Sequoia Mall renovations continue, tenant rumors swirl

Weekends at the Sequoia Mall were an entirely different experience 20 to 30 years ago.

Not only was there a bustling bookstore where kids and adults alike would hang out, but there were also numerous clothing shops, furniture stores and restaurants lining the mall’s walls.

“Sequoia Mall was always the best,” longtime Tulare County resident Courtney Carter said. “I think it still has the nostalgia feel for a lot of people around here.”

As a young girl, Carter would spend a few hours at one of Visalia’s malls every weekend with her mother and grandmother.  One weekend the trio would go to the Visalia Mall – the next they would go to the Sequoia Mall.

The family's weekend ritual lasted for a while, but as the years moved on, so did many of the businesses that used to call the Sequoia Mall home.

The 24-acre lot is now home to just a handful of businesses, like Regal Entertainment Group and Hobby Lobby; however, the rest of the building – outside of the food court – sits relatively empty with little foot traffic throughout the week or weekend.

Developers working on revitalizing the mall believe things are about to change, though.

Paynter Realty and Investments has been making headway on filling the 400,000 square feet mall, store by store. More recently, Paynter announced Sprouts Farmer’s Market and Nordstrom Rack will join the mall’s directory, in the former Sears building.

Rumors also surround a luxury theater, however Regal did not respond to requests for comment.

Revitalization efforts aren't stopping there.

Jim Sanders, vice president of Paynter Realty and Investments, submitted a proposal to the city of Visalia in November to remodel a portion of the former Borders Books and Music building into a 16,000-square-foot retail space.

The building's new tenant hasn't been formally announced yet; however, rumors that Barnes and Noble have been scouting the mall as a potential location began swirling last month after a spokesperson for the bookstore told business writer John Lindt it was “close to securing a site” in Visalia.

However, senior manager of commercial strategy for Barnes and Noble Lindsay Bogard was tight-lipped about the potential move to Visalia.

“I cannot confirm that B&N (Barnes and Noble) and Paynter Realty are actively working on an agreement to bring a bookstore to Sequoia Mall,” Bogard told the Visalia Times-Delta last month.

Regardless of whether the building has a formal tenant yet, construction has already begun as outdoor awnings and doors surrounding the area have been demolished.

Areas inside the mall around the former Sears building remain closed off to the public.

Sanders said that although the Irvine-based group was done submitting proposals to the city for the rest of 2022, it "does not mean we aren’t busy working on it all though," hinting at more announcements to come in 2023.

"I am excited for Visalia and the variety of business coming in," newly elected Visalia City Councilman Emmanuel Soto said. "I hope this leads to the other vacant spaces being filled in at the Sequoia Mall."

If Barnes and Noble eventually makes its way into the mall, the bookstore would be a welcomed addition, locals say.

“Borders was open for quite a while and it was cool... it even had a cafe,” Carter said. “I remember in high school, I was in band and we did fundraisers there for our trips and stuff.”

That was around 2003. Now, as an adult with children of her own, Carter wants a mall much like the ones she remembers visiting as a little girl.

"Once everything opens, it will be interesting to see if it actually draws the attention that people think it will," Carter said. "I think it will."

This article originally appeared on Visalia Times-Delta: Sequoia Mall renovations continue as tenant rumors swirl