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Category: Business

  • Massive bounce park coming to Sunrise Mall

    Funbox franchise owner Michelle Coppola and another worker watch as bounce park items are set up outside Sunrise Mall on Nov. 8, 2023. // M. Hazlip

    By Mike Hazlip—
    An inflatable bounce park is being set up at Sunrise Mall, and organizers say they expect it will draw about 20,000 people to the mall in the coming months.

    The bounce park is part of Southern California-based amusement company FunBox, and franchise owner Michelle Coppola said she is aiming for a Nov. 18 opening date. The 25,000-square-foot play area is open to all ages, and will be set up through Jan. 15, 2024.

    “We’re just really excited to bring something fun to this market,” Coppola said. “We’ve previously operated over at the Galleria Mall in Roseville, but feel like this is a really great area as well and so we’re really excited to bring it out to the Citrus Heights community.”

    Admission is $22 for a 90 minute session that includes 75 minutes of jump time, she said. Children two and under are free, as well as adults over 65. Coppola expects to be open Friday afternoons, Saturdays and Sundays, but added that she might make weekday times available, and is looking to add open while area schools are not in session during Thanksgiving and winter break.

    The bounce park will be closed in the event of rain, but Coppola said she will honor tickets for future sessions.

    Features include a 30-foot slide, a ninja wall, wrecking ball, battle beam, inflatable mountain, and a marshmallow mountain, Coppola said. Concessions such as shaved ice and hot chocolate will also be available.

    Coppola is hiring temporary workers to help with setup, and plans to hire seasonal employees to work during operating hours.

    FunBox will be located in the northwest side of the Sunrise Mall parking lot near Macy’s.

    “That’s really what we hope to bring is just a unique experience,” she said. “It’s a great bonding time for parents and kids just to come out and experience something they’ve never seen before.”

  • Sunrise Mall to welcome new retail store in November

    Sunrise Mall to welcome new retail store in November

    Owner Mohammad Nazary stands inside Aria Furniture, which is slated to open in November at Sunrise Mall. // M. Hazlip

    By Mike Hazlip—
    A new furniture store is set to open at Sunrise Mall and the owner says he is optimistic about the mall’s future.

    Mohammad Nazary is getting ready to open Aria Furniture in the suite formerly occupied by Express clothing store. Aria Furniture will be the second business owned by the Nazary family at the mall with wife Dyana Nazary owning M&M Culture.

    Nazary has not set an official opening date, but hopes to start serving customers in early November. The business will offer a selection of medium priced furniture as well as high-end items, he said.

    After operating a store at Galleria, Nazary said the rent at Sunrise Mall is more affordable and he is doing what he can to help fill vacancies at the aging retail center by inviting others he knows to open stores such as MB Fashion and T&Z Toys.

  • Flooding at Sunrise Mall prompts temporary closure of several stores

    A sign posted on Oct. 24 in front of the Zumiez store at Sunrise Mall said the store had temporarily closed due to flooding. // M. Hazlip

    By Mike Hazlip—
    A leaking roof from last weekend’s rains temporarily closed two stores in Sunrise Mall as employees clean up and assess damage.

    Hallmark and neighboring store Zumiez were closed Tuesday with signs posted on the front gate saying “Closed for water damage and flooding.”

    An employee at Zumiez who did not want to be identified because she was not authorized to speak to media said workers are still assessing the inventory, but more than 30 pairs of shoes and several items of clothing were damaged. The employee estimated the value of the shoes at about $50 each.

    Neighboring shop Hallmark was also closed Tuesday as employees worked to assess damage and clean up the store.

    It was not immediately clear if neighboring business Royal Stage suffered any damage.

    The mall’s management office appeared to be unstaffed late Tuesday afternoon. Sentinel attempts to contact Namdar Realty Group and Mason Asset Management by phone and email were not returned by press time Thursday. An employee with Mason Asset Management referred all questions to UpSpring, a New York-based public relations firm.

