In Hanford the city council will offer sales tax incentives to Costco to locate at store on the east side of town.The council passed two resolutions this week.One resolution expands the Incentive Program to allow developers to receive sales tax incentive funds if a new retailer has sales in excess of $23 million a year. The developer for the project located at Hwy 198 and Hwy 43 is Fresno’s Kashian Group. A second resolution extends a reduction in Impact Fees for Development Projects for an additional 12-month period. The reduction will remain at 30% for Water, Wastewater System, Storm Water, Refuse and Recycling and Transportation Impact Fees. The city is already processing an environmental impact report for the potential 58 acre retail complex, now farmland.
In Lemoore it appears Walmart may be throwing in the towel on their big plan.After years of delay, construction of a new Walmart Supercenter near the college is stalled again after the big retailer restarted a new EIR earlier this year but has not responded to city questions for months now. City planner Holly Smyth says a month ago Walmart who owns the 21 acre site, put up a For Sale sign on the parcel.
In both Tulare and Visalia, Bakersfield-based Smileland is proposing infill sites to put up new dental centers in retail districts.In Tulare they have filed for a permit to remodel the former Blockbuster at 1407 Hillman,reportedly buying the property. In Visalia, the company is buying two long vacant parcels on mid Mooney Blvd to erect a new dental clinic with extra leasable space. The Mooney properties have been sore thumbs on the strip for several decades, an old transmission shop and cabinet shop next to IHOP. Smileland will be 2 story, 8000sf .
Also on Mooney in Visalia, Shiekh Shoes, a leading specialty retailer of lifestyle footwear and apparel with more than a 134 stores is preparing to file remodeling plans for the former Copeland Sports building on Tulare and Mooney. The 14,700sf space has been vacant for years and had attracted interest from Fresh & Easy who are now out of the picture. Sheikh has stores in California, Nevada, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Washington and Oregon.Its product selection is aimed at the teenaged urban market, featuring athletic footwear and apparel from brands like Nike, Jordan, Adidas, Reebok, K-Swiss, Sketchers, Lacoste, Converse, and DC Shoes including many exclusive products not sold by other retailers. Shiekh Shoes also manufactures and sells its own brand of footwear, which is only available through its stores and website.Most locations like two in Fresno, are at malls.
More Mooney Moves; The Visalia Staples store on South Mooney will relocate to a downsize location in the same Dick Sporting Goods-anchored shopping center according to a plan filed with the City of Visalia. The office supply retailer submitted tenant improvement plans on a smaller 17,000 sf storefront next to Dicks enabling them to vacate their larger 29,000 sf store just south.Sources say the vacated space will provide a chance for a new retailer to Visalia to locate here.
Visalia Eateries Come & Go; This week, Bravo Farms opened their new “Smokehouse – Modern Barbeque” on Willis, the site of the old Wagon Wheel Steakhouse. Led by chef Jonathan Van Ryn,Bravo Farms will also open its new Kettelman City gift shop and ice cream parlor next year. Closing recently is El Presidente restaurant and bar on Santa Fe, a long time Visalia Mexican eatery.
Dollar Wars: Small town retail continues strong in Tulare County now coming to Ivanhoe, population 800 north of Visalia, with plans filed to construct a new Family Dollar Store at the corner of Ave 328 and Rd 168. Meanwhile competitor Dollar General has filed plans for a new store in Woodlake along Naranjo. Woodlake already has a Family Dollar.The same two competitors will soon go head to head in nearby Farmersville and Tulare as well.