Developers prepare for long-range boom at Lovelock

Despite a lack of housing, residents and industry, investors have drawn plans to develop industrial parks, retail centers and master planned communities on the wide-open spaces of Lovelock, confident that it's on the cusp of boom times.

"A lot of people say we're the next place," says Pershing County commissioner Dave Ayoob, However, he adds, "The overall picture is still long-term. We've seen people picking here and there on it, but not much real activity."

After 30 years as a builder and developer, rancher and farmer in California, Ron Ward discovered Lovelock. He'd been invited to visit the home of a vendor of farm machines, Country Equipment.

"I visited four years ago and saw I saw something there," he says. "It had land, infrastructure, plenty of water and low permit costs." Ward says he's acquired 80,000 acres over the past few decades and now plans a number of projects. He's managing member and chief executive officer of Sparks-based Ward Land Management and Development, Inc.

"We're experiencing a lot of change," says Kristen Hertz, operations manager for Greater Pershing Partnership. (Lovelock/Pershing County Chamber of Commerce merged with Pershing County Economic Development Authority.)

"Any economic development is going to start with the visitor," she says. So the town now promotes itself via the "Lock Your Love" attraction in Lovelock.

"The northern NVision report gives us a place to start," Hertz says. "But it's difficult to bring in industry because we don't have a workforce."

And its difficult to bring in a workforce, says Ayoob, because Fernley, ripe with residents, is 60 miles distant.

"As we see Fernley and Fallon grow so quickly, people will look at Lovelock," predicts Hertz.

"And once TRIC employment grows," says Ayoob, "commuters might consider Lovelock."

But developers aren't waiting around for that day.

Californian Don Martin plans to build residential both in town and on the river. Martin Land & Development Company LLC owns 65 acres, to be subdivided into 44 ranchettes of one to two-plus acres, with 12 on the Humboldt River. Another seven-acre parcel in the center of town, across from the hospital, is earmarked for 35 houses with wheelchair access, conducive to elder use.

Californians Mike Bast and Mark Inman have partnered to develop Mallard Estates, with 197 lots on 100 acres. Buyers, they bet, will be the same demographic that fills houses in Fernley.

"We aim to build the American Dream," he says, that being houses in the $200,000 range.

After building in California since 1980, Bast attended a motor race in Fernley five years back. He bought land and built houses on the golf course with son Shane. But meanwhile, property prices doubled.

"Someone said, check out Lovelock," Bast recalls. "When I saw that little town I fell in love with it. It's a lovely, quiet little town. I'd like to live there."

Reno-based Shaw Engineering opened an office in Lovelock and hired Dora Wren to staff it. She notes that land in Lovelock looks good to developers because it still retains its water rights. Situated on Interstate 80, the town boasts a rail spur into its industrial park and an airport able to handle cargo planes and outfitted for instrument landing.

Meanwhile, Californian Ward plans a full hand of developments:

* Pershing County Industrial Park (planed) with 800-acres.

* Cold Canyon exit 900 acres zoned industrial, ready to subdivide.

* Lovelock Industrial Park on 70 acres.

* Two 5,000-square-foot warehouses now available.

* Sand and gravel operation on 1,500 acres.

* Pavillon Plaza, a proposed retail center with hotel and restaurant on a 42-acre site at downtown Lovelock exit.

* Guisti Estates, a cluster home development of 25 units community of one-acre parcels on 20-acre site.

* Meadow View Estates, planned unit development of 183 lots.

* Valley View Estates, a community of 2500 lots on 600 acres, meant for 1000 apartments and 1000 condos with 40 acres commercial on the front.

* Adjacent to river frontage homes, 13 lots of 2- to 5-acres on the Humboldt River (3/4 of them have sold, starting at $60,000).

* Ranchettes planned for 250 parcels on 640 acres (two-plus acre parcels).

* On Oreana exit, 90 acres, future site for a truck stop/restaurant.

* On Oreana Exit,13-acre parcel.

* 200 parcels, 40 acres each, in the vicinity and surrounding areas of Lovelock and Rye Patch Reservoir.

* 240 one-acre parcels scattered around the county.

He posts plans online at lovelockland.com.

Since Ward purchased his first property in Pershing County back in 1983, he says, "I've been working my way out of California."

"The county," he adds, "is 100 percent on board on everything." But challenges remain.

"The way times are right now, it's huge," he says. And that will slow things down. But when things were good, the exact same house cost 30 percent less in Lovelock than in Reno.

"Lovelock is not for everyone," says Hertz. "You have to enjoy a rural lifestyle." While there's no Wal-Mart down the street, she adds, parents who want smaller class size and open sports programs for their kids will like it.