For over a decade, Dale Falkenberg has provided the sound of music to the community through Dale’s Guitar & Music Lessons, but a new vision for the building the store has called home over the years has the music shop making a move.
In June 2017, the building at 146 N. Golden State Boulevard fell under new ownership, and a renovation for the former Jura’s Pizza Parlor location was planned. The building also houses Dale’s Guitar, located at 210 E. Olive Ave. With plans for a full-scale restaurant to go in the space, championed by the owners of Shooters Wings & Things, Falkenberg was told by Brownstone Equities that renovations could take up to a year and that he needed to move his business out within the next 45 days.
Brownstone Equities, owned by local businessman Matt Swanson, currently manages the building and has forced businesses to relocate in the past during renovations on its properties. A handful of longtime Main Street businesses were forced to relocate and at least one closed its doors when renovations began on downtown Turlock’s Enterprise Building in 2016.
Falkenberg was shocked by the 45-day notice to vacate his business’ longtime home, he said, but his confusion didn’t last long, he said. Following the 45-day notice, Brownstone Equities offered to relocate Dale’s Guitar for a year during the renovations.
Despite the offer, Falkenberg said that he has opted to move Dale’s Guitar to a new location altogether – 2253 Geer Road. The spot is behind Wendy’s and shares a wall with Angelini’s Italian Restaurant, he said.
“They need me out. They want to gut the place and I totally understand,” said Falkenberg. “At first they were very abrupt, but then they came back trying to do everything they can to help us, which I really appreciate.
“We have some options on our lease, and we can come back here if we want. I told them to come find me when the renovations are done, but once we’re moved we’ll probably stay.”
While Falkenberg is sad to leave his business’ first home – he and his children built it “from the ground up,” he said – the shop’s new location will provide more space, better parking and an environment filled with other busy businesses, which Falkenberg has missed since Jura’s moved from North Golden State Boulevard.
“It’s been going on six years now that we’ve been here by ourselves, and its been a little bit of a nightmare,” he said. “It should be positive. We’ll have a nice, big parking lot with a lot of lights and a lot of other open stores, and over there, there will be room for everything.”
Dale’s Guitar is moving from a 1,100 square foot space into one that provides 4,500 square feet – plenty of room for the stacks of amps, instruments and music books that barely have enough room in their current location. On Geer Road, there will be a room for every instrument, Falkenberg said, and the extra room also means the store will also be able to expand its inventory, providing more name brand instruments for customers.
“We’re bringing in new lines and lots of equipment,” said Falkenberg. “We’ll possibly bring in Taylor or Martin guitars. We’re not sure which one yet, but those are like the Ferraris of guitars.”
Falkenberg anticipates moving out of the East Olive Avenue location on Feb. 23 and hopes to have the shop back open by Feb. 26.
In the meantime, renovations on the old Jura’s building have begun. Building permits for a truss repair and reroofing on the building were granted by the City of Turlock for the location, however, Brownstone Equities was unable to be reached for comment.
