Commercial projects aplenty around city

Commercial building activity around town remains brisk. Here's what is happening this week, according to Alan Kircher, city of Yuma assistant building official:
 
-Dirt moving work is underway for the new Yuma Main Library at 2951 S. 21st Drive (not far from Yuma Catholic High School).
 
-Considerable activity is taking place at Southgate Mall in the former JCPenney store, which is beig renovated for Burlington Coat Factory.
 
-Building permits are ready for a 12,675-square-foot multitenant retail building at the southwest corner of 16th Street and Pacific Avenue. The building is being developed by Kornwasser Shopping Center Properties. Starbucks is a confirmed tenant for the building. Next to it, plumbing and foundation work is progressing on the Homewood Suites Hotel.
 
-Plumbing and foundation work also is taking place on the new Radisson Hotel on Redondo Center Drive just north of 16th Street.
 
-Tenant improvement plans have been received for the former Healthsouth Yuma Surgery Center, 2475 S. Avenue A. Extensive renovations are planned by Yuma Regional Medical Center, which purchased the building, to develop a skill lab to provide training for student nurses. The risk management department also will be relocated there.
 
-Plans have been received for the Cielo Verde Retail Center at the southeast corner of 32nd Street and Avenue 8E adjacent to the Foothills Wal-Mart Supercenter. It will be a 12,100-square-foot, multitenant building. No word on what tenants yet.
 
-Construction is well under way for a new Wells Fargo Bank branch in front of the Foothills Wal-Mart. No word on when it will open, but an onsite sign says "coming soon."
 
-The dirt moving activity north of 32nd Street just west of Avenue 8E is for a new truck-to-truck distribution center for FedEx Freight. The 40,000-square-foot building will be located at 765 E. 30th St. in the Yuma Commerce Center.
 
-A certificate of occupancy has been issued for a new building for Green Rubber Kennedy. The 8,300-square-foot office and warehouse is in Gateway Industrial Park at 2745 E. 24th St. (in front of the new 84 Lumber). Green Rubber Kennedy is a distributor of agricultural and industrial supplies such as pumps, hoses, tanks and safety equipment. The business previously was located at 3320 E. Gila Ridge Road.
 
-Evans Concrete has joined the lineup of businesses at Ramster Industrial Park with completion of a 10,000-square-foot office and warehouse at 3459 E. 33rd Place.
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For all those inquiring minds wondering about that large building with the shiny steel framing under construction south of Interstate 8 and just east of Foothills Boulevard - that's the new Foothills branch library.
 
Target opening is this fall. With 22,00 square feet, the new library will be better able to serve the growing Foothills area.

-Foothills Bank's newest branch has moved into its permanent building at 6024 E. 32nd St. after operating for several months out of a modular building during construction.
 
And bank officials are thrilled. "It's beautiful," Wayne Gale, chief operating officer, said of the 4,500-square-foot building.
 
The branch offers full-service banking. In addition, Foothills Bank has moved its home mortgage department to the new building.
 
It's still something of a work in progress. After the move last Monday, the to-do list includes removing the modular building, finishing the landscaping and parking lot and constructing a drive-through ATM.
 
The modular building will be put in storage for use for the bank's next new branch - "hopefully soon," Gale said, although there are no definite plans at this time.
 
Martha Vasquez is the manager for the new branch. It has four staff plus three for the mortgage department. The phone number is 314-3111.

-The Wellton branch National Bank of Arizona also is now settled into its new building in the new location at 28801 Los Angeles Ave., just 1-1/2 blocks from its former address.
 
"It's nice, it's new and fresh and gorgeous," said branch manager Sharon Baker.
 
The bank has a long history in Wellton. It dates back to about 1952 when it first opened as Southern Arizona Bank. Over the years, it has gone through various bank acquisitions. Now it has a new home, and for the occasion, celebrated with a grand opening last week.
 
The phone number remains 785-3331.

-Previously a part of Great Southwest Mortgage, Tony Ortega now operates his longtime business as a branch of Flagstar Bank. Flagstar was chartered as a bank in 1987 but has been in the mortgage business since the early 1960s.
 
Flagstar serves as a direct lender and Ortega said his business can offer competitive rates and quick turnaround for FHA loans. He explained that FHA loans are very attractive right now for homebuyers as the loan limit has been increased to $271,050 through the end of the year and offers other benefits.
 
Ortega said his office has the same address - 565 S. 4th  Ave. - and the same people providing the same local service. Ortega, who manages the office, has been in the business for 24 years. His loan officers include Minerva Celaya, Elizabeth Landin, Jesse Ortiz, Alisandra Avila, Santos Ramirez and Luis Arias.
 
For more information, call 783-5343. Evening and weekend appointments can be scheduled.

-Jennifer Blackwell Photography specializes in capturing those fleeting moments that are gone so quickly from our memory, but saved forever in print. She takes pride in capturing the essence of the moment without forced and stiff poses.
 
Blackwell will come to your home for a session, or to any locale in Yuma you wish. She often uses Smucker Park and the West Wetlands for natural settings. For engagement photos, senior portraits, holiday photos, maternity and newborn, weddings, family portraits or other special moments, contact her at 446-5803 or Jen@readysetcreate.com.

-Curves is going the extra distance to help promote good health in the community. Through the end of March, both Yuma-area shops will be collecting food - canned goods and other nonperishable items - to help the less fortunate as part of Curves International annual food drive.
 
"Promoting good health and helping someone else in need can be very rewarding, for our health and community," said Darla Schofield, owner of Curves at 1701 S. Avenue B, Suite 111.
 
She's hoping to collect 2,500 pounds of food to benefit Crossroads Mission. The membership fee of $159 will be waived for those bringing in a whole bag of nonperishable groceries through March. For more information, call 819-6941.
 
Foothills-area residents are encouraged to bring their donations to the Curves in the Foothills at 11411 S. Fortuna Road. Owner Cheri McLoughlin is hoping to collect more than 800 pounds of food to be donated to the Yuma Community Food Bank. For more information, call 345-1726.

-Painted Mane Hair and Nail Corral, 3893 S. 4th Ave., has a number of generous customers who now are walking around with much shorter 'dos.
 
Owner Judi Wombacher reported that the salon in recent weeks has had 18 customers donate ponytails of 10 inches or longer for Locks of Love. Several of them were children - growing out, then donating their hair for real-hair wigs for other children.
 
Locks of Love provides hairpieces to financially disadvantaged children under age 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis to help restore their self-esteem.


-My apologies to Brad Holcom for misspelling his last name - twice in recent weeks!
 
Holcom is a south county developer and businessman as well as co-owner of Arizona Market Place.

-Since several have asked about a wine tasting business I mentioned awhile back, here is a rerun:
 
Book a wine-tasting party with Julie Hylland, an independent consultant for The Traveling Vineyard. She will bring "the vineyard to their living room," she said, offering a relaxing evening of wine sampling and opportunities to stock personal wine racks for people and their friends.
 
Contact Hylland by calling 257-2573, e-mailing wineevent@hotmail.com or visiting her Web site at www.myttv.com/julie11914.


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Report Comings and Goings to jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853.