LAKEPORT >> Development plans for the Vista Point Shopping Center were discussed at the Lakeport Economic Development Advisory Committee meeting Wednesday.
The plans include renaming the shopping center on Lakeport Boulevard The Village at Forbes Creek, according to owner Matt Riveras.
Gary Finnan, a creative marketing strategist based out of Windsor, discussed the potential benefits of the project.
“We have the opportunity here to create a catalyst,” Finnan said. “We have the opportunity to represent Lake County in a one-stop shop.”
Plans for The Village at Forbes Creek include four phases.
Phase one would involve a facility to help small wineries to produce, market and sell their products, according to Finnan. Phase two will include the building of a 70-room hotel a wine village with 12 tasting rooms, two restaurants and merchants.
“This is all conceptual,” Finnan said. “Nothing is set in stone.”
Phase three of the project would bring breweries to the site, as well as more restaurants, Finnan said. Phase four would expand uses for long term storage of wines, the ability to hold weddings and potentially converting the bowling alley into a conference and event center.
“The real secret behind this project is finding a balance between retail and production,” Finnan said.
A potential business route for Highway 29 was also discussed by the committee.
Retired Lake County administrator, Kelly Cox, and Lakeport City Manager Margaret Silveira presented the idea to the committee.
Cox and Silveira aim to bring more traffic, and more business, through downtown Lakeport by establishing the business route.
“We have talked with Caltrans and they were very receptive,” Silveira said.
Numerous options for the start and end of the route were discussed. Potential starting points included the crossroad of highways 175 and 29, as well as Lakeport Boulevard. Park Way, 11th Street and the Nice/Lucerne Cutoff were discussed as potential end points for the business route.
The topic will be discussed with the Lakeport City Council at a yet to be determined meeting.
Contact J. W. Burch, IV at 900-2022.
