Old Sears building in N. Carson City in demand, agent says

Retail tenants are interested in the old Sears building on North Carson Street, which was vacated this past week after the retailer moved to north Douglas County.

The Sears dealer store operated in Carson City for 13 years, in two different locations and with two owners. This move leaves North Carson City with another dark property, but it shouldn't last long, said Bruce Robertson, a commercial broker with Sperry Van Ness in Carson City.

"This one will fill up quickly," Robertson said Thursday. "We've got people meeting on it as we speak. And I also have two other parties interested in it."

The 9,900-square-foot property went on the lease market in November. Sears has occupancy of 3917 N. Carson St. for the remainder of December. Two retailers and a medical office are interested in the property, Robertson said. It's leasing for about $12,000 a month, which is $1.20 per square foot.

Robertson doesn't believe this property will be another Kmart.

Many store fronts in the North Town Plaza shopping center have been vacant, partly because of the loss of the anchor tenant, Kmart. This 170,000-square-foot building was recently re-sold to an investment group.

Sears store owner Jill Mitchell said Thursday that slow business brought on her move to 941 Jacks Valley Road, in front of the Target store.

"There was no business at that end of town," she said Thursday.

Repairs will still be handled by Sears corporate. Mitchell said she only sells appliances at this new store, a downsizing from the Carson City store, where they sold electronics, hardware, lawn and garden supplies.

Mitchell operated the store for eight years in Carson City before moving on Dec. 15. The original owner and founder said he is sad to see it leave the capital city.

"To lose something from Carson City to Douglas County, it's really a shame," said Richard Stoneman, of Carson City, who owns the 1.2-acre lot and originally opened the dealer store in 1993.

Stoneman and his wife, Deanna, built the store at 3917 N. Carson St. in 1998. They moved it from a strip mall also off North Carson Street.

This was one of the first owner-operated Sears stores in the nation following the closure of the catalogue stores, Stoneman said.

"We built the business from the ground up and it was very rewarding for us," he said. "To see them shrink a little bit is a disappointment."

• Contact reporter Becky Bosshart at bbosshart@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1212.