Trader Joe's set to move into north Douglas

Whole-food buyers will no longer have to travel to the Trader Joe's in Reno. The grocery store is moving into the Clear Creek Plaza in north Douglas County.

"We're scheduled to come this year," said Trader Joe's spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki.

There were rumors that the specialty foods store was looking for space in Carson City before this announcement. The store will move into 3790 Highway 395 North beside Wal-Mart, which is just south of the Carson City and Douglas County line.

Mochizuki said Trader Joe's will occupy a space that is 10,000-15,000 square feet. An exact opening date is not yet available.

Yvonne Roberts, project manager for Clear Creek Enterprises, said Wednesday that there are still some spots available in the 56,600-square-foot center. She declined to comment on the announcement from Trader Joe's because the process is not yet complete.

The broker has some letters of intent for remaining lease spaces, but several are still open. Tenants include King Buffet, Cabinet Facers and Clear Creek Chiropractic. Bank of America Mortgage is expected to open soon.

"We're in different stages of negotiations, so it's getting real full real quick," said Roberts.

Her father, Edgar "Red" Roberts, a rancher and entrepreneur, owns nine acres of the plaza, which is assessed at $1.9 million. The broker for the plaza is John Mulder, of Premier Realty in Reno.

The property was once part of a 40-acre parcel owned by Roberts, Harvey Gross, owner of Harvey's at South Lake Tahoe, and Phil Roventini. The trio paid about $38,000 for the land and the project began about 35 years ago.

Roberts sold 22 acres to Wal-Mart for $1.2 million in February 2001. It opened the supercenter in Douglas County in August 2002.

The supercenter is now the anchor attraction at the plaza. Roberts has sold pads to businesses along the highway, including Del Taco, Jiffy Lube, Chili's Grill and Bar and Eldorado Bank.

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