Scene in Passing: More Carson Mall space news on the cusp

Santa Claus, disguised as The Carrington Co., soon may slip another present under the Carson Mall tree.

If another retailer to fill out the mall’s anchor space isn’t announced before Dec. 25, perhaps the announcement will be during the 12 days of Christmas that run from that date until Jan. 5. No one is promising anything for certain, but Joanne Holmes of the Carrington firm in Eureka, Calif., which owns the mall, sounded cheerily optimistic when contacted Tuesday about prospects for another tenant.

“I’m hoping to have good news very shortly,” she said.

If a new retail tenant is announced, the space involved is more than 24,000 square feet. The unnamed retailer would join Sportsman’s Warehouse as an anchor at the mall. The Utah-based outdoor outfitter, meanwhile, is slated to open in more than 40,000 square feet next spring.

Rumors of the imminent news of another tenant have been circulating in Carson City for some time, even as work to renovate the outfitter’s store footprint proceeds apace.

“It’s good to have things happening,” Holmes said. She didn’t quibble with the interpretation that she might be on the cusp of making the next announcement to put that new-tenant news under the mall tree and on the record. It sounds, given the square footage, like it will prove to be more than a stocking stuffer for the mall at 1227 S. Carson St.

Coupled with recent news from Steve Neighbors of The Hop and Mae Adams Foundation, who talked about progress on downtown buildings that the foundation owns, the holiday resembles revival around here.

Neighbors said The Hub, a downtown business incubator being renovated on the southwest corner of Carson and Proctor streets, is almost done, so work will start next year on remodeling the former Citibank building on the southwest corner of Telegraph Square, mainly for offices but with some retail space.

Though still far short of a renaissance or even what might be termed re-thrival, the news flow increasingly counters views of anyone clinging to the notion the business cycle remains mired in the downturn dumps.

For a true Carson City renaissance, however, a host of additional happenings would prove helpful. Here is a short wish list of needs that could lead folks to declare re-thrival times:

Adaptive re-use of retailing and office space in the city’s northern sector, particularly the old Kmart building at 3456 N. Carson St. in North Town Plaza; a tenant for the former Toyota building at South Carson and Koontz streets; the possible move of the Ross dress-for-less store from Northern Douglas County into Southgate Mall between J.C. Penney and Burlington Coat Factory; and opening of the Ormsby House downtown.

John Barrette covers Carson City government and business. He can be reached at jbarrette@nevadaappeal.com.