Rocklin to gain new Starbucks

It's housed a Dairy Queen, Murder Burger and Redrum Burger - and come summertime, the building on the corner of Sierra College Boulevard and Rocklin Road will be home to Rocklin's newest Starbucks Coffee Company.The building was recently stripped down to its wooden base and is currently undergoing major renovations."The city required a very extensive facelift, so it's going to be a very handsome building when it's finished," said Ralph Cotton, landlord for the Sierra College Shopping Center.He said the building is approximately 3,050 square feet, which will be split between two businesses, including a drive-through that will be operated by Starbucks on the north side of the building. Though a lease has not been signed for the second business, Cotton said he anticipates a national chain sandwich shop to be the other tenant.There are currently four Starbucks in Rocklin. The closest store to the new location is barely one mile away, a short trip north on Rocklin Road to Granite Drive.Rachel Brady, marketing specialist for Starbucks Coffee Company, said the business chooses locations based on comfort and convenience for its customers, in addition to community support. "Based on the enthusiasm of the Rocklin community thus far, Starbucks is looking forward to opening a store on Rocklin Road and Sierra College Boulevard," she wrote in an e-mail response to questions.James Chong, owner of Tokyo Dori in the Sierra College Shopping Center, said business on the corner is going well and he welcomes "anything else" to the vacant front building."It's been empty for so long," he said. "It's just always been an eyesore."Cotton said the widening of Rocklin Road has helped bring change to the shopping center, which he's owned for about five years. He anticipates the city's plans to widen Sierra College Boulevard will also bring more traffic to his corner center."We're very excited about how the center's been transformed ... with better tenants over the last 12-18 months," said Chris Campbell, Cotton's leasing agent and senior vice president of CB Richard Ellis. Recent changes to the corner shopping center - which includes approximately 36,000 square feet of building space over a total of 3.5 acres - include the addition of Delos Island Grille, a new Hawaiian barbecue restaurant, which replaced Langhorne's restaurant. Cotton said that Check 'n Go will also be added to the center, and an additional restaurant is in the wings.