In-Shape Fitness Moving To Sequoia Mall. In Shape Fitness with three locations in Visalia will relocate its Caldwell near Demaree location to the former 24Hr Fitness space behind the Sequoia Mall. A spokesperson in the Caldwell Ave location office confirmed the move planned for late 2012. The gym would gain substantial space in the larger 20,000sf building that has been vacant for years.
Kaweah Delta Remodeling Mineral King Hospital Wing. Kaweah Delta hospital CEO Lindsay Mann says the district is remodeling all 6 floors of the 1969 built Mineral King wing top to bottom with interiors comparable to the new Acequia wing.”We are going floor by floor with two floors completed already and a third underway.” The complete retrofit costs about $300,000 per floor, he says.
Hospital Gobbles Up Taco Bell. Kaweah Delta has completed the purchase of the former Taco Bell property on Acequia,in the path of future expansion of the hospital. “Near term (3 years), we plan to lease it out to one of several bidders who want to use it for food services” says Mann with both national and local vendors interested. Mann also confirmed continued discussion with the property owner at Checkers Hamburgers but no sale yet. “If we buy it, Checkers would stay for some time.”
Retail On Hwy 99? The hottest debate in town will continue later this month with a new meeting of the General Plan Update Committee(GPUC) set up to advise the city on the update for the General Plan.Two big issues loom. Should the city designate more new retail commercial land including a shopping center on Highway 99? On July 26,the committee will get a first look at a Sacramento consultants’ report on demand for retail space. A divided Visalia City Council, who earlier this year tabled the plan,will by not take up the contentious issue until late August, if then. The second issue is new population projections that appear to show much less demographic growth in our future,less than the GPUC committee has assumed. At issue – how much new housing and new subdivision land do we need?