The Outrigger Apartments, Stockton, CA (apartments)

Name:The Outrigger Apartments
Type:apartments
Street:Pershing Avenue
City:Stockton
State:CA
Zip:
country:USA
Phone:
Status:operational

Description:

While the architecture is definately polynesian/ tiki, there are no actual tikis on the grounds anymore. Trust me, I looked.

[ Edited by: Luckydesigns on 2003-10-16 16:01 ]

Here is an update to the Stockton Outrigger Apartments. The address is 4415 North Pershing Ave. The Apartments are in really good condition. They have maintained the original Polynesian architecture and ornamentation. I took these pictures while on the Golden Tiki expedition and found this 1974 phone book add a few weeks ago.

I have also confirmed that these were the second apartments built by billionaire Developer/San Diego Chargers owner Alex Spanos.

There is a pool there but the one picture I took didn't turn out so ill work on getting another one.

Notice on the underside of the A-frame that the wood paneling is in great shape and the hanging lights looked like they must be original.

Happy Hunting!
Abstractiki

Did you peak into any of the bushes? Any old tikis hidden in there? The foliage looks pretty lush, I'd bring a golf club or something and start poking around for tikis!

What did the inside of the courtyard look like? More pics please!

Wonderful! The stairs inside the A-frame, very unique. And the lamps, I can't make out what they are made with, is it resin? And the original sign, hidden by the foliage, lovely.

I didn't really do a through investigation on this place since I was on the hunt for the Golden Tiki at the time. I figured that it was so obviously Tiki that it had already been documented. I shall return to this site with camera and eeh... golf club in hand.

Abstractiki

Great! Also of note is the fact that the Outrigger beam has not been sawed of, it seems. Is there a painted design on it? These things are hard to photograph against the blazing sun, time of day matters. I sometimes had to return to sites a couple of times to get the right light.

Bigbro wrote -

the lamps, I can't make out what they are made with, is it resin? And the original sign, hidden by the foliage, lovely

The lamps looked like old brownish metal, like they were tarnished a bit. I will be sure to get some close up shots of those on my return trip.

The sign is very nice, I wonder if this place survived in such good fashion because of who built them, Alex Spanos. One other thing i just found out is that he sold them a long time ago and more recently he sometimes drove by the place and thought of buying them back for sentimental reasons.

Cool...yeah, I do that all the time, too, driving by Tiki Temples and thinking of buying them for sentimental reasons :)

Don't forget the giant moai out front!

I didn't know Spanos had any connection to this building.
Let's see if we can get him feeling sentimental about the Stockton Islander and maybe he can resurrect that!

OK I'm back from a major photographic expedition to the Outrigger! Here's all the pics. Got some close ups of the lamps and outrigger ornamentation as well as support beams for the A-frame, old accent flood lighting and original door knob etc.

Tobunga wrote- Don't forget the giant moai out front!

Actually the moai goes to the Bali Hai Apartments next door :)

[ Edited by: abstractiki 2009-10-01 19:54 ]

Tobunga wrote - Let's see if we can get him feeling sentimental about the Stockton Islander and maybe he can resurrect that!

That sure would be great! put Stockton back on the Tiki map.

Also during my research on this place I found out that Spanos considered the Outrigger the sister to to the Bali Hai. He also came up with the name Outrigger and built it for about 350,000 in the early 60's.

Been diggin at the Outrigger, came up with these!

Front View

Artist Rendering

Courtyard

Interior of Apartment Room

Great old photos. Really love that artist's rendering. Thanks for doing the digging.

I was recently contacted by a member of Stockton's Cultural Heritage Board who was looking for information on the Outrigger. At the next board meeting he will be nominating the Bali Hai and Outrigger Apartments as "Structures of Merit, which is an initial recognition of noteworthy and historic architecture in Stockton, and could be a precursor to landmarking (which is a more lengthy process)".

He got many pictures of the place off Tiki Central. After checking my files and sending him the info I realized there were a few details from my research that I had neglected to post. I'll do that soon.

This is great news, I hope all goes well and these temples will receive their due recognition.

very cool! it's about time stockton gets off their behind and start recognizing the cool buildings that are still standing. did you ever find out who was the architect?

love the artist rendering pic -- how did you locate that?

