Rocklin's 'Toy Row' expands further

Have you checked out Granite Drive lately?Granite Drive continues to pave the way for upscale retail in Rocklin. Mercedes-Benz executives took shovel to dirt for a new dealership groundbreaking ceremony this past month.Earlier in the year the Rocklin City Council gave the Von Housen Automotive Group the OK to build on its four-acre service lot parcel. The company has been going full steam ever since. Plans for the new dealership include a nearly 60,000-square-foot facility with a large frontage to Interstate 80, as well as a proposed two-story showroom. The long-term goal for the Rocklin location is to become the Mercedes-Benz dealer with the highest sales volume in the central valley and Bay Area.For the near future, the new dealership will grow from 20 employees to 150 within three years. A 10-acre Lexus showroom deal was closed with the expectation of completing construction in a couple of years. The attraction, according to owner Bob Frink, was the street's upscale business mix and new developments at the I-80 interchange.The street currently boasts a list of upscale names including Harley-Davidson, Porsche, Land Rover, Country Coach and three boat dealers.With the Lexus dealership added to the growing number of luxury retailers on Granite Drive, the trend for high-end brands to locate in stylish sections of town with other luxury brands is being realized.In the couple of years Granite Drive will have even more exposure when construction is completed on a $25 million upgrade to the Sierra College Boulevard overpass.Completion of the upgrade will pave the way for more than 1 million square feet of retail stores including Target, Wal-Mart, Lowe's, Home Depot and Kohl's. According to Caltrans, the Rocklin Road I-80 freeway exchange has daily traffic count of approximately 213,000 vehicles passing by.Those numbers equal a lot more traffic to the Sierra College Boulevard end of Granite Drive. As the area expands it is expected that the retail sales that now "leak" into Roseville will be funneled into Rocklin. Meanwhile plans for the Granite Plaza project at Granite Drive and Sierra College Boulevard are being developed by Granite Bay Ventures.The plan is expected to be finalized with a good idea of tenant anchors in about two months. Retailers continue to be drawn to Rocklin by its impressive demographics. The city's median household income is $88,374, according to research from Hanley Wood Market Intelligence.This figure is well above the $57,452 in the six-county area of El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba. So next time you want to take a Sunday drive, race on over and check out Granite Drive.- Robin Trimble is CEOof the Rocklin Area Chamber of Commerce.She can be reached at Robin@RocklinChamber.com.