City Council announces new Target store

A press release from the City of Hesperia:

City Announces Major new Retail development

Hesperia, California – Hesperia residents will soon have a variety of new shopping options with the City Council’s October 6, 2005 announcement that a new Target is coming to Hesperia and will anchor the new High Desert Gateway regional shopping center being developed by Lewis Retail Centers at the intersection of Interstate 15 & Main Street in Hesperia.

Target will construct their new 124,000 square foot, state-of-the-art general merchandise store, and accompanying site improvements, on approximately 10 acres of the new 42-acre center.

“We are very excited that Target and Lewis Retail Centers has chosen Hesperia for their newest location,� said Mayor Jim Lindley. “A typical Target store employs 150-250 full and part-time employees and has a projected first year payroll of $3.2 million.�   According to Target Corporation, annual sales volumes vary by location but generally exceed $30 million. 

With an anticipated March 2007 opening, the new store will represent an investment in land, building and equipment of approximately $16 million.

“Facilitating the development of retail and shopping opportunities for Hesperia residents represent a key goal of the City Council and staff,â€? said Lindley. “I believe the new Hesperia Target store will do exceptionally well because of its strategic location and ability to serve Hesperia, Oak Hills, Wrightwood, Phelan and  the unincorporated county area surrounding our city.â€?

The City is working with Lewis and Target to expedite the entitlement process which represents a significant amount of the time that it takes to open a new store.  Lewis anticipates simultaneous construction for other co-tenants in the Gateway Center which will encompass some 400,000 square feet of retail space.
 
“The Economic Development staff has been aggressively seeking retail and restaurant opportunities and devoting significant human and capital resources to this effort,â€? said City Manager Mike Podegracz. “Retailers require favorable demographics with household income and population as key drivers in their location decisions.  For the past several years we have heard the common refrain of ‘rooftops equal retail’ and with our phenomenal housing development retailers can no longer ignore the tremendous potential opportunities that exist in Hesperia.”

Target represents one of the twenty retail matches identified in the Buxton Company’s Community ID prepared for the Hesperia Community Redevelopment Agency (Agency) and City.  “We believe that our success in attracting Target validates the results of the Community ID effort said Steven Lantsberger, Hesperia’s Deputy Economic Development Director.  City staff just returned from the International Council of Shopping Center’s Western Division Deal Making Conference in Palm Springs where they met with scores of retailers and restaurants interested in the Gateway Center and other Hesperia locations. 

“The City Council and I believe that Target’s confidence in the retail potential of Hesperia will induce retail synergy and lead to more exciting announcements in the near future,â€? said Lindley.  “The City will realize significant sales tax revenue from the new Target; funds we can invest in important community-based iniatives, including roads.”

Target Corporation, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota operates 1,351 Target Stores and Superstores, encompassing approximately 171 million square feet of retail space.  Total sales for Target eclipsed $45.6 billion for their fiscal year 2004.

Lewis Retail Centers is one of the largest shopping center developers in California and Nevada. It is also a member of the Lewis Group of Companies with a portfolio represented by dynamic neighborhood, community and power centers totaling over 4 million square feet. Many of their prime locations are home to some of the nation’s most prestigious retailers such as Barnes and Noble, Best Buy, Home Depot, JC Penney, Kohl’s, Lowes, Macy’s, Marshalls, Mervyn’s, RC Willey, Robinsons-May, Ross, Sam’s Club, Target, Wal-Mart, Albertsons, Ralphs, Safeway and Vons. One of Lewis’ most recent projects is Victoria Gardens in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

See also the story in today’s Daily Press. Look for more information in the October 11 edition of the Hesperia Star.

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