The news paper article I found does not give the architect information but it does say that it was designed and engineered by A. G. Scolfield of Fresno CA. It also says it will be built by Al Toccoli a local contractor. The Outrigger had a planned construction date of April 1st of 1962 and was supposed to be completed by July 1st of that same year. There is an article in September 1962 that says that the project has now been completed. The black and white pictures including the artist rendering are photo copies of old Stockton record articles I found. Tiki C, I'll tell you how I located the rendering in a PM.

The Stockton Cultural Heritage Board, at its October 5th meeting, approved the Bali Hai and Outrigger apartments as Structures of Merit. Yea!!

It passed unanimously. One of the members did a "write-up" based upon my forum posts and using my images (he credited me at the meeting) and the board chair forwarded it to the Stockton Record.

This does not give them protection right now as with landmarking, but it's a step in the right direction.

I recently located Butch Toccoli. Butch was the Foreman and Site Superintendent for Al Toccoli Construction the builder of the Bali Hai and Outrigger Apartments in Stockton CA. I interviewed him on the grounds of the Bali Hai and The Outrigger on October 20, 2011.

Here is the interview and a pic.

Butch Toccoli at the Outrigger apartments Stockton CA.

Abstractiki - Butch can I get a picture of you by the stone tiki before we get started?

Butch – Sure.

Abstractiki - Toccoli Construction was a family business and you were the second generation?

Butch Toccoli – Correct.

Abstractiki – And you have a son right now that is still in the business?

Butch Toccoli - Yes

Abstractiki – How old are you now may I ask?

Butch Toccoli - 72

Abstractiki - Butch, as I understand it your Dad was in charge of the Company?

Butch Toccoli – Yes, Al Toccoli.

Abstractiki- And you say Alex (Spanos) and him were good friends?

Butch Toccoli – Yea

Abstractiki - Were you on the job site and helped build this?

Butch Toccoli – Yes

Abstractiki – What was your main job? Were you like a Foreman?

Butch Toccoli - A Foreman yes, a site Superintendent.

Abstractiki - Does your family or the construction business still have any of the blueprints for these apartments?

Butch Toccoli – I looked though all our files, we have archives since 1944 but I couldn’t find them.

Abstractiki - Oh wow, and no photographs or documents of the building?

Butch Toccoli – No I couldn’t find anything.

Abstractiki - OK, do you remember where you got the stone Tiki God from?

Butch Toccoli – Alex got them, he had them brought in.

Abstractiki - Were you here when they installed this stone Tiki?

Butch Toccoli - Yea. My Dad and I were here and I was very impressed.

Abstractiki - Did they have to bring it in with a crane?

Butch Toccoli - Yea, a cherry picker they callem, it’s heavier than hell!

Abstractiki - What were people saying at the time? Was it stirring any emotion or?

Butch Toccoli - (people said) what is that? The Bali Hai that’s what it’s supposed to be.

Abstractiki - Was it Alex’s idea to have the stone Tiki or the architects?

Butch Toccoli – Alex’s

Abstractiki - Ok, let’s go look around the interior a little bit. Except for the plants growing and the fence around the pool it looks pretty much the same as it did.

Butch Toccoli – Yea, in those days you didn’t have the fence requirements.

Abstractiki - There is the fire pit right there, that was a nice touch.

Butch Toccoli - ya know half of the city of Stockton guys, doctors, lawyers and businessmen moved in here as they got divorced. (laughter) It was occupied by a lot of professional people.

Abstractiki - Kind of a bachelor pad in the 60’s huh? (laughter)

Butch Toccoli – Yea, (laughter)

Abstractiki - Well the fire pit is still there. I don’t know if it works any more but at least they didn’t pave over it.

Butch Toccoli - Yea.

Abstractiki – Ok, let’s go on over to the Outrigger. You know many of the apartments like this around the country have been demolished or renovated beyond recognition.

Butch Toccoli - yea, these light fixtures, it’s amazing that they are still here.

Abstractiki - Now here at the Outrigger, you see these carvings in the posts? Did your company do that?

Butch Toccoli - No he had another company carve them and then we put them up. I don’t know who they were.

Abstractiki - So on the ends of the top outrigger beams they came in and did those?

Butch Toccoli – Yea a huh

Abstractiki - Did Alex come around to the jobsite?

Butch Toccoli – Yea, Alex would have breakfast with us and we would talk about what was being done and how it was being done.

Abstractiki - Do you see these beautiful old lamps hanging under the A-frame? Do you remember where they were purchased or you who made them?

