Penn Plaza mall closer to opening

MOSES LAKE — The asphalt is down on the parking lot outside, and crews are hard at work inside.

Things are beginning to take shape at the Penn Plaza strip mall development on Stratford Road, owned by resident businessman Rick Penhallurick.

"It's an opportunity to dress up this corner and I think it's going to look substantially better," Penhallurick said. The Washington State Department of Transportation has agreed to allow landscaping of some of their property, he said, although there may not be very much left after the widening of Highway 17. "If there's any left, we've got a good agreement there."

Project realtor Mark Fancher said that each business the plaza will house is in "a little different place" of development, and the plaza is in the construction phase.

Businesses to be located within the plaza include a new Starbucks location, gaming store GameStop, Subway which will move from its present location on Stratford Road, payday loan operation Advance America and fitness club 123 Fit.

Fancher said he and Penhallurick are working with two different cellular phone stores, and will surely land one, although that move has not been finalized. A pad site restaurant is still under negotiation, and Penn Plaza is in discussion with fast food restaurants, he said.

Penhallurick said one business was turned down because, "we didn't want it here. We want a little better client."

Fancher said the aim is for national franchises that will not be detrimental to the other businesses.

"I'm not going to say who it was, but the one we turned down, we just didn't feel like it would be good for the rest of the people," he said. "We basically have a power center out here. You've got the Wal-Mart, the Food Pavilion, the other strip mall and it just seemed like a good mix to do another project right here."

123 Fit owner Lisa Hansen said she chose to locate her new fitness club for men and women in the Penn Plaza because of the location, which she deemed "perfect for a quick workout.

"I think he's pulling in a great combination of businesses, and I think it will appeal to and attract a variety of consumers in Moses Lake," Hansen said of Penhallurick. She plans to open 123 Fit Jan. 13, she said.

Rudy DeLeon recently purchased his Subway operation, and said that the company feels he needs more public interaction than his present location offers. He hopes to have the new operation up and running at full operation in the first weeks of January.

"I think it's an outstanding location," he said. "To me, I think it would be considered the hub of Moses Lake."

Fancher said he thinks Penhallurick is bringing more businesses in to the area.

"Subway's already here, but Starbucks isn't on this side of town already," he said. "He's bringing just basically different stores. GameStop's new to the community."

Fancher said the plaza is generating interest in the community and positive comments about the building itself, now that people can see what it will look like.

He added that the plaza is phase one in a four-stage plan, adding that the possibility exists for another 18,000 feet of buildings in a similar design and the pad site, which could probably house two tenants, although he said the plaza is working with someone who would take it as one space.

"This isn't the only building here," he said. "The other stuff would be somewhat of an addition onto this building, kind of a little separation and then another building at the far end."

"There's land available, and if the need be when we get enough tenants, he'll build the next phase," Fancher said of Penhallurick.

Companies from within the area are working on construction of the Penn Plaza building.

"I think that it's obviously a benefit to have additional choices in retail," said Gilbert Alvarado, community development director for the City of Moses Lake, of the Penn Plaza busineses during a recent interview. "They will complement the development in the area."