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A CLASS ACT GROCERY STORE FOR VICTORIA

TIF HEARING SCHEDULED FOR SEPTEMBER 25TH

From July 10th

Meeting the Developers.

Council voted unanimously to schedule an EDA meeting for Thursday, July 17th. The Victoria City Council serves as the Economic Development Authority in Victoria. The Authority needs to formally sit as a body in order to establish a new Tax Increment Finance District in the City of Victoria.

A new TIF district is needed to accommodate Tom Wartman and Dale Riley, developers of the proposed Victoria City Center in downtown Victoria. This Center, which is proposed to include a Fresh Seasons Market and Drugstore, is proposed to be located in the vacant space once occupied by the three downtown houses demolished in June [See July 2008 issue of the Gazette] plus a fourth substandard house on the Hwy 5 corner at Quamoclit.

An 85-space parking lot is proposed to be located on the site currently occupied by the old C.H. Carpenter Building adjacent to the proposed grocery store. Front door to the grocery store would open to that parking lot.

Said City Planner Holly Kreft, “The overall Planning Commission was very supportive of this project. The Business Development Committee is supportive as well.”

Asked Councilmember Kim Roden, “Can we get past the access issues in order to make this project successful?” She referred to the stacking problem with vehicles trying to enter and exit the proposed parking lot after coming off Hwy 5 at the signal light. She also referred to delivery trucks to the grocery store and their maneuvering in a small downtown area. “Are we going to create new problems we can’t overcome?” asked Councilmember Roden.

City Engineer Cara Geheren said that once the nearby 13.5 acres on the west side of the existing downtown area get developed, there will be more ways to get in and out of places.

Developer Tom Wartman was in the audience with partner Dale Riley. “We’d like the opportunity to come to downtown Victoria and bring our Fresh Seasons Market and Drug. We’ve got 27,000 square feet in our Glen Lake store and we could use a couple thousand more there. We’re proposing 26,000 square feet in our Victoria store.”

Mr. Wartman said he is not a stranger to the community. “My mom is from Carver. My dad is from St. Bonifacius. My grandparents are in the St. Victoria Cemetery,” he said.

“We’d like you to come and see our Glen Lake store,” he continued. “Our focus is fresh products, quality products, and great service. Ours is truly a neighborhood grocery store.”

Mr. Wartman said the Victoria building would look good from all directions, that each of the four sides will be attractive with their trademark brick and stucco exterior.

He said the building height would be 16 or 17 feet, that customers would get in and out of the store in an easy manner, that truck deliveries would be made on the northeast corner where the topography is three feet higher than the C.H. parking lot area.

Dale Riley also spoke. “I started with Byerly’s in 1991, became president in 1997. I was then two years with Lunds, overseeing Lunds and Byerly’s, and then three years with Kowalski’s. I went to Rainbow Foods for a while but that was not a good fit for me.”

“I knew Glen Lake was available and that it hadn’t generated the volume that Kowalski’s had needed so Tom and I decided to fill a new niche,” he continued. “Most people want convenience, cleanliness, and good product at a fair price. We focus on an indoor experience. We’re proud of our Glen Lake store. People want to work there. It’s the same concept we’d bring to Victoria. We do very little advertising. Word of mouth is the best way for us to grow our business. We make lots of donations to the community. We’re confident Victoria would be a good fit.”

In responding to questions from Victoria councilmembers, Mr. Wartman said, “We feel 85 parking spaces here is adequate. There is some adjoining parking. We’re open seven days a week and closed on some important holidays so that our employees can be with their families. We feel our parking lot will also be good overflow for Floyd’s and the flower shop and other businesses.”

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