UNCOMMON PROPOSAL

Redevelopment is coming to Bishop. 

And promises to clean up one of Bishop’s biggest eyesores. 

Foothill Partners of Reno is in escrow on the “old” (twice removed) Kmart property at the intersection of North Main and Yaney Streets and plans to create approximately 100-units of rental housing as well as some commercial frontage spaces along Main. 

The plans are not set in stone and the developers are planning to host a community meeting to discuss the project on Tuesday, March 11 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at C5 Studios, located at 210 South Warren St. in Bishop. 

The developers will also make public comment at the Bishop City Council meeting scheduled for Monday evening. 

As one development partner, Nettie Oliverio, told The Sheet this week, completion of escrow is dependent upon getting entitlements – the process goes hand-in-hand. But she says the city has been excellent to work with and is hopeful escrow can close within the next 3-4 months. 

Mayor Karen Kong spoke with The Sheet this week, and believes she is speaking for the entire council in saying, “I think we’re all thrilled about the idea of that space being useful and productive.” 

Kong said she is 100% in support of the project and believes an increase in Bishop’s housing stock is good for everyone.

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Oliverio’s partner is Doug Wiele of El Dorado Hills. 

While she acknowledged there is not a “hard design” in place, there is at least consensus that the old Kmart building is unredeemable.

“It has lived a long, vacant life,” she said, and now that life is nearing its end. 

It was built in the mid-1980s, operated for about ten years, and has since stood vacant for the past 27 years. 

The tentative plan is to remove the building and replace it with modular housing. “It’s foolhardy to think you can bring in construction crews,” said Oliverio. The plan would be to construct the modulars off-site and then bring them in on flatbeds and position them. 

But Oliverio does not wish to proceed without community buy-in, which she deems is akin to “coming into someone else’s living room and rearranging the furniture [without their blessing].” 

“We’ve looked at it [the property] for a long time,” acknowledged Oliverio. “Doug has stared at that building driving through town for 25 years.” 

Oliverio said she also had a local friend who had frequently bugged her about possibly doing something with the property. 

The constant reminders finally took their toll!

In any event, there’s good odds something is going to get done. As Mayor Kong said of Foothill Partners, “This developer doesn’t whine.”