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Larson Creek center flourishes Mail Tribune/Jim Craven Tucked away in a quiet commercial development off North Phoenix Road is Larson Creek Center. It is quickly filling with tenants and becoming popular with a growing number of customers � even before the expected boom in residential development planned for the North Phoenix Road area. Spaces fill up since opening of Albertson�s By David Preszler One of Medford�s busiest new shopping centers is tucked away in a quiet corner of town. Larson Creek Shopping Center, at Barnett and North Phoenix roads, has been filling up since Albertson�s opened there last spring. Of the other 44,000 square feet of space that became available in stages starting last fall, only 12,000 remains vacant. Even though business owners report a steady stream of customers, the center isn�t as visible as those that have sprung up on Highway 62, Jacksonville Highway and other busy roads. It�s near the foothills, in an area that was � and to an extent still is � orchards and open fields. But the center won�t likely be on the city�s fringe for long. "Someday, we will be right in middle of a big neighborhood," says Maurice Torano of Galpin and Associates, the Medford firm that developed the center. Thanks to the Southeast Plan, much of Medford�s growth in the coming years is expected to take place in that area. The plan calls for as many as 5,000 homes to be built on 1,000 acres over the next 20 years. In advance of the plan, a number of subdivisions have been built in the area in recent years. The center is positioned to take advantage of that growth, as well as the growth to come. "It�s a great project," says Curt Burrill, a rival developer who handles Crater Lake Plaza. "When the development starts to go in that area, they are going to be in a prime position." The key, of course, was convincing Albertson�s to build its 50,000-square-foot store there. Torano says the store cost $9 million to $10 million � a big investment in a still-emerging neighborhood. "This market isn�t going to mature for three to five years," Torano says, noting that chains generally prefer more established areas. Having the Southeast Plan on the drawing board clearly helped draw Albertson�s. While returns might be slower early on, Burrill says the developer and Albertson�s needed to act early. "If they didn�t step in and do that property now," he says, "when the Southeast Plan got going they might have lost the opportunity." Albertson�s purchased five of the center�s 10.7 acres; Galpin and Associates owns the rest and spent $5 million developing it. While much of the space is full just a few months after construction was finished, buildings can�t fill up fast enough for developers. Torano admits he�d like it to be even further along. Negotiations are underway for 4,000 of the remaining 12,000 square feet, he says. The controversial gas station being built by Albertson�s is expected to open in the next few weeks. Neighbors concerned about lights, vapors and added traffic delayed the station with objections, but it was approved by city officials anyway. Larson Creek�s tenants so far represent a broad variety. Three restaurants have opened � Vinny�s Italian Kitchen, Asian Grill and Subway � as well as Oregon Mountain Coffee Co. Blockbuster Video, Holly�s Hallmark Shop, Weldon�s Cleaning Center, Great Clips, Pak-Mail and Sun Oasis tanning salon. Business owners say the center is a good location that�s getting better. "It�s gotten perpetually busier every month and every time someone opens," says Jeremy Brand, who opened Oregon Mountain Coffee last fall. Each new business makes people more aware of the center and allows them to discover the other businesses there, he says. Vinny DiCostanzo, who owns Vinny�s Italian Kitchen with his wife Gina, says he expected the restaurant to be popular. But customer traffic has exceeded expectations. "Ever since we opened the doors, the place has been packed � lunch and dinner," he says. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA