New Trader Joe’s construction starts; more stores coming

The most talked about grocery store in town is on its way.

Construction has started on the new north Fresno Trader Joe’s, where the existing Blackstone Avenue store will eventually move.

The new store will likely open in late summer, probably in August, according to one of the shopping center’s owners.

Trader Joe’s is the wood-covered building being built at Park Crossing, the new shopping center at Friant Road and Fresno Street. It’s the building that’s closer to Friant.

Another building under construction south of there with block walls will be a Petco.

People are really excited about that Trader Joe’s, says Harold Zinkin of Zinkin Family Partners, one of the center’s owners.

“Oh, there’s a cult following already for them,” he says. “It’s what I’m stopped (and asked) about nine out of 10 times is to make sure they’re going in.”

The excitement of north Fresnans is the yin to central Fresno’s yang. If you’re a regular reader of this column, you’ll remember the disappointment and outrage of central Fresnans when they heard that yet another grocery store would leave the area.

Employees at the aging Trader Joe’s location are reminding customers that the new store is a little over three miles away.

The new store will be 3,000 square feet bigger.

More new businesses are headed for the shopping center, including an Asian restaurant. Another 13,000-square-foot store is coming, but shopping center owners would not say what it is yet.

The owners are also negotiating with several other retailers that may open in the center. Shoppers can likely expect the center to house an electronics store, a national shoe chain and a bank, Zinkin says.

“We’ve got more tenants than space available,” he says. “The demand has been really good.”

This story was originally published March 15, 2017 at 5:46 PM with the headline "New Trader Joe’s construction starts; more stores coming."