Details for downtown Napa’s Oxbow South development emerge

Been to Napa's South Oxbow area recently?

If so, you might have noticed several newer projects sprouted at the site, including the Napa Yard beer garden and Napario event space.

Yet developers continue to refine ideas for future, long-term uses for the 6.7-acre parcel located on the south side of First Street, across from the Oxbow Public Market.

A recently filed design review and major application detailed plans to build housing, lodging, retail and other uses at 585‒601 First St. and 933 Water St. This is a key step for the project, called Oxbow South. In 2022, developers submitted to the city a follow-up preliminary project application. Now they're narrowing down the details.

The vision for Oxbow South is "to create a new neighborhood with a strong residential component supplemented by a commercial program that will complement the existing fabric of the Oxbow District, as well as the downtown Napa area," wrote applicant Preston O'Connell. He represents property owners Oxbow Holdings LLC and 933 Water LLC.

O'Connell could not be immediately reached this week to comment on the plans.

However, in a 2022 interview, he said: "We're very excited to bring forward a project that really helps elevate the neighborhood. We want to create an authentic community within the Oxbow district ... that people really want to be a part of. If we can do that, it's something we'd be very proud of."

The Oxbow District is already a desirable place for visitors due to existing restaurants and retail amenities, wrote O'Connell in this application.

The district is already strongly anchored by the Oxbow Public Market and CIA at Copia, "and Oxbow South will only serve to enhance the Oxbow District's reputation and attractiveness to visitors while offering locals the opportunity to live in the District by adding residences to the area."

These homes, hotel rooms and complementary retail space will increase local and visitor use of the Oxbow District year-round, he noted.

The proposal to develop the South Oxbow parcel isn't brand new.

In September 2017, the applicants submitted to the city its first pre-application for a mixed-use development consisting of a hotel, some residential units, and retail space. After receiving feedback from staff and members of the community, the proposed development was redesigned to incorporate that feedback. The proposed project is now focused on residential, creating much-needed housing in Downtown Napa, with a hotel, retail uses, open space, and various public gathering spaces.

In summary, the project includes a mix of uses totaling approximately 500,000 square feet, said the application.

That includes:

• 130 for-sale residential units, 13 of which would be provided as affordable units for moderate-income households, both townhomes and condominiums. Some buildings would be as tall as six stories. However, this would require a waiver from height standards for residential buildings.
• A hotel with 170 rooms and amenities.
• Retail space of more than 9,400 square feet.
• Public gathering and recreational areas.
• An estimated 3.6 acres (or 54%) of the property would feature open space and circulation areas.
• A total of 362 parking spaces.

City comments on the 2017 development proposal indicated that the project should highlight aesthetic resources that contribute to the city's identity, such as views of the Napa River and surrounding hills. Oxbow South incorporates this feedback with reduced massing that prioritizes view corridor to allow for views of the Napa River.

The project now features terraced down buildings, with deep façade stepbacks and decks that will become green outdoor spaces for new residents and visitors.

Additionally, the buildings on First Street provide deeper setbacks than required in order to provide a wider, more inviting First Street frontage.

The design application included 28 attachments including plans for retail layout, waste management, grading and drainage, utilities, trees and landscaping, lighting, public art, elevations and traffic. SB Architects of San Francisco is the designer for the project.

Azadeh Riaz, owner of Napario at 943 Water St., said she hopes to keep her business open. Napario offers an event venue with garden, bar and food serving area.

"We've built a beautiful place," she said. "I'd like to stay," but her five-year lease ends in 2025, Riaz said.

Chris Lehman with Napa Yard and Oxbow Gardens said that he always knew their location was temporary — they have a month-to-month lease on the grounds next to the south Oxbow parking lot.

Napa Yard offers a beer garden in Napa with distillery, wine tasting and garden-to-table dining.

"This was a one-of-a-kind space; hard to replicate," said Lehman. He doesn't think their concept would remain at Oxbow South. "I haven't seen any plans," he said, "We need a lot of space," in particular for their shipping containers that they have converted into food and drink preparation and service areas.

Napa Yard opened in August. "The winter was tough," acknowledged Lehman. "The rain impacted business." It's currently open Wednesday to Sunday but he's hoping to have enough traffic to be open every day.

Developer Wayne O'Connell first bought the south Copia lot in December 2017, and paid $6.5 million for the nearly 5-acre lot, according to the transfer tax recorded.

The seller was the Copia Liquidation Trust. Copia, a museum dedicated to food wine and the arts that debuted in 2001 at 500 First St., was the original developer of the property. Copia closed abruptly in 2008, and a lengthy bankruptcy process followed.