    Namdar Realty Group has been in several news reports for similar maintenance issues with malls across the company’s portfolio. The commercial real estate business owns more than 100 malls and shopping centers across the United States, Reuters reported in 2018.

    A Namdar-owned mall in Enfield, Connecticuct, was found to have 16 fire code violations according to a July 2023 report by Yahoo Finance. The mall had “extensive water damage, mold, missing ceiling tiles, and open actively leaking holes in both roofs,” Enfield inspectors said in the report.

    In New Jersey, the Namdar-owned Phillipsburg Mall was closed after a 200 to 400-square-foot portion of the roof collapsed in a vacant section once occupied by Sears in 2018, according to local news outlet Lehigh Valley Live. Anchor tenants such as Sears typically own the buildings they occupy, and it was not immediately clear if Namdar owned the former Sears building at the time of the collapse, or if Sears had performed any maintenance prior to the company moving out of the space. Phillipsburg Mall was permanently closed on March 16, 2020, according to a public notice posted by Namdar Realty Group.

    Commercial Real Estate news source The Real Deal reports that Illinois township Bloomingdale is in litigation with Namdar Realty Group over the Stratford Square Mall. The May 22, 2023, report says Bloomingdale is attempting to use eminent domain in a bid to force redevelopment at the largely vacant site.

    “Simply put, the property is practically a ‘ghost town,’” Village President Franco Coladipeitro told The Real Deal. “The continued dilapidation of the property … leads the village to conclude that, while Namdar may possess the financial ability to manage the property, Namdar does not possess the character to make the necessary investment to rebrand the property.”

  • New workwear store opens in Citrus Heights

    New workwear store opens in Citrus Heights

    Purpose-Built Trade Co. is located at 6245 Sunrise Blvd., in Citrus Heights. // M. Hazlip

    By Mike Hazlip—
    A new workwear clothing store that bills itself as “home of the trades” held its grand opening on Sunrise Boulevard last weekend.

    Purpose-Built Trade Co. held the grand opening event on Saturday, Oct. 21, according to an announcement from the company’s social media sites. The event included a car and truck show at the new location at 6245 Sunrise Blvd., which was formerly the home to Pier 1 Imports.

    The business offers workwear brands such as Carhartt, Dickies, and Wrangler at their retail locations. Four other locations in Pleasant Hill, Livermore, Oakley, and Modesto are listed on its website.

    There is a selection of clothing for men, women, and children as well as accessories such as hats, sunglasses, and footwear at the location. All of the items are aimed to be used by people working in the trade industries.

    Purpose-Built opened its first store in Concord in 2010, according to the company’s website. The company is also known to hold regular events to raise funds for a variety of causes.

    Hours of operation posted on the company’s website are Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

  • Citrus Heights Leatherby’s to give away gift cards to anyone in costume

    Sentinel staff report–
    Beginning Friday and continuing through Halloween, the Leatherby’s Family Creamery in Citrus Heights will be giving away $10 gift cards to everyone who shows up wearing a costume.

    The restaurant’s general manager, Leslie Ray, told The Sentinel in an email that the giveaway is “totally free, no purchase necessary, no stipulation.” She said “just wear your costume and each person will get a 10.00 gift card towards your next purchase.”

    The giveaway will be happening from Oct. 27-31, 2023, with 6,000 cards available, according to Ray.

    Leatherby’s Family Creamery is located at 7910 Antelope Rd., in Citrus Heights.

  • Two Citrus Heights homes over $800k see multiple price drops

    Two Citrus Heights homes over $800k see multiple price drops

    A home on Cottingham Way in Citrus Heights shows a recent price cut, as of Oct. 18, 2023. // CH Sentinel

    By Lily Tu–
    Two single-family homes in Citrus Heights with list prices over $800,000 have seen recent price drops, as the market sees demand falling amid rising interest rates.

