Downtown Truckee came one step closer to getting its own grocery store this week, when the Town Planning Commission signed off on a proposal to build a 35,000 SF market in what used to be a part of the train yard. The project is being proposed by Nugget Markets, a boutique grocery store chain with 12 locations in Northern California. Described by some as a cross between Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, Nugget is known for offering gourmet selections, including craft beers, fine wines, and locally sourced beef and produce. With addresses in Tiburon, Corte Madera, and Sonoma, Nugget is catering to some well-heeled customers, and while their prices tend to be higher than larger chains, some online reviewers describe it as "the nicest grocery store" they have ever visited.
The new grocery store is a key piece of the Railyard Project, developer Rick Holliday's plan to extend downtown Truckee's Commercial Row eastward with mixed-use housing, including artist lofts, retail store fronts and a movie theatre. With indoor and outdoor spaces for dining and socializing, the project proponents are hoping the Nugget will be a place where shoppers are comfortable hanging out for meals or coffee.
Traffic is likely to be the trickiest part of planning out the new store, and the Planning Commission spent a lot of time debating the best way to get two large supply trucks safely in and out of the store's docks daily with minimal impact to Glenshire Drive and Donner Pass Road (soon to be called "Truckee Way"). But traffic aside, members of the public who attended the Tuesday night meeting were largely in support of the Nugget. They included Stefanie Olivieri, a downtown merchant whose family roots in Truckee go back a century. Olivieri, who owns Cabona's clothing store, told the commission she could remember the days when downtown was the hub of all activity, a place where people could buy groceries, do their banking and drop off their dry cleaning. Far from a cheerleader for development (Olivieri was at the forefront of a movement to keep Kmart out of Truckee), she supports the idea of the Nugget helping to resurrect that extinct downtown "hub."
Railyard Project aside, the neighborhoods within a short commute of downtown Truckee, continue to grow at a pace not seen since the pre-recessionary years. Gray's Crossing, a golf course development straddling Highway 89 near the Alder Creek Middle School, will see at least a dozen new homes being built in 2018, many of them spec projects. (And that's not including "The Cottages," 89 homes slated for the meadow behind the Catholic Church off China Camp Road.)
The charm of these neighborhoods is the proximity to downtown (it's a 10-minute bike ride from parts of Gray's Crossing to downtown). Bikes are never far from the Truckee psyche, and Commission Chair Seth Kielas was quick to ask about racks. Answer: 30 The project requires just 9, but proponents said they expected to install 30. (For full details on the Nugget proposal and maps of how it will fit into the Railyard Project, click here).
For more information on new housing opportunities in or near downtown Truckee, please feel free to contact me. As a realtor with Dickson, I'd be happy to offer you a tour ~ Jackie
Posted by Jackie Ginley on
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