By Mike Hazlip—
Extensive renovation of the 15-acre Sunrise Village shopping plaza in Citrus Heights continues, with several restaurants and stores planning to open in March.
According to Sunrise MarketPlace Executive Director Kathilynn Carpenter, a new Firehouse Subs restaurant and Starbucks drive-thru will open “toward the end of March,” taking up two spots in a new building near the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Madison Avenue. Joann Fabrics will also be closing its existing store and moving to a new space in the center next month.
See prior story: Firehouse Subs, Starbucks coming to Citrus Heights shopping center
Joann Public Relations Manager Shauntina Lilly told The Sentinel in an email Wednesday the location is planning a community event for March 10, and a grand opening on March 11. She said the company is “thrilled” about the opening.
Local residents will be able to visit the store and craft a free no-sew blanket at the event, with the blankets then donated to a local shelter, according to Lilly. Popular sewing influencer Montoya Mayo, who has over 41,000 subscribers to her Youtube channel, will be on hand for the event.
According to leasing information for Sunrise Village, a new City Sports will also be opening a 36,000-square-foot fitness club in the center next to Rite Aid, although an opening date has not been announced. Next door, the space that has been home to the current Joann Fabrics is slated for a new anchor tenant to occupy a 38,000-square-foot space.
Two sources with knowledge about renovation plans told The Sentinel Wednesday that Amazon-owned Whole Foods is a potential tenant for the former Joann’s space, but The Sentinel was not able to confirm the reports. Reports by ABC 10 and the Sacramento Bee show Amazon Fresh is positioned to expand in the Sacramento region, with one store confirmed to be opening in Roseville.
A job listing at Zip Recruiter also shows an opening for an Amazon Grocery Fresh Associate in Citrus Heights, although a specific address is not listed. The listing expired Wednesday and applications are no longer accepted, according to the site.
Renderings for Sunrise Village from commercial property management company Merlone Geier, which owns the center, show an unnamed anchor labeled “grocery” with architecture consistent with other Amazon Fresh locations. Merlone Geier Managing Director Gary Muljat did not reply to an email inquiry about the property on Wednesday.
A March 2021 report by Supermarket News shows Amazon plans to open more than 20 stores throughout the country and Bloomberg reported Amazon is working on stores “From Philadelphia to the Sacramento Suburbs.”
Amazon Fresh uses technology to integrate the customer’s shopping list with their Amazon account, enabling them to walk out of the store without standing in line at the checkout. The company tracks items selected by the customer and bills their Amazon account.
Approved plans for renovation of Sunrise Village included adding 18,000 square feet to the existing 150,000+ square foot shopping plaza and also included construction of a new 5,500-square-foot building and drive-thru, where Coco’s restaurant once operated.
Large archway signage branding the center as “Sunrise Village” was also approved to be added across two of the center’s driveways. Approvals also included “significant exterior enhancements” to the facades of existing buildings, along with canopies above walkways, the creation of outdoor patio spaces and modifications to the existing roofline.
By Mike Hazlip—
Extensive renovation of the 15-acre Sunrise Village shopping plaza in Citrus Heights continues, with several restaurants and stores planning to open in March.
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