Visalia Council Wrestles With New Public Safety Complex
The Visalia City Council will offer staff direction next week on what scale to build a new public safety complex in the new Cvic Center area in East Visalia. The council may consider combining the proposed 911 Emergency Center with a new public safety administration building if they can handle the cost.”That makes sense if the numbers work” says council member Greg Collins. The city finance department has said they could weigh refinancing the convention center to help pay for a larger project,perhaps even a Civic Center. Another factor, city council member Warren Gubler says the city may want to take advantage of the competitive bidding atmosphere out there for building projects. As much as $15 million could be made available without hurting cash flow says a city report. The 911 Center will be built on a 16 acre city-owned parcel at the SE corner of Goshen and Burke.
Around Visalia: Orchard Supply management has told their Visalia staff that the Walnut and Mooney store will stay open with no changes after the ownership switch to Lowes,customers are being told. VP Still Tops: Visalia’s top 10 eateries ranked according to the popular website Trip Advisor are 1.Vintage Press 2.Thai Basil 3.Pita Kabob 4.Fugazzis 5.Vhar-cu-te-rie 6.Pizano’s Wood Fired Pizza 7.Brewbakers 8.Tahoe Joe’s 9.Cafe 225 10. Alejandras. Big Vacancy: Some 50,000sf of the Cigna building is available again now that San Joaquin Valley College has relocated to several smaller buildings around town.”It’s the largest office space in town” says broker Doug Burr. The building has another 25,000 ft at the west end he expects to lease up soon.
Tulare: New $36 Million UC Davis Lab Expected To Break Ground In November
Tulare’s UC Davis Veterinary Center will get a $36 million – 2 story,35,000sf California Animal Health & Food Safety Lab expected to break ground in November. The lab will provide diagnostic sampling for the Valleys dairy,cattle and poultry farmers.The lab will employ 37.The state’s labs “are the backbone of California’s warning system” says a 2011 report, for both animal diseases and food borne pathogens.
Project manager Joe Dickson says the new construction at the Tulare Veterinary Center would be the first since 2004.The November ground breaking is dependent on a successful lease revenue bond to be sold to investors in September by the state. The bonds are sold based on getting lease money from an asset although the ownership reverts to the state after 30 years.
Dickson says the lab should take 2 years to construct. It is out to bid this month.
Banking: Sierra Bank Corp Profit Up 48%
For the second quarter of 2013, Porterville-based Sierra Bancorp reported a net income of $3.8 million, up 48%, from the second quarter of 2012. and its stock is up over 40% year-to-date.The bank holding company has 25 branches and 400 employees. Bank of Sierra has just under a 20% market share in the county for deposits, the top bank ahead of number two Bank of America in the latest FDIC survey. The health of the bank is good proxy for the health of Tulare County. Its latest results are the highest since the fourth quarter of 2009 – just as the recession hit.
CEO Jim Holly says the region’s economy has rebounded from being the hardest hit during the housing collapse and economic downturn.”Ag is now enjoying five of its best years ever,excluding the dairy business. Around the Central Valley national home builders have returned and at the bank we have the strongest pipeline of new loan applications in our history.”
Boost for Bravo Gardens
Woodlake: The City of Woodlake is using $1 million of its Measure R money to help improve the towns biggest tourist attraction – the 13 acre Bravo Gardens owned by the city. Founder and retired farm advisor Manuel Jimenez says the funds given as mitigation for road projects will be put to good use improving the experience at the garden that serves as a youth volunteer lab as well as park and source of pride for the community.In 2003 the city bought the former rail right-of-way along Bravo Lake and it is now planted to all manner of fruit trees, vines and flowers. Jimenez says they expect to purchase another 5 acres on the east end of the garden for large events like the berry tasting fest and others as well as adding two sets of bathrooms at each end of the garden and water fountains for the kids plus visitors.The garden is owned by Woodlake Pride Inc,a nonprofit who guides their mission and offers tax exempt donations.