Friday, Jun. 20, 2008

Two new tenants eye Lowe's center

City confirms Applebee's, Starbucks planning to build in Los Baños.

Lowe's, Target and...

This month city officials confirmed that the Lowe's shopping center near Pacheco Boulevard and Ortigalita Road will soon have Applebee's restaurant and Starbucks added to it.

"I know those two, I've seen the plans," Public Works Director Dwayne Chisam said.

He said other commercial development is expected in the area as well. However, at this time, he's not at liberty to say what those businesses may be.

In the past two years the city has approved site plans that have named some of the businesses coming to town, but depicted others as retail "pads." Chisam said this is done because developers often do not have agreements with businesses or know themselves what will be placed in a specific spot.

Stonecreek Properties, the building developer responsible for Target coming to town and construction of an accompanying traffic signal that was finished in April, is also uncertain of the future of the center.

Ray DeSa, the vice president of land development for Stonecreek Properties, said his company sold all the remaining pads in the center. DeSa said he could not say what other businesses were going to accompany Target and Lowe's.

"I wish I knew," DeSa said.

DeSa said he has been told that Target is still on schedule to open next month. The store was originally prohibited from opening until a signal light was placed at the intersection of Ortigalita Road and Pacheco Boulevard. With the signal now in operation it clears the way for the big-box store to start doing business.

The construction of Starbucks will create the second coffee shop the franchise has in Los Baños -- a city with a population of barely more than 35,000 people.

Duplicate eateries are pervasive in the city. Subway, Taco Bell and Carl's Jr. have two restaurants in Los Baños, and McDonald's has three. Jack in the Box plans to build a second restaurant in the city in the planned shopping area east of Lowe's.

Mayor Tommy Jones said such redundancies are OK with him.

"My opinion is I believe in a red-carpet theory. I don't want to discourage free enterprise. They're the ones taking the financial risk," Jones said.

Enterprise staff writer Corey Pride can be reached at 388-6563 or cpride@losbanosenterprise.com

Enterprise staff writer Corey Pride can be reached at 388-6563 or cpride@losbanosenterprise.com