update: 3/20 /25 – the additional 8500sf will be allocated to additional food and beverage retail.
Eastern Sierra Now broke the story, and James Truhls followed up with Bishop Mayor Karen Kong on the first episode of his new podcast, Chasing Laughter. Here’s the tea:
Bishop is getting 102 new housing units, at the site of the old Kmart building— each renting for $1,500/month. Alongside the housing, expect three new fast-food drive-throughs and 8,500 square feet that will be allocated to additional food and beverage retail.
Who is this Housing For?
Crunching the numbers: At $1,500/month, a tenant should ideally be making $60K+ per year (following the general rule that no more than 30% of income should go to rent). This suggests these units are perfect for remote-working climbers, traveling nurses, and single or coupled county/government employees—but not exactly a fit for minimum wage driven Main Street.
Rumor Mill: Vons Had a Monopoly
Turns out, the rumors were true—Vons had a 100-year lease to block any competition from entering the market, and they were paying wild rent to keep it that way.
Community Engagement & Design
Props to Foothill Partners for choosing C5 Studios as their meeting venue—a sign that they actually care about engaging with the community. Their preliminary designs look thoughtful, aligning with the modern, community-driven development approach seen in some of their other developments such as Reno Public Market.
Meeting Sentiment & What’s Next
We’re bummed we missed the meeting (legit schedule conflict), but from what we hear, over fifty people showed up, and the energy was positive. Shoutout to Foothill Partners for actually meeting people where they’re at—hopefully, this signals more intentional development and less cookie-cutter strip mall’s across Bishop.
The property is reportedly under 30 days from closing escrow, with pre-fab, modular units planned—meaning that once permits are secured, construction should move quickly. According to Mayor Kong, residents could be moving in by 2027—not an overnight fix, but faster than most housing projects in the region.
Stay tuned—we’ll be watching.
Does that mean the land behind the old Kmart is involved also? There is no way enough parking for what is being discussed. Also nice to see what I have said for years is true, the rumor on Vons and what they are doing and have been for years. Sad that they don’t give a crap.