A new shopping development in Northeast Bakersfield is preparing to break ground. It will be on the southwest corner of Sate Route 178 and Alfred Harrell Highway.
That area of Northeast Bakersfield is residential. There are a couple of retirement communities and a some neighborhoods filled with young families. But the closest grocery store from there is six and a half miles away.
Ken Weir, who's the Bakersfield City Councilman for Ward 3, Northeast Bakersfield, is optimistic this is just the beginning of development. He said, "This is the spark to make that happen."
In the next eight months the empty corner will transform into this with a new Shell gas station, Subway and Taco Bell restaurants. Phase two will add four additional buildings with 33,000 square feet of space for potentially a drive-thru coffee shop or restaurant, pharmacy, dry cleaners, salon or a grocery store.
Chief Development Officer of Countryside Corporation and developer for Countryside Village, Rick Jhaj, said he used to live in Northeast Bakersfield. And he knows what the area is lacking from experience.
"There's no services for people who live around the area. So our goal was to bring a retail center that, more like a lifestyle retail center, providing generate services to people in the area," said Jhaj.
The closest convenience store to the new development is about three miles south, while the closest grocery store is twice as far.
Hollis Shannon has lived in Rio Bravo for fifteen years. He said, "Really a grocery store is the first thing that I can think of. It would be nice to have the deli shops and things like that. But a grocery store is one of the biggest things that we go into town for."
Jamie Rhoades lives in the community on the other side of SR 178, Tuscany Villas. She said, "And when your whole family is sick, the last thing you want to do is jump in the car and drive you know five ten minutes to go pick up what you need to help everybody feel better. So if we had something here a block away, fabulous."
While both Shannon and Rhoades are excited to see what comes, Rhoades said she has a concern.
"You feel like you're kind of out of town out here. Kind of in the country and it's quiet and nice. So I'm looking forward to the convenience, but not necessarily the traffic and the congestion that comes along with it," said Rhoades.
According to a construction survey, the population within five miles of the Countryside Village project is expected to grow from 44,984 in 2016 to 47,575 in 2021. And Councilman Weir hopes businesses move in with the people.
"We have commercial available over here, we have commercial available over there. Hopefully somebody will come in and pickup those two areas and keep this going," said Weir.
Jhaj expects Countryside Village to host their groundbreaking ceremony later this month and to begin their second phase of the construction after completing phase one this fall. He also said expect to see dirt being moved later this week.
