Shack comes back

With redevelopment well underway, the owner is gathering an eclectic mix of tenants for the historic landmark complex.The Greeter will soon be getting a new lease on life.

It won’t be long before the iconic 9-foot-tall replica of Eiler Larsen -- which has stood on the site of the former Pottery Shack for decades -- will have something to point people toward on Coast Highway.

At the moment, the Greeter is stationed at the far north end of the sprawling, Depression-era complex at 1212 S. Coast Highway that used to offer crockery for sale. His extended finger points across the street.

But by February, it is hoped the cheerful Greeter -- freshly repainted and repaired -- will be back at his old job welcoming visitors to the landmark business complex.

After two years of planning and about six months of construction, owner Joe Hanauer is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel in his quest to redevelop the historic property -- one of the most beloved and recognizable in Laguna.

Hanauer says the redeveloped compound will have much the same attributes as the original -- a low-profile collection of varied structures “cobbled together” for a quaint and colorful feel.

In a rendering, the traditional crockery plates decorate the roofline of the main structure on Coast Highway, and a deer and a bighorn sheep appear to be climbing down from the mountains.

“We want the same feeling of accessibility, and the sense of destination,” Hanauer said. “It will be inviting and open, with outdoor seating for dining. We’re not trying to have the second coming of the Pottery Shack, but an interesting place where people can come in, browse the art and different shops.

“We want to have something for the local community, as well as visitors to Laguna.”

Hanauer is now in the process of selecting tenants for the site, which will include a bookstore and a variety of other shops. Half the site has already been leased to a financial management firm that will relocate to Laguna.

With more than enough prospective tenants, Hanauer is trying to find the best mix of businesses for the eclectic site.

To complete the Laguna effect, Hanauer is now looking for artists to take on the outdoor gallery/exhibition spaces, as well as to open studios at the site so visitors can watch them at work.

“We are looking for ceramicists, sculptors and glass-blowers, so people can watch the art being made,” he said.

Hanauer is a repository of historic information about the complex. The Pottery Shack business opened in 1936, but the buildings date back to the 1920s, he said.

“In the 1940s, there were about 60 pottery retailers in town, but the Pottery Shack didn’t make ceramics at first,” he said. “They sold seconds from the manufacturers. Then they got a kiln and did glass-blowing.”

When purchased, the rambling collection of buildings was in a poor state of repair, the grounds impeded by ramps and steps, with exposed wiring dating from the 1920s and 1930s.

Much of the complex has been demolished, but the new construction has been designed by local architect Morris Skenderian to keep the original board-and-batten construction that characterized early Laguna Beach.

“What we are trying to accomplish is to maintain this cobbled-together charm of Laguna cottages and stores, but instead of presenting a rundown, abandoned look, it will be a well-cared-for, colorful composite of rooflines, building materials and charm, much of which is original,” Hanauer said.

Some of the original building materials were salvaged and recycled in the project, he added.

The redeveloped complex will have varied roof heights similar to the original, ranging from 10 to 24 feet.

Hanauer expects that the Coast Highway structures will be completed by the end of the year, as well as the first level of a two-level parking structure. Tenants are expected to move in by February.

The parking structure will provide 85 spaces, with 49 reserved for Pottery Shack tenants and visitors. 20051104ipcrjmknDON LEACH / COASTLINE PILOT(LA)The famous greeter statue at the corner of Brooks Street and South Coast Highway awaits the completion of the Pottery Shack.