-July 20,2019-
Pier One Imports to close their Visalia store
Home goods retailer Pier 1 Imports has announced it could close as many as 145 more stores in the fiscal year. The Texas-based home goods retailer has some 973 stores in the chain including several in the Central Valley and along the Central Coast.
Now it looks like the Visalia Mooney Blvd store at Packwood Creek is on the chopping block with news the real estate broker marketing the 11,000sf property says the store will close a the end of October and they were entertaining offers to lease the space from new tenants. The retail building at 4016 S Mooney is shown on their website as available as of November 1.The company sells a variety of sells furniture, home decor and other accessories.
“As anticipated, our fourth-quarter sales and profitability were disappointing and reflect the execution issues we identified earlier in the year and have been working with urgency to correct,” said Cheryl Bachelder, interim Pier 1 CEO, in a statement. The company’s comparable sales decreased 13.5% compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2019 and net sales decreased 15.5% to $314.3 million compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2019.
Kaweah Delta eyes Tulare property
Looking to expand its reach beyond the Visalia area Kaweah Delta is studying to the possibility of buying land in Tulare and likely to establish a clinic there. The board is looking at open land on the east side of Mooney, south of Prosperity according to an agenda item being discussed in closed session July 18 at the hospital.
Tulare has seen a recent increase in clinic expansions with Altura Center for Health planning a large campus of four buildings on Cartmill at Hillman along with Adventist Health who now operates the Tulare hospital, seeking approval to build a new 17,015 sq. ft. medical / dental office building on the west side of Hillman Street between Cartmill and Corvina Avenues. The Planning Commission of the City of Tulare will hold a public hearing on the Adventist’s plan on Monday, July 22, 2019 beginning at 7:00 p.m.
Tulare Co jobless rate up but lower than June last year
EDD says the unemployment rate in the Tulare County was 9.1 percent in June 2019, up from a revised 8.2 percent in May 2019, and below the year-ago estimate of 9.5 percent. This compares with an unadjusted unemployment rate of 4.1 percent for California and 3.8 percent for the nation during the same period.
Tulare to get 6th dollar retailer
Plans have been filed to remodel the thrift store at 2121 E Tulare in Tulare to a Family Dollar store. The site is across the street from the Merle Stone car dealership.This would be the 6th dollar store in the community.
New Visalia UPS complex will have walk-in customer service building
The new United Parcel Service campus on Plaza at Riggin, 3240 N Plaza, will include a 2400sf Customer Service building away from the main 350,000sf distribution complex. UPS filed for a permit this week for the customer building. The big package distribution complex is expected to be fully operational next year.
Tulare’s Mitch Choboian Real Estate moving across town
Century 21 Mitch Choboian is relocating across town from 155 N K St in Downtown Tulare to Hillman next to Chicago Title as of September 1. Choboian’s downtown 11,000sf building is for sale.
Tulare’s Tower Square approves PBID
At this weeks Tulare City Council meeting ballots of property owners in the Tower Plaza blocks voted in favor of forming a self-funded property-based improvement district with 13 in support and 0 in opposition. More than 70% of ballots received were in support says the city who approved the district moving forward. Downton Visalia has a similar district credited with helping it prosper and improving security.