The relocation of Harbor Freight into part of a building previously occupied by Kmart at Peckham and Kietzke Lanes is the first step in a major renovation of the property.
Harbor Freight will expand from its 9,000-square-foot store on Rock Boulevard in Sparks and move into a 15,000-square-foot space at the Peckham and Kietzke Center.
The move is expected to be completed in the early second quarter of the year, said Richard Heath, director of real estate for the 164-store chain based at Camarillo, Calif.
Harbor Freight is one of the nation's largest retailers of tools.
Other retailers are poised to announce new locations in the center, said John Mulder of Premier Realty, the leasing broker for the property.
"It's going to be happening at a fast and furious pace," Mulder said last week.
An exterior facelift is planned for the 35-year-old property.
Construction on the property of two or three freestanding buildings totaling 20,000 to 30,000 square feet also is on the drawing board.
"We have some tenants in mind for that," Mulder said.
He noted that Harbor Freight, which do-it-yourself homeowners, compliments Jo-Ann Fabrics & Crafts, an existing store in the center.
The building that housed Kmart has stood vacant since the discount retailer scaled back its operation in northern Nevada and elsewhere in early 2002.
