Matt Sanford
Economic Development Manager
City of Carlsbad 

Carlsbad Village is arguably the heart of our community. It’s steeped in history, is buzzing with culture — and of course, has that iconic stretch of Pacific Coast Highway 101.

If you grab a latte at Lofty or Baba Coffee on any given day, you’ll see residents and visitors, but also executives, entrepreneurs, funders, and people getting work done on their laptops. Beyond the charm, surf and good weather, there’s a new wave of companies that are innovating and making the village all the more vibrant.

Take Tyra Biosciences, a publicly traded biotech company located on State Street that’s developing cancer treatments to precisely target tumors resistant to traditional therapies. It’s especially unique for a state-of-the-art research lab to be just steps from the beach, but that’s one of the many ways business is being redefined in Carlsbad Village.

And as another example: Down the street, the long-time antique mall was reimagined as State Street Commons. Staying true to its original architectural character, it’s now home to a development studio for Warner Bros. Games — part of a company that’s more than 100 years old, yet still on the cutting edge of entertainment.

“The San Diego region, in general, is not blessed with an abundance of charming old buildings. Fortunately, there are a handful here in Carlsbad Village, which lend to its eclectic charm,” explains Brendan Foote, Principal of FABRIC, the developer behind both of these projects, as well as the BLOC coworking and Jeune et Jolie project.

“The City is very forward thinking, from Planning to economic development to the City Council,” he says. “Where else could you have a Michelin Star restaurant (Jeune et Jolie) next to a coworking space and across the street from a life science company with a full research lab? The village is truly becoming very dynamic.”

His firm specializes in adaptive reuse — which is repurposing older buildings for more modern uses. As evidenced by his work, he sees a golden opportunity to embrace the history of Carlsbad Village while creating space for fresh connections, innovation and creativity.

“The goal has always been to bring more employers to Carlsbad Village because the employees frequent the coffee shops, restaurants and businesses near their offices.”

Fittingly, Brendan and his team fall into that category because FABRIC is headquartered in Carlsbad Village. Working in this area has given him an appreciation for how pedestrian-friendly it is.

“Carlsbad Village has a walkable grid-pattern that stretches for blocks. And it has a topography that naturally slopes all the way down to the beach,” he points out.

Christine Davis, Executive Director of the Carlsbad Village Association, says this uptick has her optimistic about the opportunity to have an Arts District in the near future.

“The timing is ideal thanks to the renovation and remodel of New Village Arts–along with a renewed focus on the performing and visual arts, our steady stream of cultural events and rich history of murals,” she says.

Despite setbacks from the pandemic, the future looks bright for village businesses, she says.

“It wasn’t that long ago we didn’t know who would survive the trials brought on by the pandemic,” she recalls. “To see that Carlsbad Village as a whole not only survived — but continues to thrive — is why so many want to put down roots here.”

Ten years ago, entrepreneurs and innovators probably wouldn’t have thought to develop impactful technologies in places like Carlsbad Village. But as visionaries like Brendan and Christine imagine what could be possible, others have embraced the idea. We all benefit from this new balance of eclectic charm and upstart thinking.