" locations.[2]
MARRS is an acronym standing for "Midtown Art Retail Restaurant Scene."[3] The building was originally a Bekins Moving and Storage warehouse before being converted to mixed use.[4][5] The conversion was completed in 2006, producing 55,000 square feet of urban mixed-use creative office, restaurant, and retail space.[4] The project was developed by Heller Pacific in partnership with Fulcrum Property.[3][6] The architect was RMW Architecture & Interiors, the structural engineer was Miyamoto, and the contractor was Walsh and Forester.[4][5] The conversion won two awards in 2007: a Developer Showcase from the Association of Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) and Best Project from the Sacramento Business Journal.[4][5]
According to the MARRS official About page, the project represented "a pivotal moment for the city of Sacramento as it truly was the first of its kind," connecting the art gallery community to the north with the Lavender District to the south.[3]
At a glance
- Address: 1050 20th Street, Sacramento, at the corner of 20th and J Streets.[1][2]
- Mixed-use building housing food, retail, and tenant businesses, with an adjacent block used for outdoor music and arts events.[1][7][8]
- Originally a Bekins Moving and Storage warehouse, converted in 2006 to 55,000 sq ft of mixed-use space.[4][5]
- Housed Luigi's Slice, a pizza joint that doubled as one of Sacramento's few all-ages music venues.[7]
- The "MARRS Building Block" on 20th Street between J and K Streets hosted recurring events including the Midtown Arts Festival and the THIS Midtown block-party series.[9][1][8]
Role in the scene
The MARRS Building and its surrounding block became a focal point for Midtown's outdoor music and arts programming in the early-to-mid 2010s. Submerge noted that the block in front of the building "has seen a lot of action," citing Launch Festival's block party and the Second Saturday "THIS" series among the events held there.[1]
History and development
The building dates to the 1940s as a Bekins Moving and Storage facility.[5] Heller Pacific, in partnership with Fulcrum Property, undertook the adaptive reuse conversion, with RMW Architecture & Interiors as architect, Miyamoto as structural engineer, and Walsh and Forester as contractor.[4][5] The 55,000-square-foot project was completed in 2006.[4] Tenants on the second floor included professional firms such as Heller Pacific, The HLA Group, and engineering and real estate companies; first-floor tenants included Lululemon Athletica, Peet's Coffee and Tea, and Sacramento Comedy Spot, among others.[10]
Tenants and businesses
The building has housed a mix of food and retail tenants:
- Luigi's Slice, a pizza joint inside the MARRS Building, operated for years as one of Sacramento's few all-ages music venues.[7] In 2014 it was sold to the owners of Azul Mexican Food and Tequila Bar, located in the same building.[7] The space was set to close for roughly three weeks beginning May 17, 2014, for renovations and would remain a pizza place under a new, undisclosed name, with the future of all-ages shows there left uncertain.[7] Luigi's was co-owned by Linda Brida, who ran it with her husband Greg; the couple separately retained the original Luigi's Pizza Parlor at 3800 Stockton Boulevard, in their family for 60 years.[7]
- Azul Mexican Food and Tequila Bar, located steps from Luigi's in the same building.[7]
- Sleek Wax Bar, an upscale waxing salon described as the building's newest tenant when it opened in February 2015 at Suite no. 170.[2]
- LowBrau, used as an after-party venue (with DJs) for block events on the MARRS Building Block.[8]
- Lululemon Athletica, Peet's Coffee and Tea, and Sacramento Comedy Spot among first-floor tenants.[10]
All-ages music at Luigi's Slice
Local promoter Jerry Perry frequently booked all-ages shows at Luigi's Slice featuring both national and local acts.[7] Perry publicly called Luigi's "one of the most important rooms in the Sacramento scene" and warned that losing it would cut off young people from live music and push young local artists toward coffeehouses, pay-to-play gigs, house parties, or nowhere at all.[7] Among the final slate of shows Perry lined up before the May 17, 2014 changeover were Circle Takes the Square (April 25), The Kelps (May 3), Sun Monks with The Horde and The Harem (May 9), Kurt Travis of A Lot Like Birds (May 14), and The Dollyrots with Slime Girls (May 17).[7]
Recurring events on the block
- Midtown Arts Festival — A free, family-friendly festival held outside the MARRS Building as part of October's "ARTober." The 2012 edition (Oct. 20) ran noon to 6 p.m. with a SMUD Performing Arts Stage and a Submerge-sponsored band stage; organizers expected about 3,000 attendees.[9] The 2013 edition (Oct. 19), themed "Creative Connections" and presented by the Midtown Business Association, ran noon to 5 p.m. and expected 3,000 to 4,000 people.[1] Clay Nutting (of LowBrau and Launch) curated the 2013 Submerge stage, which featured Musical Charis, 50 Watt Heavy, Gentleman Surfer and DLRN.[1]
- THIS Midtown — A Second Saturday block-party series with music, art, beer, food and local vendors held on the MARRS Building Block (20th Street between J and K). The Aug. 8, 2015 installment (4 p.m.–9:30 p.m.) was billed as the second-to-last show of the series, headlined by Oakland's Trails and Ways with Sunmonks, Tiaras (featuring ex-members of Sacramento's Ganglians) and DJ Young Aundee, followed by an after-party at LowBrau with DJs Shaun Slaughter and Adam Jay.[8]
- Launch Festival held a block party at the location, and the Second Saturday "THIS" series ran there as well.[1]