What's Going On at Trader Joe's in Redding

A number of folks have been asking, “When is Trader Joe’s coming to Redding?”
Good question. I drove by Hilltop and Browning and saw walls going up, but still had some questions. The most accurate answer I got was from another location store employee of Trader’s, who said, (and this was “unofficial”, he said), “We’ll open when we get the liquor license.”
Makes sense, for the store will need an off-sale full liquor license to do business.
So, when can Trader Joe’s get the needed license?
Checking into this I found that a license is not available today in Shasta County. So, what’s next? Well, a wait, for sure. But, it does seem as if they are really coming to Redding. It looks like the basic building construction will not be complete until late August, at which time Trader Joe’s will start on the interior, so my guess is opening in October, and that is if they get their off-sale license.
In the meantime, I’ll continue to shop the Orchard Nutrition store on Athens Avenue. Great variety of specialized products and produce, with a new “deli” in the back that offers up delicious salads and various breads, even with a “sample” area. Granted, it’s not the famous and almost fabled “Trader” stores, but it is an excellent locally owned alternative choice, and it is here and easy to patronize. And, with the “chaos” that some call Cypress Avenue Bridge project, we need to help these merchants in this area as much as we can. Give it a try, if you haven’t, and you will be pleasantly surprised.
Here’s to Joe, the owner, and keep up the good work. Shop locally!
Speaking of bridge work, and other construction, be prepared! The Dana Drive to Downtown project will be closing some of the lanes on Highway 44 from the Shasta Regional Medical Center to Auditorium Drive over the weekend of June 28th. With all the tourists during the summer, not a good time to close streets, but then who thinks about these mundane questions? Get the complete story at www.caltrans2.info
Opposite the Shasta Regional Medical Center at Butte and Continental Streets, many have noticed the “huge” medical-professional building that is almost complete. Well, it is big at 60,000 square feet and about 18,000 square feet have been “spoken for.”
With the news of the Shasta Regional Medical Center being for sale, we may see a big part of this new building stay empty for awhile. Priced at $1.85/ square foot, these office condos are a great idea, but maybe this is not such a great time for their “hitting the market.”
Timing is everything, as we know.
Speaking of timing, now is the time to visit the Shasta Growers Association Certified Farmers Market held each Saturday morning from 7 a.m. until 11 a.m. They have everything from A (apples) to Z (zucchini) and a lot more, and on Saturday, July 5th and July 26th, our own Doni will be giving a cooking demonstration.
The location immediately west of the City Hall on Cypress has plenty of parking and it is not only fun to walk the aisle to “gawk” at the various food and miscellaneous booths, but you will see your friends enjoying this great Saturday morning activity. This is an “only in Redding”, kind of thing, so don’t miss the Farmers Market.
Political decisions in our little corner of the world are always interesting. Almost religiously, two of the council members vote one way and the others vote the other. It seems like it is two against three on many issues.
Since I am not of a political nature (sure), I won’t take sides, but it is intriguing to me that Mary Stegall and Dick Dickerson are usually voting together, with Rick Bosetti and Patrick Jones on the other side, and Murray in the middle.
We will have to watch the voting on the new Redding Police Station and the recommendation that the sales tax be raised to pay for the project. Here again, go for the higher taxes, rather than limit other spending if the bucks aren’t there, will probably be the theme of a couple of the council members, with the others opposed.
What do you think? Do you want to pay a higher sales tax? How about reducing other areas of the budget? Does any elected official ever give this “original idea” a thought? More to come on this topic, so stay tuned. Have a wonderful day.
Ron Largent is at www.ronlargent.com ronlargent@kw.com
Keller Williams Realty in Redding, CA
Selling Northern California