Major Retail Center Planned in Yuma, Ariz.

Jan. 29--Visible progress is being made on the Las Palmillas shopping center to be built just north of Kohl's between Castle Dome Avenue and Interstate 8.

A grading permit has been issued and heavy equipment was already at work last week preparing the site for construction. Meanwhile, building plans are currently being reviewed by the city.

And the first tenant has been announced. Shoe Pavillion, a leading retailer of discount priced designer and name-brand shoes for men and women (www.shoepavillion.com), has been confirmed, said Rex Brown, a partner in the Las Palmillas project. It will have a 20,000-square-foot store.

Negotiations are continuing with other potential tenants, Brown said while in Yuma recently to talk about the center.

"It will have an electronics store, there will be a dry goods store, a pet store and a party goods store," he said, declining to name the specific retailers until leases are signed. "There also is a lease in progress with a national company that does hamburgers and such."

In all, the shopping center will have a total of 150,000 square feet. A 20,000-square-foot space isn't lined up yet, as well as some smaller shop spaces and four pads for restaurants and other uses. For leasing information, call Tom Pancrazi or Felisa Taylor at A.T. Pancrazi Real Estate at 782-0000.

"We will see buildings going up in the air probably in April," Brown said. He added that target completion is in the fall by October or November for the main strip.

As part of the project, an improvement district will be formed to pay for extending Castle Dome Avenue north from 12th Street to 8th Street, Brown said.

No city money will be used to pay for the road, which is expected to cost about $3.1 million, said Pete Erlenbach, assistant director of community development. He added that he expects the road work to start in May and take about a year. The first phase is expected to be completed by the time Las Palmillas opens in the fall.

"The presence of the road will enhance the value of the land, not just there, but for the whole area," said Brown.

That will include other property the developer, Pacific Crest Development, has purchased in the area that extends north from the Las Palmillas site to Giss Parkway between Interstate 8 and the proposed Castle Dome Avenue extension.

In all, the developers purchased 95 acres in the area, Brown said. While there are no definite plans for the remaining 75 acres, "we expect some retail. We're talking with a couple of big boxes and we hope to land at least one of them. We think it would also be a good location for some residential.

"We think at the very north end of the property, we will probably build a hotel and restaurant," he continued. "And maybe we'll have an office park in the area."

Brown and partner Steve Guy have 50 years experience between them developing shopping centers and other projects. Other partners for the project are George Codling and Malin Burnham.

Brown said they were interested in Yuma in part because of the growth potential here, explaining that the trend is for growth in smaller communities in the western United States.

In addition, Brown was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma during the Vietnam War so he was familiar with the area.

"We contacted Tom (Pancrazi), looked at property and bought some," Brown said.

"We think it has a great deal of potential. We think Yuma has a great future and we're happy to be part of it."

Joyce Lobeck can be reached at [email protected] or 539-6853.