ULTA Beauty to Open at Janss Marketplace in Late 2017

Update: Grand opening of store will be Friday, October 13th.

ULTA Beauty will open in the former Rite Ad location at Janss Marketplace in late 2017, signing a 10 year lease for over 10,900 sf.

ULTA is the largest beauty retailer in the United States and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin, hair care products and salon services. Since opening its first store 25 years ago, ULTA Beauty has grown to become the top national retailer providing All Things Beauty, All in One Place. The Company offers more than 20,000 products from over 500 well-established and emerging beauty brands across all categories and price points, including ULTA Beauty's own private label. ULTA Beauty also offers a full-service salon in every store featuring hair, skin and brow services.

Learn more about ULTA at www.ulta.com. Other local area ULTA locations currently at the Simi Valley Town Center and The Collection at Riverpark.

The ULTA Beauty store will bring a completely new look to the east side of Janss Marketplace. Shown above is the original tenant of this space; Thrifty Drug Store, in November 1960.

Poke Tiki to Open at Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks in Early 2017

Update 4/28/17: Poke Tiki opened today at Janss Marketplace.

Coming in January 2017 is Poke Tiki to Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks. It will be located in the former home of Salad Gourmet, which closed its doors earlier this year. 

Currently hiring at THIS LINK.

Poke Tiki currently has locations in Tustin, Tarzana, Orange and Costa Mesa. Poke Tiki offers 7 types of fish (tuna, salmon, scallops, albacore, cooked shrimp, octopus), 4 bases and 10 toppings with a sauce of your choice. More information at www.poketiki.com.

Thanks to Amelia S. once again via the CVG Facebook Page for letting us know!

L&L Hawaiian Barbecue at Janss Marketplace Thousand Oaks Has Closed Its Doors

L&L Hawaiian BBQ at Janss Marketplace in Thousand Oaks closed its doors a few weeks ago. It has operated in the Conejo Valley since 2004. Rumor has it a new eatery will be coming quite soon....details to come.

Drive-Thru Car Wash to Be Built at Nordic Nursery Location in Thousand Oaks

Last night the City of Thousand Oaks Planning Commission approved an application for a new drive-thru car wash to be built at the current home of Nordic Nursery, 1312 Newbury Road.

The owner of Nordic Nursery has decided to sell the .8 acre property after 38 years in business in the Conejo Valley. 

The proposed car wash facility will have two wash tracks accessed by a single driveway, with a maximum of four employees.  There will be a total of six parking spaces and 11 service spaces for customers to vacuum their vehicles after their cars are washed. Proposed hours of the car wash are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

Surrounding the property is an auto care facility on the east (currently Big Brand Tire & Service and AAMCO Transmissions), The Sleep Shoppe retail store on the west, a mobile home park to the southeast and the La Quinta Inn & Suites to the south. The 101 freeway is directly across from the facility on the north.

Although many are saddened by Nordic Nursery retiring from the City of Thousand Oaks, the Planning Commission and City Staff made sure to address concerns of water usage and oak trees.

Two oak trees on the west side of the site, between the car wash building and The Sleep Shoppe, will be transplanted to a new home on City-owned open space or a park. The remaining oak trees on the property are not anticipated to be impacted by the business.

Lastly, the water at the car wash is anticipated to be 85 to 90% recycled, resulting in less usage than the nursery currently uses.

Eight Ventura County Schools Receive 2017 Gold Ribbon Honors from California Department of Education

Eight Ventura County area schools are recipients of the 2017 Gold Ribbon Schools Award from the California Department of Education. The award recognizes middle and high schools that have developed innovative programs that support rigorous academic standards and create a positive school environment. The winning local schools are:

• A.E. Wright Middle School (Las Virgenes Unified School District)
• Adolfo Camarillo High School (Oxnard Union High School District)
• Colina Middle School (Conejo Valley Unified School District)
• Hillside Middle School (Simi Valley Unified School District)
• Moorpark High School (Moorpark Unified School District)
• Redwood Middle School (Conejo Valley Unified School District)
• Royal High School (Simi Valley Unified School District)
• Westlake High School (Conejo Valley Unified School District)

A.E. Wright Middle School received an additional award for being a Title I Academic Achieving School. This additional recognition is given only to schools receiving federal Title I funds that assist in meeting the educational needs of students living at or below the poverty line.

Eligible schools for the 2017 Gold Ribbon Award exclude schools that previously won the award in 2015. These schools include Sequoia Middle School (CVUSD), Thousand Oaks High School (CVUSD), Medea Creek Middle School (Oak Park USD), Oak Park High School, Ocean View Junior High, Santa Susana High (Simi Valley USD), Sinaloa Middle School (SVUSD) and Valley View Middle School (SVUSD).

This year, 275 Gold Ribbon honorees were selected out of 477 schools that applied. Additional information about the Gold Ribbon Schools Award is available at www.cde.ca.gov/ta/sr/gr.

The California Gold Ribbon Schools Award was created to honor schools in place of the California Distinguished Schools Program, which is on hiatus while California creates new assessment, accountability, and continuous improvement systems.

About the Ventura County Office of Education

The Ventura County Office of Education provides a broad array of fiscal, training and technology support services to local school districts, helping to maintain and improve lifelong educational opportunities for children, educators and community members. VCOE also operates schools that serve students with severe disabilities and behavioral issues, provides career education courses, and coordinates countywide academic competitions including Mock Trial and the Ventura County Science Fair. Learn more at www.vcoe.org.

