Cave Store
Cave Store
GREEN BUILDING PROGRAM – CASE STUDY
The Cave Store & Residence
1325 Coast Boulevard
La Jolla, CA 92037
The Cave Store as a part of the historic SeaCliff project. The Cave Store and tunnel structure became the testing ground for the new San Diego Municipal Code being developed for preserving Coastal Bluffs of San Diego County.
A coastal remodel showcases stewardship
Over 150,000 visitors per year visit the Cave Store, reportedly the oldest continuously operated business in the stunning coastal community of La Jolla. This part-store, part-residence on the coast of the Pacific also offers access to the most famous of La Jolla’s seven caves - the Sunny Jim Cave. For 100 years visitors have ventured down 144 wooden steps through a hand excavated sandstone tunnel to a sea cave 80 feet below.
The Cave Store owner is entrusted with the careful and responsible management of this historic cultural resource. The structure will be reused in a regenerative manner while educating and stimulating interest in green building. In need of rehabilitation, this Registered Historic Site will be remodeled with the intent of seeking green building certification through the U.S. Green Building Council and its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Rating System. Thanks to the owner’s desire to rebuild green, the Cave Store will be reused as a mixed use commercial / residential structure preserving cultural and architectural history, and thus remain a cornerstone of the La Jolla coastal community.
The Cave Store received technical consulting services for the green building aspects of the project through the San Diego Regional Energy Office’s Green Building Education & Technical Assistance Program. The expected completion date for the Cave Store renovation is 2008.