Site work started on downtown shopkeeper units

California developer Craig W. Clark has begun work on five shopkeepers units he is building on Madison Avenue, just south of 1st Street.

Site work was started last week on the units that will combine working and living space for a new kind of living concept in the downtown area.

Each unit will measure 2,400 square feet, including about 1,200 square feet of living space on the second floor and 600 square feet of retail or office space on the ground floor along with a two-car garage, said Gary Munk, listing broker for the shopkeepers.

According to preliminary approval by the council two weeks ago for a time extension of the project, Clark must finish the first unit by August and the remaining four units within 11 months. The council could give final approval of the extension at Wednesday's meeting.

Charles Flynn, the city's riverfront development manager, said it was exciting to see actual work begin on the project that Clark has been working on since 2001, adding that he hopes it will lead to other downtown development.

Golda's Fashion is no more. The dress shop in the Mervyn's Plaza at 3250 S. 4th Ave., Suite H, is closed and the space is available for lease.

Owner Melba Evaro hasn't gone far, though. She and her husband, Alfonso, are now operating a Mexican restaurant, Kokopelli Deli, just around the corner from her former shop in the plaza. Melba explained that the clothing business had gotten "so bad," so she decided to run a deli instead.

The deli is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to serve a variety ofMexican dishes from breakfast burritos to fish tacos. For catering information, call the Evaros at 726-0299.

For information about leasing the space formerly occupied by Golda's, call A.T. Pancrazi at 782-0000.

Yumans will soon have a restaurant where they will be able to partake in the cuisine of India. India House is coming soon to 2071 S. 4th Ave. (that's just north of Dairy Queen). Hopefully by the end of the month, the restaurant will serve lunch and dinner. Diners will be able to choose from a buffet or the menu.

For catering information, call 782-0799.

Bank of America is very interested in establishing a branch in San Luis, Ariz., confirmed James Holmberg, consumer market executive for Southern Arizona.

The bank is in a growth mode and has been looking for potential sites in Yuma County, including San Luis, for future expansion, he said. But it won't happen this year, he added.

The interest in San Luis fits with the bank's priority on increasing its share of the Hispanic market all along the border, he noted. To that end, Bank of America has purchased 24.9 percent of the stock in Banco Santander Serfin, a major bank in Mexico, Holmberg said. As a result, clientele from either bank can use the ATM of the other at no charge.

More shared services are to come, Holmberg said.

Vibes, Yuma's new teen club, is ready to open its doors this weekend to provide a fun and safe gathering place for the community's youth.

But first, Manager Donald Murrietta wants the parents to come by to see the facility and hear about plans for it. An open house will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday for that purpose. Vibes is a joint project of Murrietta, a long-time Yuma disc jockey, and Joper Hinton, who owns the building at 185 S. Main St. (back-door entrance address is 186 S. Maiden Lane).

The 12,000-square-foot club will be open for teens Friday and Saturday evenings with a high-tech lighting show, games, music and dance contests in a safe environment, Murrietta said. Friday nights the club will be open for junior high school students and on Saturdays, it will be high school night. Cover charge is $6 anddoors open at 7 p.m.

At other times, the building will be available to rent for wedding receptions, private parties, concerts and various functions. The phone number is 783-6763.

After teaching cooking and serving as a chef at various restaurants, Robert Schot is opening his own business.

Shot is the former chef instructor at Arizona Western College and executive chef at his family's restaurant and numerous well-known restaurants in Washington state. He has a degree from Shoreline College in Seattle, Wash., in food services technology (culinary arts, nutrition and dietetics) and is certified by the National Institute for the Food Industry in applied sanitation.

Rob's Grill and Catering, 11411 S. Fortuna Road, Suite 204 in the Foothills, will open this weekend, with a grand opening scheduled later this month. The phone number is 345-2266 and the fax is 345-2955.

Shot designed the kitchen and dining area, which at the final inspection by the Yuma County Health Department received an "E" rating for excellent and a special notation by Chief Health Inspector Brian O'Green as "a very nice facility."

Take-out, catering and party platters will be Shot's specialty. But there's plenty of space in the cozy dining area to sit and enjoy lunch, dinner or Sunday brunch. A nightly buffet and early-bird dinners also are planned for the near future.

Besides hamburgers and such offerings as potpies, sandwiches, prime rib, steaks, chicken, fish and homemade clam chowder, the menu will also include Dutch specialties like kroketten, bitterballen and schnitzels. Dutch apple-pie and Chocolate Decadence are among the home-made desserts. European-style breads baked on the premise will be available for purchase.

Yet another business is opening up in downtown Yuma. The latest addition to Main Street businesses is a new Xerox sales office that will open March 22.

Located at 291 S. Main St., this office will provide sales and service for all Xerox copier, printer and fax machine needs. The phone number is 341-0443. Mike Spreng is the office manager.

A new industrial building is under construction on 2. acres at 3242 E. 43rd St. off Avenue 3E, and will be available for lease by April. The 10,000-square-foot building has an office, restrooms, evaporative cooling shop area, two roll-up doors and fenced area for storage.

For more information, call Lauren or Jeanette Heitzman at 1-541-510-3677.

Report Comings & Goings to jlobeck@yumasun.com or call Joyce Lobeck at 539-6853.