Circus Trix to Open Trampoline and Aerial Action Facility at Janss Marketplace in 2017

Update November 3, 2017: DojoBoom Extreme Air Sports now open at Janss Marketplace. www.dojoboom.com.

In February, Janss Marketplace announced it signed a 10 year lease with trampoline center operator Circus Trix for 37,773 sq ft of space - the space next to Toy R Us - Padavo Home Furnishings. Circus Trix plans to open this year.

Circus Trix filed a Special Use Permit application with the City of Thousand Oaks that was presented at the April 10th Planning Commission Meeting. The Commission unanimously approved the project.

The facility will be called DojoBoom - The Ultimate Extreme Air Experience. www.dojoboom.com

Maximum capacity of the facility will be 200 patrons and 25 employees, with proposed operating hours of 9am to 9pm Sunday through Thursday and 9am to midnight on Friday/Saturday.

The facility will include 18,045 sq ft of trampoline area, 4,071 sq ft of foam play area, three party rooms totaling 1,271 sq ft, a viewing area and more. It is a corporate-owned facility and Circus Trix is the largest trampoline center operated in the country. Learn more at www.circustrix.com.

There are currently 26 other locations in the U.S., with 13 more slated in 2017 (including Thousand Oaks, Los Angeles and Orange County in Southern California). Each location has a different name, like Sector Extreme Air Sports in New Orleans, DefyGravity Trampoline Park in Charlotte and Skywalk in Fresno.

Update: Padavo will be moving to the Riverland location at Janss. Riverland will be closing its doors April 30th.

Marshalls Moving from Janss Marketplace to Conejo Valley Plaza in Thousand Oaks on May 11th

The former Sport Chalet on Moorpark Road several weeks ago as it goes through transformations to become the new home of Marshalls. Kind of a sad sight, isn't it.

The former home of Sport Chalet at 1350 North Moorpark Road in Thousand Oaks, in the Conejo Valley Plaza, will become the new home of Marshalls (currently located in the Janss Marketplace).

Marshalls indicates the grand opening celebration will take place from 8am to 10pm on Thursday, May 11th. For updates, visit www.marshallsonline.com/store-finder/158.

Other local area Marshalls stores in Simi Valley and Oxnard. There are over 975 Marshalls stores in the U.S. Marshalls is named after Alfred Marshall, who gathered other investors to open a self-service department store in Beverly, Massachusetts offering "Brand Names For Less" in 1956. TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx, purchased Marshalls in 1995 and operate as sister stores. And there you have it.

City of Simi Valley Offers Up to $50,000 Home Rehab Loans for Low-Income Homeowners

City of Simi Valley Offers $50,000 Deferred Payment Home Rehabilitation Program Loans with 2% Interest for Low-Income Homeowners

The City of Simi Valley offers deferred payment Home Rehabilitation loans up to $50,000 to low-income homeowners, with no monthly payments. Loans accrue 2% interest for the first 15 years, and are reserved for owner-occupied single-family homes in need of repair. Full repayment is required when the property is sold, refinanced, or leased, or when the property changes title. 

In order to qualify for these loans, household income may not exceed low-income limits published annually by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Repayment of Home Rehabilitation loans is required upon sale, refinance, or transfer of the property.

Examples of eligible work include roof repair or replacement, repair or replacement of damaged walls, doors, screens, hardware, cabinets, bathroom fixtures, kitchen built-in appliances, replacement of deteriorated floor coverings, connection to sanitary sewer, repair or replacement of severely deteriorated exterior stucco, siding and doors (including garage doors), window replacements, replacement of deteriorated/hazardous driveway, replacement of old heating and air conditioning systems, installing attic insulation, and weatherstripping.

For further information or to request an application contact the City’s Home Rehabilitation Coordinator at 805-583-6757 and visit www.simivalley.org/departments/environmental-services/housing-section-planning-division/home-rehabilitation-program for details.

Source: City of Simi Valley website at www.simivalley.org.

Opening of "Capability Center" in Tampa Will Lead to Loss of Up to 494 Amgen Jobs in Thousand Oaks

Last Month, the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Develop Corporation announced that Amgen will be opening a "Capability Center" in Tampa in October 2017, employing 450 people by the end of 2018.  The 136,000 sq. ft. facility "will support a variety of functions with the delivery of business-enabling services including operational, analytical, staff support and business support activities."

What's good news for Tampa is bad news for Thousand Oaks. On Tuesday, April 11th, Amgen issued a WARN (Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification) Act notice stating that up to 494 Amgen Thousand Oaks employees will lose their jobs as a result.

Amgen will continue maintaining its corporate headquarters here in Thousand Oaks, with about 5,125 employees. This is down from 6,000 in July 2014 and 7,500 in 2006 (according to this Pacific Coast Business Times article).

In addition to 450 employees in Tampa, Amgen will be adding some jobs to existing sites in San Francisco and Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Local employee terminations will begin on June 16, 2017. www.amgen.com

Looking for a local job? LINKS TO OVER 300 LOCAL AREA EMPLOYERS

More on Amgen 2016 hiring announcements at THIS LINK.