02.29.2020

Landmark Gordon Building Poised For A New Life

Jennifer Huffman

Napa Valley Register

Some old buildings are said to have ghosts. Napa’s Gordon Building has a ghost hallway.

The “hallway” is what’s left of the original second story in the 91-year-old downtown Napa building. The vintage doors in the hallway were once entries to private offices. Today, those doors remain, but only for looks.

Behind the doors is a completely open space, waiting to be claimed by new tenants. Until then, the hallway looks like something from a movie set – a place where someone like detective Sam Spade might have an office.

Todd Zapolski, managing partner of Gordon Ventures, hosted an event Wednesday night to celebrate his re-launch of the property. The 20,000-square-foot Gordon Building is located at the northeast corner of First and Coombs streets.

“This is pretty special,” Zapolski said. He is proud to have preserved “a beautiful piece of architecture,” he said.

For decades the property stood mostly vacant; then in 2014, significant damage as a result of the Napa earthquake caused it to be red tagged and unable to be occupied.

As part of the seismic strengthening, the restoration has painstakingly repaired the building’s Italian fire-brick exterior and grand interior, retaining its classic charm.