Plenty of cities are exhibiting at the ICSC Western Division Conference here in San Diego, and the City of Victorville, in the High Desert region of San Bernardino County is one of them out in force. Keith Metzler, the city's assistant city manager spoke with us briefly about what his locale has to offer.
What do you hope to accomplish at this year's Western Region ICSC?
We are wanting the retail world to know that despite the recession that we have all been plagued by for the last four years or so, in Victorville, we are seeing serious signs of recovery, due to industrial and retail expansion. Because of our success in attracting new industrial jobs over the same time period, we are seeing investment in retail. The Mall of Victor Valley is going through a major redevelopment that will include adding a new fashion anchor, Macy's. This in itself will help repositioning the mall to attract a new and fresher retailer base. We have seen new restaurants and breweries interested in both the mall and Dunia Plaza retail corridors. A new Mazda dealership has opened, an new Walmart has opened and we are preparing to break ground on a second Walmart. Finally, Target is in the market interested in opening a new store within the Desert Sky Plazas.
What is the most important thing for retailers to know about Victorville?
With the new industrial jobs created by companies like Dr. Pepper, Arm and Hammer and United Furniture Industries to name a few, more people are working locally and capable of spending more locally.
What type of retail is the city looking to add? What are the "hot" opportunities?
The hottest opportunity is being a part of the Mall redevelopment. The goal with the Mall is to reposition it so that it has a renewed life cycle and becomes more of a diverse destination to satisfy the local shopping needs. In addition to the mall, the Desert Plazas, over by the Auto Park at Valley Center is the next destination within the City awaiting retail expansion. Currently anchored by a Home Depot, the Desert Plaza's is looking to add a new Target the Desert Sky developers are in discussions that could potentially add an entertainment component.
Tell us about what YOUR city is doing to attract retailers!
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