The scaffolding has come down, and anyone visiting the Rheem Valley Shopping Center recently has noticed the visible improvements to the buildings’ façades. Repairs have been made to rotting wood along with a different color scheme. White and golden-brown paint has replaced the chocolate brown and dark green exteriors.  Large gold lettering identifies each business by name.  Additionally, progress on Grocery Outlet has gone full speed ahead with locals anticipating the grand opening projected for early 2027.

    During the June 24 Town Council meeting, Town Manager Scott Mitnick gave an Economic Development Update Report. “This community is clamoring for positive redevelopment.  Not to have a whole bunch of density and make it look like Walnut Creek, or Palo Alto, or San Jose – that’s not in the cards – but to have a more vibrant and self-sustaining local economy that offers opportunities to people that live here in Lamorinda.  Everybody pretty much wants that.”

    The façade improvements came about because the Town made a request to property owners that buildings get “spruced up” to make the shopping center more “cheerful.”  At a recent outside event, this reporter heard several residents make comments to the effect of, “When will the same improvements come to the Moraga Shopping Center?”

    In January, according to Mitnick’s staff report, the Town entered into a one-year professional services agreement with Kosmont Companies to the tune of $60,000. The purpose was “to provide on-call real estate and economic development advisory services to the Town to facilitate private investment and the development and/or redevelopment of key properties throughout the community. Over the past few months, there has been development progress at the Rheem Shopping Center and in other parts of Town.”

    Mitnick’s report went on to state, “Initial discussions with the Kosmont team have taken place. Town staff have also participated in several constructive meetings with local property owners, local business owners, real estate/development experts, and potential developers/businesses. There are several exciting development projects that are either underway or will start to take place over the next few months to several years.”

    Notable changes coming to Rheem include a Chipotle restaurant replacing the Bank of America ATM machine, and the Saint Mary’s College Rheem Campus is now on the market (Kosmont is in discussions with the college in regards to the site’s redevelopment). SMC is also looking to add more on-campus housing and would like Moraga to look more vibrant in order for the school to attract more students. 

    There are multiple property owners at Rheem, with U.S. Realty Partners being the largest, and Mitnick stated that the Town is working with all of them to get a mutually acceptable outcome. He did note that the Moraga Shopping Center is “heavily underdeveloped.”

    On hand during the council meeting was Kosmont Senior Advisor Dean Isaacs who praised U.S. Realty Partners for its willingness to make constructive changes to Rheem.  While it does own several shopping centers state-wide, none of them offer attached housing units which would make Moraga a test-case. The property owners are willing to consider attached housing, but construction costs have risen.  Kosmont is working with property owners to come up with potential concepts that will make it worth their while. “There’s not a tool box you can go to; there’s a different tool box for each property.  That’s what we’re spending our time trying to figure out now.”