Butch Toccoli - No, Alex got those somewhere I don’t know where.

Abstractiki - Can I get a picture of you right here were I can get the Outrigger name in?

Butch Toccoli – Yea sure.

Abstractiki - This A-frame style here was really popular in the mid century Polynesian architecture. It looks like the Outrigger was a little more advanced or complex in design than the Bali Hai. Was it more difficult to build?

Butch Toccoli – No not really. Well it’s a tough structure, it’s built like the county jail. Solid as a rock. Alex had a philosophy, build it right and build it strong.

Abstractiki - Did your company ever build any other Polynesian style buildings in Stockton or in the surrounding area?

Butch Toccoli – Not in Stockton, I think in Fresno and Sacramento we built an apartment. Not this plan but the same concept. It was kind of coming on at the time.

Abstractiki - Yea, very popular at the time.

Abstractiki - Let’s go into the courtyard, here is the pool still there.

Butch Toccoli – Yea it was built by Jeremiah Pools. They are still around.

Abstractiki – Many places have filled in their pools with dirt or cement.

Abstractiki - When I was here last I talked to the manager who showed me an ornamental door handle. She said it was original to the building and the only one left. Let me show it to you. Do you remember them?

Butch Toccoli - Yea all of them were like that at one time.

Abstractiki – Butch here is a picture of the artist’s rendering of the Outrigger as it appeared in the Stockton record.

Butch Toccoli Yea I had it in my office if I could find it. My old office, we have moved three times. It was a pretty good size it was 24 by 18 or something.

Abstractiki – If you could locate that I would love to see it and take a picture of it. If you could find it please call me.

Butch Toccoli – Sure, yea, sure.

Abstractiki - It would really mean a lot to me.

Abstractiki – I wanted to give you these pictures of the Outrigger and the Bali Hai.

Butch Toccoli - Oh, thank you.

Abstractiki - Butch these Polynesian style buildings and others like them are considered sacred to enthusiasts of Americas mid century Polynesian culture. These buildings here in particular have been mentioned in books and been written about on the internet. Pictures of these buildings have been seen by people all around the United States and even over seas.

Butch Toccoli - Wow!

Abstractiki - There once were many Polynesian style buildings in the United States but over the years many of them have been torn down or renovated to the extent that much of the original architecture is unrecognizable.

Butch Toccoli – Right.

Abstractiki - These two have remained mostly unchanged and are still in good condition.I don’t know if you have heard or not but by unanimous vote the Stockton Cultural Heritage Board, at its October 5th meeting, approved the Bali Hai and Outrigger apartments as Structures of Merit.

Butch Toccoli - I’ll be darn, I did not know that.

Abstractiki – This interview will become a part of the historical record of these buildings that I have been helping to write. You are a part of the history of these fine buildings and you should be proud of the work you did.

Butch Toccoli – That’s nice. We are really proud, my Dad, me and my sons I mean we are really proud. My dad started building and or got his contractors license in 1940 so that’s how long the company has been around.

Abstractiki – Wow, that’s a very successful company. Butch I want to thank you for your time.

Butch Toccoli – You’re welcome, thank you.

Thanks David! Exciting! Now where's the pic of him standing next to the stone tiki?

Thanks JT! I guess I forgot that pic. Here it is.

Butch Toccoli out side the Bali Hai apartments, Stockton CA.

Before we started the interview I asked him if he built the Kona as well. He said no but he told me that he remembered the Kona and it was already built by the time they started on the Bali Hai. He said he remembered another one to the south of the Kona with no name. That one is still there, a nice small mcm place, no tikis or name but it's a cool little place. Here are some pics.

No name mcm apartments next to whats left of the Kona, the Bali Hai and Outrigger.

I have mainly stayed away from posting anything other than in Tiki Finds lately, but I am taking the time to post here and applaud your efforts for this thread and all the others you (and Dusty) contribute to.

I appreciate all of the hours you spend tracking down the history of Central California Tiki. What you do and what you post is what I come here for. I cannot thank you enough for your contributions to Tiki Central

You were missed at the crawl. Please let me know if you are ever up here in Sacramento. You are always welcome at my hut!

PTD

Wow! Abstractiki does it again! Another awesome addition for your urban archaeology archives! An interview even!

Thanks again for all your hard work, Dave!

Mahlaos!