Caldwell & Hwy 99 Commercial Center Gets First Hearing
Sequoia Gateway commercial center will get its first hearing Thursday September 10 at 1:30 in the Main Conference Room at the Tulare County Resource Management Agency on South Mooney in Visalia. The planned 126 acre center would be located at Caldwell and 99 on county controlled land. The center is being proposed in two phases with the first phase featuring some 367,000 sf of hotel and restaurant uses and second larger 867,000 sf retail shopping center. The meeting is the kick-off of the environmental process for what will be a controversial project. Input on what the EIR should look at is welcomed until September 21. The City of Visalia has been cool to the idea of a big commercial center on their doorsteps – particularly if it includes a major retail component that could hurt Mooney Blvd.There are also concerns over proximity to the airport
Tractor Parts Maker Coming To Visalia
Tractor maker AGCO will open a parts distribution facility in Visalia around the first of the year. The big ag equipment distributor owns the Massey Ferguson brand among others. Visalia commercial broker Doug Burr says AGCO has leased the 51,000sf warehouse on Ferguson in the Visalia Industrial Park formerly occupied by Stihl Corporation who has moved to larger quarters nearby.Burr say the lease means there are virtually no large warehouse space available here now.
AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural equipment. AGCO offers a full line of tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage equipment, grain storage and protein production systems, seeding and tillage implements and replacement parts. AGCO products are sold through five core equipment brands, Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson® and Valtra® and are distributed globally through a combination of approximately 3,100 independent dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries. Founded in 1990, AGCO is headquartered in Duluth, GA, USA . In 2014, AGCO had net sales of $9.7 billion
Visalia Home Builders Continue Strong Construction Pace
Visalia home builders permitted 57 new homes in August continuing a strong pace of new construction in single-family homes. That compares to 42 in August 2014. For the year the pace of new home construction is up 35%.
August also saw an uptick in new commercial projects valued at nearly $4 million compared to $2.7 million in August 2014. For the year, new commercial building activity is up 71% on number and 43% on valuation. The total value of all permits in Visalia is up 37% this year.