Tracy man envisions laundromat, coffee shop in Asian Market building
By Per Peterson
For the most part, EDA discussion about the Asian Market building downtown involved more questions than answers.
That changed at last week’s meeting, when Reed Kimball shared his vision for the building.
Kimball, a Tracy resident, told the EDA board he wants to fill the building — and a need of the city — by opening a coin laundromat and possibly a coffee shop as well.
“I think it’s something that is really needed,” Kimball told the EDA board. “I think this is a great location; that in conjunction with a coffee shop. Ultimately I really think it would be a success there.”
Kimball, who owns On the Spot Handyman Home Repair and has done extensive construction work at the Asian Market building, said he has been working with consulting agencies out of the Twin Cities and is optimistic about the future of a laundromat downtown.
“I think in the long run it’s something the community will really use,” he said.
One of the next steps for Kimball is to take over the building, which he knows has issues — the roof being the main problem spot. He said that there would need to be changes to some of the building’s infrastructure.
“It has a basement under it, and laundromats typically don’t have basements,” he said. “There is going to be some significant securing in the basement that is going to be needed to support the weight of the machines.”
Another issue that will need to be addressed is the size of the water line to the building, which is 3/8”. Kimball didn’t know for sure what size line he would need, but figured it would have to be between 3/4” to 1”. The work to replace the line would likely take place during reconstruction of 3rd St. in 2020.
Kimball said he wouldn’t want to open when the street is closed and that the line replacement would be one of the last steps in the project.
“There’s a lot of work to be done; it doesn’t have to be a rush project,” he said.
It seemed most likely the business would open next October.
“With the winter coming up there is time available to do the stuff that needs to be done in the building,” Kimball said, adding that work will include major plumbing and electrical updates.
Kimball said there would be somewhere between 14 and 18 machines — some 30-pound machines, some larger for items like bedding.
See this week’s Headlight Herald for more on this article.