The Hub Hillcrest Market

The lack of parking has always been an issue at this plaza. So, why take two prime spots, directly in front of Trader Joe’s (the busiest store in the plaza) and make them into Chevy-​Volt– advertised, charging spaces for electric cars only. Firstly, there is a lack of parking spaces for the disabled community. You could have put charging stations anywhere. Secondly, there were no improvements made in the entire parking lot that addressed safer access for those with mobility issues. No additional ramps, and no designated pedestrian walkways. The parking lot is always like a chaotic free-​for-​all. You should care about these important, overlooked issues.

The Hub was nominated for an Onion Award…
The «makeover» of the former Uptown District” shopping center (a.k.a. Ralph’s shopping center) at 10^th & University is apparently working hard at earning an «Onion» award. Mismatched wall murals, some of them outright hideous, a tragic attempt at modern sculpture using bright yellow i-​beams sticking out of the cement outside Starbucks, a barely discernible «HUB» logo in white-​on-​white, all contribute to the feeling of this having been «designed» by an eighth-​grader for a science project.
Key to uploaded image:
1. White on White signage disappears into the wall
2. Quasi-​religious imagery on a bank??? And I didn’t notice the wrap-​around HUB logo on the upper corner until after I got home.
3. Yellow I-​beam «trees» and benches to sit out in the glaring sun.
4. One of the most hideous murals EVER.

1 star only bc 0 wasn’t an option. This «makeover» was a complete disaster. Nothing cohesive & cheap looking signage. The bizarre artwork looks like something from the inside of a «head shop» circa 1970’s. They’ve been forcing out great neighborhood businesses like Postal Place. And what’s with the containers of huge rocks right next all the plate glass windows? HUB sounds like some low rent govt. funded business experiment not part of a vibrant Community. The giant EYE at the exit off the pkng garage is just tacky!

I was reluctant to review a shopping center but after being assaulted by the design disaster that has been forced on Hillcrest I thought I would at least say a few words.
First, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Somebody took an aging shopping center, kicked out some of the best tenants, then vomited a whirlpool of bad design, bad colors, and overall bad taste and then had the nerve to call it the «Hub». I did post my favorite a picture of my favorite sign and this is not photoshopped. The idiots that did this renovation installed a sign so you can only see the first two letters from almost every conceivable angle and it’s so perfect.
HU?
I would be willing to bet $ 500 that this is the result of somebody’s bored wife (or cracked out queen) that wanted to get involved in this project. Someone with absolutely no experience with the use of colors, visual elements, signage, functionality was turned loose on this job and, worst of all, it’s a huge eyesore right in the middle of our community.
I wish I could meet the person or persons responsible for this visual disaster just so I would know what an alien from another galaxy looked like in person. Nobody from this planet could have been responsible for what happened to the Ralphs Shopping Center. Hub my ass. Flub is a far better description.