CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - Demolition has begun in two sections of the Sunrise Village shopping center located at the northwest corner of Madison Avenue along 5425 Sunrise Boulevard in Citrus Heights formerly occupied by the closed Benihana and Coco’s restaurants.

Clearance of the 17,200-square-foot site formerly occupied by Benihana restaurant facing Uplands Avenue should be done March 31 and the former Coco’s near the corner of Sunrise Boulevard and Madison Avenue by April 14, said Kevin Meyer, president of Level 5 Builders, Inc. of Folsom which is performing the demolition phase of the project.

“We should be on schedule to finish demolition by then, weather permitting,” Meyer said. The former Lyon’s restaurant which is also located in the plaza will remain until the start of the second phase of the project in 2022 when it too will be demolished.

The first phase of a $15-20 million remodel and expansion project of Sunrise Village owned by the San Francisco-based Merlone-Geier investment company, calls for the addition of 18,000 square feet to the existing 150,000+ square foot plaza.

A separate new 5,500-square-foot building with a drive-thru will be built on the site of the former Coco’s restaurant.

Meyer referred questions regarding the specifics of the project and the timeline for completion to Merlone-Geier, which declined to comment.

Renovation of Sunrise Village Plaza was approved by the Citrus Heights City Council in February 2020, said Nichole Baxter, city communications officer.

“Merlone-Geier is completing the project in scheduled phases and started Phase 1 with the demolition of the former Benihana restaurant along Uplands Ave,” Baxter said. The project will also include new landscaping and upgrade signage.

The overall project is expected to take a couple years to complete, Baxter said. Baxter encouraged the public to view the developer’s project brochure at: merlonegeier.propertycapsule.com/web/property/c6d9c248bac5c0bb2094a76f2f049a50-6755bdb8f49ffae94072e016addf0e14.
 

A leasing map on Merlone-Geier’s website shows the northern portion of the building where the former Benihana restaurant was located will be occupied by Jo-Ann fabrics, relocating to a new 28,400-square-foot building slated for construction during the first phase of the project.

Last year, Tuesday Morning closed its location in Sunrise Village and relocated to 7255 Greenback Lane, in the same shopping center as Sam’s Club.

Next to Jo-Ann’s will be a new 50,000-square-foot sports club, owned by an Irvine-based corporation which operates the LA Fitness chain of health clubs.

Redevelopment of Sunrise Village is being promoted actively on the Citrus Heights city website.

“While COVID-19 has had huge impacts on economies everywhere, there are still exciting developments and projects moving forward in Citrus Heights,” said Meghan Huber, Citrus Heights economic development and communications manager.

“The updates happening at the Sunrise Village shopping center are a great example of progress that is continuing despite the pandemic. This shopping center sits on a high-traffic corner along the Sunrise Blvd. retail corridor, and these planned improvements aim to revitalize the center. We’re honored that Merlone-Geier has chosen this opportunity to invest in our community, and we are excited that Phase 1 of the project is underway.”

The 20,000-square-foot commercial space between the existing Rite Aid and the new City Sports Club is shown on construction plans as a Home Goods or grocery store, but an official tenant has yet to be named by the developer.

“While we’ve seen some businesses close, we have also seen new businesses come to the District,” said Kathilynn Carpenter, executive director of Sunrise MarketPlace. “The renovation at Sunrise Village has been in the works for some time. “It’s a good sign for the District which is always reinventing new uses, and it’s a positive investment in the community,” she said.