-January 7,2022-
Pump House gets new owners
Legendary neighborhood bar- also known as the town’s best dive bar – will be changing hands this month. The Pump House bar at 1075 E Main St in Visalia will get new owners as Jacob Gayer and Nathaniel Cary will now manage the popular watering hole, according to a public notice.
Rite Aid on Mooney to close Jan 19
Rite Aid drug store will close its Mooney Blvd store January 19 according to the store manager.The 21,440sf storefront at 2727 S. Mooney is for lease according to a real estate website. Rite Aid announced last fall that it will close 63 stores in a cost-cutting move designed to help the pharmacy chain be more competitive reporting that it is “conducting a rigorous assessment of its store base and has implemented a store closure program.” The company didn’t disclose locations of the closures that began in November. The closure will leave two Rite Aid stores in town in east and west Visalia. The store manager said “we just found out” about the closure despite California law that requires a 60 day notice to employees.
Mooney Union Bank building on the sales block
The vacant Union Bank on Mooney Blvd at Walnut is officially for sale through the real-estate firm CBRE. The bank closed in Visalia last year. Sources say the bank is unlikely to be reused as-is since it has no set-back from Mooney. The 5759 Sf building was posted for sale just this week. The asking price was not listed.The property sits next to the Visalia Mall who will likely be a bidder.
Riggin Ave widening on deck
Now that more development is coming along Riggin in the Visalia Industrial Park, the news has put the city on notice on the need to widen and improve the street network in this part of Visalia. Assistant City Manager Nick Mascia says they have been planning to widen Riggin to 4 lanes this year from Kelsey -where Amazon is -to Shirk. Plans are in the works as well to widen Riggin in segments clear to Mooney. Mascia says what is new is the need to widen smaller streets north of Riggin including Ave 320 (Kibler),American and others with several million square feet of projects on the drawing board. “We are seeking federal grants to help us out” says Mascia. The one mile improvements on Riggin involves the reconstruction of 1 mile of an existing 2-lane Riggin Avenue between Kelsey Street and Shirk Street to accommodate a 4-lane arterial street with 110’ total ROW. Improvements would include new 12’ vehicular travel lanes (4 lanes total), new Class II bike lanes, new street lighting, new landscaped medians, a new bus turnout, new fire hydrants, new sewer line, new traffic signal, and curb returns at all involved intersections.Riggin has become a busy truck corridor after the new Betty Dr interchange was completed connecting the industrial area to Highway 99.
Former Goodwill could become Senior Center
Plans have been filed to remodel the Goodwill store at 2240 S Mooney Blvd into a senior center. George Ouzounian is the owner of the property. PACE is a national program sponsored by the federal government through Medicare to enable individuals who are at risk for moving into a nursing home to continue to live safely in their homes and communities.The center would be a day-use facility to help these people. Construction of the facility would be complete in March 2024 The project would employ 80 full and part time employees.Once enrolled as a participant, the PACE provider coordinates all Medicare, Medical and other payments to the participant’s care and service providers. Even though the program’s services are available 24/7, 365 days a year, the facility operates Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. as a daily care center. PACE services are delivered in participant’s homes, in the community and at the PACE facility in order to help the senior live independently in his/her home and community.
New Jack N The Box on Lovers Lane
Demo of the property is underway at 1145 S Lovers Lane to make room for a new Jack N The Box drive-thru at the northwest corner Lovers Lane and Tulare Ave.
CalWater wants to take down Giddings water tank
CalWater has filed notice to the city that an ATT communication tower on the Giddings Ave water tank will be relocated with plans by Cal Water to take down the landmark water tower next to Redwood High School in the works. CalWater has not said when this could happen.