Sprouts will be the first store in a new Fresno shopping center. Here’s what else we know

Sprouts is planning to open a grocery store in Fancher Creek Town Center in southeast Fresno.

It’s the first lease signed in what will be a major shopping center on Clovis Avenue near Tulare Avenue.

The shopping center has been in the planning stages for years and eagerly awaited by nearby residents who decry a lack of options in the area.

Another eight to 10 businesses will be announced soon. City of Fresno Councilmember Luis Chavez, whose district covers the area, announced the news recently in a Facebook video filmed on the site.

Construction on the new Sprouts Farmers Market will start by the end of this year, according to Lance-Kashian & Co., which owns the center and is developing it. It’s the same company that owns River Park and The Square at Campus Pointe.

Fancher Creek Town Center is part of the broader Fancher Creek development, which includes housing and a business park.

Sprouts supermarket will take over the building in the fall of 2023, with an opening sometime after that.

The retailer will be located south of the existing parking structures, close to Clovis Avenue and the canal.

It will be the third Sprouts in the area. The first Fresno location is on north Blackstone near El Paso Avenue. The Clovis Sprouts is at Herndon and Clovis avenues.

Sprouts is a natural and organic-themed supermarket. Most locations have a full produce section with organic vegetables, a sizable bulk foods section, beer and wine, deli, bakery and prepared foods like salads.

The developer is keeping quiet on what other types of stores and restaurants might open in the center. But a representative said it would be a “power center” similar to River Park. Its website teases national tenants, including a movie theater.