A Nugget Market and CVS pharmacy will be going into the prime east Sacramento parcel where Hubacher Auto Center operated for years.

That's the word from Nugget officials, who are confirming rumors their upscale grocery chain will be joining with CVS to purchase and redevelop the 6.5-acre site at the northwest corner of Howe Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard.

Nugget spokeswoman Kate Stille says the 45,000-square-foot grocery store will take about 18 months to build and will be modeled on the chain's East Covell Boulevard store in Davis.

Like the Nugget in El Dorado Hills, it will have a mezzanine where clubs and community groups can meet.

"We had a lot of encouragement from a lot of people to open in a more central part of Sacramento," Stille says of the decision to locate a store at a somewhat problematic but heavily trafficked intersection.

Finding ways to meet some of the site's challenges – including lack of access from Fair Oaks Boulevard and easements on the property for power lines – has already been discussed informally with city staff.

City Councilman Kevin McCarty, whose district now includes the future grocery site, acknowledges there are planning and traffic challenges. But, he says, "I don't think they're insurmountable."

One of his concerns, McCarty adds, is to preserve the canopy of trees on the project site's southern border and keep the intersection as a key "gateway" to the city.

The site has been vacant since 2010 when its auto dealer owners bought the former Mike Daugherty Chevrolet site on Fulton Avenue and relocated operations there.

Last year Wal-Mart went into contract to acquire the site and use it for one of its new grocery-only stores. But it backed out, in part, some have speculated, because of neighborhood opposition to its plans.

This will be the second store in Sacramento for Woodland-based Nugget. The other is on Florin Road in the Pocket neighborhood.

Pooling resources

Sacramento's Geremia Pools, celebrating its 90th year in business, built many of the city's public swimming pools.

So it's fitting that it was the first local company to respond to Save Mart Supermarket's offer last week to match contributions up to $500,000 to keep Sacramento pools open this summer.

Geremia agreed to contribute $1,000 plus 10 percent of any online sales it makes through the fundraising campaign's April 10 deadline.

The city pools "are near and dear to their heart," said Heather Atherton, a campaign spokeswoman.

Total funds pledged to date: $18,366.

Happier days

Things are looking up for local engineering grads. So reports Cici Mattiuzzi, who is holding her annual career day and job fair on March 2 at Sacramento State.

She says 66 companies are attending with plans to fill 1,253 openings.

That job number is actually a little down from last year. But Mattiuzzi says more private sector firms are attending – and they're looking to add people immediately.

For example, San Diego Gas & Electric is having its reps stay here three days to conduct interviews and make hires on the spot.

"It's bam, bam, bam. They're not messing around," says Mattiuzzi, career services director at the school's engineering and computer sciences department.

Mattiuzzi says she noticed hiring start to pick up last November, and it has accelerated this year.

If the recovery continues, she says, "we could be sitting on a very nice ride."

© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.

---

Reach Bob Shallit at (916) 321-1049.

• Read more articles by Bob Shallit