Rotary Park is the small patch of public ground on Orange Avenue between Park Place and Isabella Avenue. Since 1981 it held buckets of cut flowers, and for many drivers coming off the bridge that stand was the first bit of color on Orange Avenue. This fall the buckets are gone. Six blocks south, past the shirt-pocket bins of bolts and the gum machines at the door of Village Ace Hardware, there is now a closing date.
Neither change came from a lack of customers. The florist's permit expired, and the hardware store's owner is retiring. In both cases what happens next depends on space. The florist could stay only after another shop offered it room. The hardware store's spot goes up for lease at island rents. And the shops that opened this year are run by people who already had a foothold here.
The Florist Paid $1,200. The Alternatives Started Above $6,000.
The City of Coronado said in a published statement that the Coronado Flower Lady's Commercial Use Permit had a fixed end date of August 31, 2026. It said the park would go back to full public use while the city weighed what comes next. According to that statement, no decision has been made. Future uses could include more public amenities, another community use, or limited commercial use, which the city called "extremely rare" on public land. The city also said it wants community ideas for the park.
The math behind the move came from the owner, Shanel Albert. In August 2026 she told the Coronado Times that she paid $1,200 a month at Rotary Plaza, and that many of the storefronts she looked at cost more than $6,000 a month. By mid-October, the same outlet put island storefront rents above $8,000 a month. Neither figure comes from a market survey. Still, both put ordinary retail space at five to nearly seven times what the island's only florist had been paying.
Another business closed that gap. AR Workshop, at 1033 B Avenue next to Lobster West, gave Albert room in the back of its storefront. Coronado Flower Lady now runs from 1033 B Avenue, #101. In the Coronado Times' October follow-up, Albert said online orders have stayed busy while walk-in customers are still finding the new spot.
"I just want people to know that I'm here, and I'm open for business," Albert told the Coronado Times.
For a standing weekly flower order, or for the stems you used to grab at the Isabella corner, head to B Avenue now.
Village Ace Has One Holiday Season Left
The hardware store didn't lose a permit. It is losing its owner to retirement. The Coronado Eagle & Journal reported on Oct. 14 that Village Ace Hardware plans to end operations by December 31, 2026, as longtime owner Glenn Shirer retires after more than three decades on Orange Avenue. The store is at 949 Orange Avenue.
The same article lists what the store carries: hand tools, fasteners, paint matching, lawn and garden supplies, outdoor living products and key cutting, all under original wooden floors. That's most of the small fix-it trips an island household makes in a year. The closing date lands right after the season of light strings, extension cords and spare keys for visiting family. Until then, the store says it will keep serving customers as usual.
What happens next to the space connects back to Rotary Park. The closure will free up 2,444 square feet on Orange Avenue, expected to be available for lease in early 2027. The property's representatives are inviting interest from retail, hospitality and creative concepts. That's a wide field. At the rents described above, nothing guarantees the next tenant sells screws and paint.
Who Can Open on Orange Right Now
Look at who did open this year and you see the same pattern. The new operators either already had a foothold on Coronado or had the capital to take on a large space.
Tate's on Orange is a classic barbershop at 841 Orange Avenue, in the space Orange Avenue Beauty used to occupy. Its owners are Allie Gallegos Esquer and Luis Gallegos, who also run Night & Day Café. The shop started taking limited soft-opening appointments on Oct. 13, ahead of a grand opening announced for Oct. 18. It's a new storefront from people who were already running a business on the island.
By the Sea opened on Wednesday, August 12, upstairs at 1300 Orange Avenue in the former Boardwalk Beach Club space. Doug and Lara Hamm own it. The Mediterranean restaurant covers 6,500 square feet, with indoor and outdoor dining for 245 guests. Even with a space that size, Lara Hamm told the Coronado Eagle & Journal there were "not a lot of great commercial real estate possibilities" on the island.
One shop stayed by sharing another shop's floor, and a café's owners expanded into a vacant salon. The hardware store, closing because its owner is retiring, has no successor named for its space.
Fitting the Errands Into the Season
On the island, the holiday calendar and the errand list overlap: flowers for a gala table, a haircut before the parade, hardware for the lights. Here's how the rest of the year lines up, starting from this week.
- Thursday, Oct. 29. The 3-D pumpkin-sculpting workshop runs 4–7 p.m. at the John D. Spreckels Center. Pumpkins and tools are bought separately, and Village Ace still sells carving tools and supplies for now. That same evening is the second of CoSA's 2026 Horror Nights at Coronado High School's Black Box Theater. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, staff, seniors and military.
- Friday, Oct. 30. The free Halloween Happening runs 3:30–5:30 p.m. at Spreckels Park, with activities at the library, 640 Orange Avenue, from 6 p.m.
- Nov. 4–8. The Coronado Island Film Festival lineup runs more than 140 films, with an opening-night gala at Hotel del Coronado on Nov. 4. The city's 2026 special-events calendar extends its listing for the festival through Monday, Nov. 9, so check the festival's own schedule for the final day. If you're hosting a gala-night dinner, order flowers from the B Avenue location.
- Nov. 20. The Del's holiday season, themed "A Holiday Through Time," opens and runs through Jan. 3, 2027. This year's program adds a new Lightshow Spectacular to the history-themed trees, Beachside Igloos and holiday dining in the Crown Room. Skating by the Sea returns to the Windsor Lawn at 1500 Orange Avenue on the same dates. General admission is $40–$45 through Dec. 17, with select value sessions at $35. From Dec. 18 through Jan. 3, admission is $45.
- Friday, Dec. 4. The Coronado Chamber of Commerce lists the annual Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting for this date, which matches the city's 2026 calendar.
- By Dec. 31. Village Ace expects to have ended operations by this date, so plan any last hardware trips earlier.
Two decisions will shape Orange Avenue's next chapter. The city still has to choose what Rotary Park becomes. The 2,444-square-foot space at 949 Orange is expected to be available for lease in early 2027, open to retail, hospitality or creative tenants.
Storefront rents on Orange Avenue affect more than shop owners. They're part of what Coronado property is worth. If you've watched this fall's changes and want to know where your own home stands, New Keys Real Estate can walk you through it using island-specific numbers. Get Your Free Home Valuation, and we'll start with what's happening on your block.
