The City of Sparks redevelopment agency has its eye on the Pacific Pawnbrokers shop at 1246 Victorian Avenue.

“Gaining 1246 (Victorian Ave.) is critical,” Armando Ornelas, City of Sparks redevelopment manager said.

The property is necessary for redevelopment plans in the area, including future office space for city staff and retail space. The owner of the property, Joe Schlader, agreed to sell, but only if the city agreed to purchase his two other Sparks properties, Ornelas said.

As a part of a package deal, the City Council agreed to pay a total of $1.65 million Monday for the property on 1246 Victorian Avenue as well as the two other properties at 920 Victorian Ave. and 329 Pyramid Way between C and D streets.

The pawnbroker will remain in business until March 15, 2009 at the 1246 Victorian Ave. location. The 920 Victorian Ave. location is used mainly for pawnshop overflow and is open intermittently for pawnshop business. It will remain in operation until Oct. 15, 2008.

“We are not winding down our operations,” Schlader, owner of Pacific Pawnbrokers said. “We are just selling the real estate.”

According to Schlader, the pawnshop does much of its business in the Internet and that is where he plans to direct his focus.

“Our retail area doesn’t need to be as big,” Schlader said.

Schlader said he is considering moving the business to another location within Sparks. Pacific Pawnbrokers also has one location in Reno which will remain in uninterrupted operation.

The building at 1246 Victorian Ave. is destined for demolition and will be rebuilt as office and retail space.

According to Orlelas, the city plans on reselling the two other locations.

“The other two properties are in the redevelopment area and are under utilized,” Ornelas told the city council. “I do think we can recoup a significant portion of the money.”

I addition to the purchase price of $1.65 million, the city has agreed to pay some closing and relocation costs. Ornelas estimated the price of closing costs to be roughly between $15,000 and $20,000.



Pacific Pawnbrokers began business more than 27 years ago in the old Masonic Building next door to the 1246 Victorian Ave. location. In 1991 it moved to its current location, purchasing the building from Security Pacific Bank.

Schlader, who started the business, purchased the 920 Victorian Ave. location in 1988. The property on Pyramid Way began as la larger piece of land, but was slowly sold off as Schlader realized that he did not want to build another pawn shop on the property. Now all that remains is a small spit of land that was destined to be a parking lot for the planned pawn shop.

“It was just a great opportunity to fulfill all our dreams; us, the City and Redevelopment,” Schlader said.