    The top-priced listing is a four-bedroom, three-bath home at 8117 Glen Canyon Ct. selling for $850,000, according to its listing on the real estate website Trulia. The 2,728-square-foot house sits on a .43-acre lot and is priced at $312 per square foot, with all furniture included in the sale.

    The property is tucked away on a dead-end court and features a long private driveway with a gated entrance. The home has seen two price drops since it was first listed for $899,000 in late April, with the most recent drop posting on Oct. 18.

    The second listing is a five-bedroom, three-bath home for sale at 7713 Cottingham Way, listed on Trulia for $849,900. With the home standing at 3,343-square-feet, the property is priced at $254 per square foot and also features an outdoor pool and three-car garage. The property was listed around two months ago for $865,000 and has dropped about $15,000 since then. Like the Glen Canyon listing, the most recent price change has been the second of two decreases since the home first went up for sale.

    Ryan Lundquist, a Sacramento-area certified residential appraiser and housing analyst, explains in an Oct. 18 blog post that the current 8% interest rates are “like a gut punch to housing demand.” In his post, he notes the 8% rate is significantly higher than what the Mortgage Bankers Association had initially forecasted for this quarter.

    “So many predictions said we’d be at 6% or below by now,” Lundquist remarks. “Yet here we are.”

    He adds that higher interest removes demand from the market, noting that the 8% rate may appear psychologically intimidating to potential home buyers — although he said more data from future months is needed to tell if this is the case.

    For the current market, Lundquist advises sellers to combat low demand by lowering prices and making concessions to buyers.

    “Expect low volume and low new supply ahead.”

  • Benji’s Woodfire Pizza: new pizzeria to open on Auburn Blvd

    Benji’s Woodfire Pizza is planning to open at 7530 Auburn Blvd., in Citrus Heights. // CH Sentinel

    Sentinel staff report–
    Drivers traveling along Auburn Boulevard may have noticed new signage outside a recently renovated strip mall announcing a new pizzeria, slated to open in November.

    Andray Mikayelyan, owner of Benji’s Woodfire Pizza, told The Sentinel in an interview this month that his pizzeria started in his garage two years ago, before using a commercial kitchen at 7530 Auburn Blvd., which is now being remade into a restaurant to serve customers with indoor and outdoor patio seating.

    Social media posts show a van and mobile woodfire oven has been used by Mikayelyan for catering and appearances at various events over the past two years, with the business already earning 4.7-out-of-5 stars out of 56 reviews on Yelp.

    The new restaurant on Auburn Boulevard is in the final stages of health inspections and completing the interior work. Once operating, Mikayelyan says proceeds will help fund The Father’s Lighthouse, a home for fatherless boys.

    Editor’s Note: See full feature on Andray Mikayelyan’s journey from drugs and prison to being a business owner in next weekend’s e-Edition of The Sentinel.

  • Citrus Heights Rite Aid on chopping block after corporate bankruptcy

    Citrus Heights Rite Aid on chopping block after corporate bankruptcy

    The Rite Aid store at 5409 Sunrise Blvd. is slated to close, following an Oct. 15 bankruptcy filing by the company. // M. Hazlip

    By Mike Hazlip—
    The Rite Aid store on Sunrise Boulevard near Madison Avenue is on a list of locations slated for closure, after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection over the weekend.

    The drugstore chain published a list of stores slated for closure in a court document filed Oct. 17, with the store at 5409 Sunrise Blvd. in the Sunrise Village shopping center appearing on the list.

    The location is the only suite that was not redeveloped in the recent construction at Sunrise Village. Redevelopment of the Sunrise Village shopping center has been ongoing since the first quarter of 2021 with the demolition of the Benihana restaurant. Recently, See’s Candies moved into the former Patelco building and updated signage at the entrance was put in place.

    More than 30 Rite Aid locations throughout California are listed for closure, with the 1309 Fulton Ave. location as the second one in the Sacramento area. Another Rite Aid store in Citrus Heights also closed earlier this year at 6661 Auburn Blvd., and another Rite Aid in the Citrus Town Center closed in 2018.

