The owner of The Village Club Card Room — at its same location at 429 Broadway in Chula Vista since 1946 — has purchased two buildings on Bay Boulevard for a new site.
VC Bay Properties LLC, an entity controlled by Harvey Souza of Chula Vista, paid $2 million for a 7,896-square-foot building at 271 Bay Blvd. — previously occupied by an El Torito restaurant — and is planned for administrative offices.
Souza also paid $2.87 million for a 7,830-square-foot barrel vault-shaped building to house the new card room at 285 Bay Blvd. That building had been used for both a Soup Exchange restaurant and office uses. Souza took out a $3.27 million Wells Fargo Bank (NYSE: WFC) loan to purchase the properties.
The 271 Bay Blvd. building was purchased from the Ragen Family Trust. The 285 Bay Blvd. building was acquired from an entity controlled by Ian Gill, principal of the Highland Partnership.
The former Soup Exchange building will be used for a new card room with a total of 18 tables, a sports bar, restaurant facilities and other functions. The parking lot, to be used to serve the functions of both buildings, has spaces for 257 cars.
Demolition work has already been completed, and the interior renovation is under way in the El Torito building.
The former Soup Exchange on Bay Boulevard in Chula Vista will be used for a new card room.  |
Needed interior demolition and construction of the interior of the Soup Exchange building is anticipated to start within the next 30 days.
“It’s going to cost about $2 million to get these buildings in shape,” Souza said
Joseph Wong Design Associates, whose projects have ranged from the 1,200-room Hilton San Diego Bayfront, to residential units in Shanghai, is the architect on the project. Newport Beach-based Davis Ink Interior Designs, who may be best known for designing Fluxx nightclubs around the world, including one in the Gaslamp Quarter, is handling the interior design. M. Kevin O’Neill Construction of Chula Vista is the general contractor.
“And the subs (such as Lakeside-based Christian Roofing and Farnum Electric of Imperial Beach) are all local people as well,” Souza said.The new card room and its associated offices across the parking lot, are slated to open sometime during the first quarter of next year.
“This is a process that can’t be hurried,” Souza said.
One thing that won’t change is the card room’s diverse menu that Souza said is vital, “so people aren’t having steak and lobster every night.”
Souza, who still owns the old 4,870-square-foot existing card room building on Broadway, has put up the old location for sale. Lee & Associates has the property on the market for $1,735,000.
The former El Torito on Bay Boulevard in Chula Vista will be used for administrative offices. |
The existing card room has offered players games such as Texas Hold’em Poker, Pai Gow, Blackjack, Omaha and Baccarat, and has had as many as 600 customers on a busy day.
Souza, 70, took over the management of the card room after his father died in 1969. He started as a dishwasher for the club at the age of 15. When he was 21, he became a blackjack dealer among his other duties.
Fourteen of Harvey’s family members have worked at the Village Club, according to a press release. Currently, 11 members of his family work at the Village Club in various positions.
With more space, Souza he may be able to employ as many as 250 people as well as accommodating more patrons and regulars.
“Some of our patrons have been coming here for as long as 50 years,” Souza said. “We’ve grown with the city, but we’ve needed a bigger place for awhile.”
Souza said finding the right location wasn’t easy. The card room couldn’t be too close to a school and a residential location was out because of zoning restrictions.
Chula Vista Mayor Cheryl Cox is also pleased Souza was able to find an appropriate property.
“Mr. Souza has been in business for more than 60 years in Chula Vista, and I am pleased he is able to relocate to a location that is suitable for his card room,” said Cox in an email. “This family-owned business will provide an entertainment and dining opportunity in a location that provides more space and dedicated off-street parking.”
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