A folded cardboard box was propped against William Giham’s wall Tuesday, ready to accept picture frames, coffee makers and silverware as he prepared to move out of his apartment at 1212 Victorian Ave.

The building, housing four renters on the top floor as well as Paddy and Irene’s Irish Pub and a smoke shop on the bottom floor, was recently acquired by the city through eminent domain proceedings in order to make way for redevelopment plans.

“We are just sad to not have the property anymore,” said Bill Simons, whose family real estate development company has owned the property since before 1964. “We have had it for so long.”

Although the city technically owns the property, Simon’s Properties compensation is still a matter of debate and could end in court, Simons said.

“It’s been pretty nice,” Giham said about his seven months in the residence, adding that he supported the city’s future plans for the area.

Those plans include leveling his apartment, along with the former Pacific Pawnbrokers location nearby, in order to make way for a new road.

The road plans got rolling in 2006 when the city acquired The Mint Casino and again in April when the city acquired the former Pacific Pawnbrokers location. The end product will be a road connecting Victorian Avenue on the south to The Avenue of the Oaks on the north.

The road is just one piece of a grander vision for Victorian Square that will eventually include 45,000 to 65,000 square feet of retail space and between 30,000 and 60,000 square feet of office space along with space for a new 80,000 to 120,000 square-foot city hall complex. The details of the redevelopment plan were released in 2005.

However, as construction and new development markets continue to lag in a weak economy, city planners are taking the process one slow step at a time.

The building at 1212 Victorian Ave. will be cleared of its final tenants and checked for asbestos in March, after which it will be razed to make way for the new road. City planners hope to start construction this fall.

“We are trying to set the stage for the (larger redevelopment) project to move forward when market conditions permit,” said Armando Ornelas, a city planner and redevelopment manager for the city of Sparks.

Throughout the past year, Victorian Square, just south of Intersate-80 between Rock Boulevard and Pyramid Way, has seen a condominium developer come and go, the square’s second largest casino, the Silver Club, close along with the various properties closed to make way for future growth.

When asked if the past year’s changes would affect the larger redevelopment plans, Ornelas responded that he was confident in the direction of the current plan for the area.

“We believe we have a working plan in place and we are taking steps to be ready to respond to opportunity,” Ornelas said.

However, the Silver Club closing on Jan. 11 may not be one of those opportunities for the city. Redevelopment agency officials have confirmed that they have no intention of buying the Silver Club building after its closure.

Representatives from John Ascuaga’s Nugget, the largest hotel and casino in Victorian Square, also said that they have no desire to purchase the property.

“That is not something we are contemplating right now,” Michonne Ascuaga, John Ascuaga’s CEO, said. “We have other needs. There has been no discussion with them.”

The next big hurdle in front of Victorian Square redevelopment involves finding a committed developer for the larger retail and office space project.

“There is going to have to be one or more private sector partners who will have to (get involved) in order for the project to be successful,” Ornelas said. “I understand why the private sector views these projects the way they view them … but the city of Sparks would like to have a vibrant Victorian Square downtown project.”

The city’s most recent committed developer, Trammell Crow, planned to build 171 condominiums and townhomes combined with retail shops in the square. However, the developer backed out in April, citing high construction costs, declining sales demand, declining prices in the market and a difficult loan market for potential buyers.