The Town of Minden celebrated the opening of its first full-service grocery store in 41 years Thursday with a performance by the Douglas High School jazz band.
Sierra Nevada Trading Co., a 21,000-square-foot supermarket on the corner of Lucerne Street and Ironwood Drive, opened Feb. 3.
The band played a variety of songs starting at 4 p.m., and at 5 p.m. Minden Town Board member Bob Hadfield handed the property developer, Kevin Coleman of Net Development and K&S Properties, a plaque.
"It's a huge deal," said Hadfield. "I've been driving down to the other end of town for 29 years. It is important. It makes our community more complete."
The last grocery store, Minden Mercantile, was where Tumblewind Antiques and Collectibles is now located on Esmerald Avenue, he said.
Hadfield said the plaque he gave Coleman was to "commemorate the opening and thank them for supporting the Minden Plan for Prosperity for having the vision to invest in the Town of Minden."
Coleman developed the 18-acre project Minden Village - 15 businesses, Sierra Crest Academy, Syncon Homes corporate office and about 50 homes in the Hearthstone subdivision - after conducting surveys to see what people residing in the town wanted.
"The town wanted us to go with the prosperity plan," said Coleman. "It's so exciting to see it work. People will be able to walk from home and go to the dentist, eat lunch, get a cup of coffee and see their friends. Then they can go to the grocery store before they go home."
Coleman said he didn't know Minden hadn't had a supermarket in more than 40 years until the grand opening.
"I've just been informed by Bob Hadfield this is the first time since 1965 there has been a full-service store in Minden," said Coleman. "I didn't realize why this was so exciting."
Sierra Nevada Trading Co. features a full-service deli, a seafood and butcher counter and a variety of wines, as well as items - both generic and name brands - normally found in a grocery store.
Hadfield said wetland property behind the Syncon Homes building was donated to the town by Coleman.
Coleman co-owns the store with Jim Dutra, along with Jim Lira, of Lira's Supermarket in Meyers and Rio Vista, both in California. Dutra and Lira are partners in Lira's markets.
Dutra's wife Linda is decorating inside Sierra Nevada Trading Co., and will set up a home-decorating center inside the store, along with her sister Pam McClain who co-manages the store with her husband Monte. Monte and Pam have 80-years grocery store experience between them.
"The theme of the store is high-end groceries," said Jim. "We're a family business. We are bringing in products the people in Minden are looking for. Our goal is to make this a good store for the community."
Coleman owns the Department of Motor Vehicles building in Minden and heard about the property on Lucerne Street through his Realtor, Cora Hansen of Century 21 Clark Properties.
Coleman has been visiting Minden for about 20 years and said he would like to move here, except his daughters wanted to stay near the beach on the California coast where they live.
"I've traveled all over the world and I've never felt more at home than in this town," said Coleman. "It's so much fun to be in a community where people care."
Coleman has been a property developer for about 25 years and has developed more than 50-million square feet of property.
He recently purchased Bodine's restaurant in Carson City and is working with the city on the fairgrounds there.
Bodine's will be torn down with a casino constructed in its place, with a bar that will keep the name Bodine's.
Coleman said he can't divulge the name of the casino yet.
He said 111 boxes of items from the restaurant will be kept for displaying in the casino, as well as all the barn wood on the original building that will be used in the construction.
"We've kept all the artifacts, all the character," said Coleman.
For the fairgrounds, Coleman said he has consulted 4-H, car clubs and dog clubs to make sure standards are met.
"We are putting in a covered arena," said Coleman. "We're working with them, helping to create an event center, a venue where you could have rodeo events. Reno and Douglas County are looking into using it now. There have even been rumors, with the improvements, that the state fair could come back to the capital.
"My real desire and dream is to see the capital become the capital again, with state events coming there."
n Jo Rafferty can be reached at jrafferty@recordcourier.com or 782-5121, ext. 210.
