John Lindt

Home goods retailer Pier 1 Imports has announced it could close as many as 145 more stores in the fiscal year. The Texas-based home goods retailer has some 973 stores in the chain, including several in the Central Valley and along the Central Coast.

Now it looks like the Mooney Boulevard store at Packwood Creek in Visalia is on the chopping block, with news the real estate broker marketing the 11,000 square-foot property says the store will close at the end of October. The broker is also entertaining offers to lease the space. The retail building at 4016 S. Mooney Blvd. is shown on their website as available as of Nov. 1.The company sells a variety of furniture, home decor and other accessories.

“As anticipated, our fourth-quarter sales and profitability were disappointing and reflect the execution issues we identified earlier in the year and have been working with urgency to correct,” said Cheryl Bachelder, interim Pier 1 CEO, in a statement. The company’s comparable sales decreased 13.5% compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2019, and net sales decreased 15.5% to $314.3 million in that period.

 

Kaweah Delta eyes Tulare property

Looking to expand its reach beyond the Visalia area, Kaweah Delta is studying the possibility of buying land in Tulare to establish a clinic there. The board is looking at open land on the eastern side of town, according to a closed-session agenda item held July 18 at the hospital.

Tulare has seen a recent increase in clinic expansions, with Altura Center for Health planning a large campus of four buildings on Cartmill Avenue, along with Adventist Health, which now operates the Tulare hospital, seeking approval to build a new 17,015 square-foot medical/dental office building on the west side of Hillman Street between Cartmill and Corvina avenues. The Tulare Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Adventist’s plan July 22 beginning at 7 p.m.

 

Tulare to get 6th dollar retailer

Plans have been filed to remodel the thrift store at 2121 E. Tulare Ave. in Tulare to a Family Dollar store. The site is across the street from the Merle Stone car dealership. This would be the sixth dollar store in the community.

 

Visalia UPS will have walk-in service

The new United Parcel Service campus at 3240 N Plaza Dr. will include a 2,400 square-foot customer service building away from the main 350,000 square-foot distribution complex. UPS filed for a permit this week for the customer building. The big package distribution complex is expected to be fully operational next year.

 

Tulare’s real estate office moving

Century 21 Mitch Choboian is relocating across town from 155 N K St. in downtown Tulare to Hillman Street next to Chicago Title as of September 1. Choboian’s downtown 11,000 square-foot building is for sale.

 

Tulare’s PBID OKd

At this week’s Tulare City Council meeting, ballots of property owners in the Tower Plaza blocks tilted in favor of forming a self-funded property-based improvement.

More than 70% of ballots received were in support, according to the city council, which approved the district moving forward. Downtown Visalia has a similar district credited with helping it prosper and improving security.