Tiffany Revelle–Record-Bee staff
CLEARLAKE — A 23,000 square foot shopping center broke ground Tuesday as crews cleared brush and rock to make way for the $4.2 million project.
Developer Barry Johnson of Barry C. Johnson Real Estate Companies in Redding, said the center will front Dam Road and Highway 53.
It will include Carl”s Jr., Aaron”s Furniture Store, custom site for a bank and 9,600 square feet for retail businesses. Johnson said he estimates it would create of 50 new jobs. He said the project has been in the works for about a year. Grading and building permits will be pulled within 45 days.
Johnson said a four-month long geometric study is complete. The study addresses increased traffic at the intersection. This endeavor cost Johnson approximately $18,500.
The study took in to account increased traffic both for the shopping center and for Provinsalia, a 720-unit subdivision as well as a nine-hole golf course planned for the southeast corner of Clearlake, east of Dam Road and north of Cache Creek.
“I just think Clearlake is in need of expanding its retail base and that is an excellent location,” Johnson said. “The first thing you”re going to see is this project when you come into Clearlake, and this project will improve your entrance into Clearlake.”
Johnson said he hopes the project will be done in the spring of 2008.
The name of the shopping center is uncertain. “Originally the Bank of the West was looking at the site, so we were going to name it the Bank of West plaza, and now they”re not going there. I”m not sure what I”m going to call it,” Johnson said.
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com.