    The company announced the closures in an effort to keep the corporation afloat amid sagging sales, stiff competition, and settlements from lawsuits over opioid prescriptions, the Associated Press reported Monday.

    The Philadelphia-based company has been in business for 60 years, according to the Associated Press. The report showed rival chains like Walgreens and CVS also faced similar opioid lawsuit settlements, but those corporations have expanded their revenue by opening health care clinics.

  • Two juveniles arrested for battery, shoplifting, vandalism at Citrus Heights Target

    Updated Oct. 16th, 10:08 p.m.–
    By Mike Hazlip— Citrus Heights police said two juvenile boys were arrested after allegedly shoplifting from Target, firing a BB gun at a random vehicle, and then assaulting a man in the parking lot Sunday afternoon.

    Officers responded to a report of a fight at the Target store at 5837 Sunrise Blvd. about 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 15, Patrol Watch Commander Michael Wells said in an email to The Sentinel on Monday.

    Police said the two juveniles entered the Target store and stole several items of clothing. Upon leaving the store, they fired a BB gun at a “random vehicle” driving by in the parking lot, Wells said. When the driver exited his vehicle to confront the pair, they assaulted him, according to police.

    Officers found both suspects a “short distance away” after they fled the area on foot. Police found stolen property from Target with the juveniles, Wells said.

    Both were arrested for battery, shoplifting, conspiracy, and vandalism, according to police.

    Wells said police believe the two juveniles are also connected to some thefts at Sunrise Mall, and are working to locate any additional victims.

  • Questions remain after abrupt closure of small Citrus Heights theatre

    Theatre in the Heights was located at 8215 Auburn Blvd., in Citrus Heights. // S. Williams

    By Sara Beth Williams–
    The sun has set on a once-popular community theatre in Citrus Heights, with an abrupt closure announcement in August leaving loyal patrons both saddened and surprised.

    According to its website and most recent newsletter, Theatre in the Heights, located at 8215 Auburn Blvd., has closed permanently.

    The theatre announced an immediate closure in a Sept. 9 newsletter, stating that, “after much deliberation, we made the difficult decision to shut down all theater operations, effective immediately.” The company owners thanked patrons and artistic collaborators for their “tremendous” support throughout the last seven years, and mentioned the theater would be liquidating all assets and paying back season ticket holders.

    In a previous newsletter dated Aug. 21, theatre company owners initially announced that they were retiring and that the 2023-24 theater season would be taken over by a new production company called Vivid Flare Productions, led by Shane Robert. However, in a follow-up newsletter dated Sept. 1, the theatre announced that the production company “was not ready for prime time,” but that the theatre had decided to remain operational through the rest of the production season.

    That decision was apparently short-lived, however, as a subsequent announcement a week later confirmed the permanent closure of the theatre.

    Phone calls and emails to Theatre in the Heights by the Sentinel during the month of September requesting comment went unanswered. During an in-person visit to the theatre’s location on Auburn Boulevard on Oct. 1, Sentinel staff made contact with a representative of the landlord. The representative declined to provide a name and declined to comment on all questions regarding the status of the property or the reason behind the theater company’s abrupt closure, only stating that the situation between the landlord and the theater company’s owners had been “squishy.”

    The manager at a nearby Mexican restaurant, Mi Lindo Jalisco, said patrons had not been observed coming or going from the theatre in at least a month.

    Theatre in the Heights first opened in 2017, tucked away in a shopping plaza home to Aquarium Depot and several smaller shops and restaurants. The small theatre boasted a 52-seat auditorium and earned a loyal following, with some shows selling out.

    Comments on the theatre’s Facebook page last month expressed sadness at the closure, with one patron saying the theatre would be missed.

    In the past, Theatre in the Heights has produced many locally written productions, as well as classic Shakespearean productions, and other popular contemporary productions such as The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The theatre also hosted annual Bogart Film Festivals for the community as a tribute to Humphry Bogart.