Carson Mall could get another tenant in 2014

Another tenant for the Carson Mall space vacated by Gottschalks could be lured by the end of the year to join Sportsman’s Warehouse in 2014, Carson City’s Board of Supervisors learned Thursday.

Joanne Holmes of Carrington Co., spokeswoman for the Eureka, Calif., firm that owns the mall, said a “national soft-goods chain” she wasn’t at liberty to disclose was considering 24,268 square feet of space there and might move in next year. She also told the board Sportsman’s Warehouse is ready to begin work it would be doing to make the nearly 43,000 square feet of space it is leasing ready for opening by March or April.

The Sportsman’s Warehouse lease was announced earlier, and Holmes says that if the other tenant considering the rest of the former Gottschalks department store space chooses to come here, it could mean 70 jobs for Carson City.

Holmes said Sportsman’s Warehouse pulled permits Wednesday to begin the outfitter’s company-specific changes and should start work about mid-month. She said although the Utah-based outfitter would use a Utah contractor, subcontractors from this area would be used as well.

She said the outfitter’s renovations are atop those already being handled by Carrington Co. The mall owner’s work has been under way for some time.

“We are over budget, let’s just put it that way,” Holmes said. “But it’s going to be wonderful.” She reported Carrington is using Miles Construction, a local firm, as contractor for the landlord work.

She also told the board Carrington Co. has purchased the former Station Grille at 1005 S. Carson St., which is just north of the mall. The building is about 10,000 square feet and is for lease.

Holmes appeared during the opening public-comment part of the board’s regular meeting to report the progress and thank city government for the incentive that helped make filling the mall possible.

City Manager Larry Werner later described the incentive agreed to by the board as the equivalent of 50 percent of city sales-tax revenues, or 1.25 cents on the dollar, over 15 years. It goes to Carrington to help lure tenants. It actually is paid with redevelopment property-tax revenues, Werner said.