Albertsons rejects City of Azusa

[Rocco]

Albertsons rejects the City of Azusa...

www.sgvtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,205%257E12220%257E2783164,00.html

Oh, but the good news is that the City of Azusa is in negotiations with Bristol Farms for the same location, according to this article. And I have a better chance of seeing the Easter Bunny tomorrow than Azusa ever does of seeing Bristol Farms, or even Whole Foods Market, another possibility mentioned by the City Assistant Manager, Robert Person.

Last time I checked, Bristol Farms preferred locations such as Westwood, Newport Beach, Mission Viejo, Beverly Hills, Rolling Hills, Manhattan Beach and South Pasadena.

www.bristolfarms.com/locations/lacounty/index.html

www.bristolfarms.com/locations/orangecounty/index.html

While everything is rosy in Mountain Cove, the City of Azusa, as a whole, is still no higher in property value than the City of El Monte. Do any of us soon think that we are going to see a Bristol Farms or Whole Foods Market in El Monte? Of course not, so then why should we think one of these markets would choose Azusa?

Vons, Albertsons and Ralphs all have locations in Glendora, so are not going to want to build another market so close, or at least that is their nice way of saying that Azusa does not interest them in the slightest.

I am more bothered by the words of our city officials than anything else. I mean if you cannot even get a marginal supermarket like Albertson's, then how are you going to get Bristol Farms or Whole Food Market? What is next...plans to build an NFL stadium at the site of the drive-in theater?

The city needs to focus more effort on getting quality tenants who may actually be interested in Azusa, rather than wasting taxpayer money talking to companies that would never, ever, consider Azusa.

[Lester]

That is a shame to hear. Albertsons would have been the best option because it would have removed the old Savon's in the middle of the center.

I know of at least two smaller grocery stores and there is at least one large one that may consider moving to that location. For smaller stores, Henry's Marketplace (which is the lower priced natural foods store that Wild Oats owns, there is one in Chino), or Trader Joes. For a larger store, I remember reading about a company called WinCo that has been expanding into San Bernadino and Riverside County. It does not sound like a very nice store but it is something the city may want to consider also.
www.ufcw324.org/021605winco.html

(I have never been to a WinCo so I don't know how nice they are or how large of a lot they may need. Their size needs may be way out of line with the space available.)

Small: www.traderjoes.com/
Medium: Henry's Marketplace: www.wildoats.com/app/cda/cda.php?pt=HenrysHome
Large: www.wincofoods.com/

[Lester]

www.wincofoods.com/about_winco.html
It looks like the average size of a WinCo is 90,000 sq. ft. I have no idea if there is that kind of space available for the Foothill Shopping Center. Well, there would be if they used some of the townhome space. I don't know if the developer would be willing to do that. Have you ever shopped at a WinCo?

WinCo Reviews: www.rateitall.com/i-27927-winco-foods.aspx

Henry's Marketplace is approximately 25,000 square feet: www.visualstore.com/index.php/channel/27/id/7444

Henry's Reviews: www.insiderpages.com/search/cfad0a7a12adb0565d65c9f0d5909650/details.html

[Dirty stores or Drive]

They need to remove the entire center and rebuild. Tossing in some crappy store that no one will shop in will just waste more money. I'm sure tiny little Mtn. Cove will have to wait until the new development gets underway to even hope for just a decent grocery store much less a Whole Foods. Until then we continue to make the drive to Pasadena and cringe when the merchant asks for our zip code.

[Lester]

I went to the meeting that the developers of that property presented. They explained why that was not possible. You have major tenants, including the 99 cent only store, Savon, Ross, Burger King, etc., that are under long term leases with very cheap rent. It would not be feasible to try to move them or buy them out of their leases. Because of this, the developer must work around these stores. That is why Albertson's would have been good because they would have been able to tear down Savon's which is part of Albertsons.

[Sparky]

I shop at both Henry's and Trader Joes on a regular basis. They are both good markets to shop at. I have never heard of WinCo.

[Neel]

Ralphs will not build in Azusa. Even their Glendora store is not one of the best performing stores, although it is getting a gas station soon.

I could see Ralphs putting in a Food4Less in Azusa, however....although I probably wouldn't shop there.

[Lester]

There is one more type of market that we may want to look into, and that would be a Co-Op, which would mean forming a market that would be community owned. Here are some links to learn a little about this possibility:

www.coopportunity.com/

cooperativegrocer.coop/index.html

[Box Boy]

There are some things the city needs to do so we won't keep running into roadblocks.We need to form a economic development commission. They can tell us what is available so we can pursue business's to come here. We need to turn Azusa and San Gabriel into two- way streets. We need to look at the progress of annexing county property so we can develop it. I think a Pavillions market would fit at the fothill center. There is a Pavillions in Monrovia at Foothill and Myrtle.Threr is a Vons at Foothill and Second in Arcadia.These two stores are only about a mile and a half apart.So don't tell me one store is going to suffer because of the other. They have both been thriving for years.

[NM]

Sorry, but Pavillions IMO is too "upscale" for the Foothill Center.

But on a related note, there is a Vons and Pavillions right next to each other on Fair Oaks Ave in S. Pasadnea.

[Box Boy]

I think they also have a Bristol farms on Fairoaks as well. I have not been over there in a long time . Is Bristol farms still there?

[Aidanzmom]

Yes. Bristol Farms is still on Fair Oaks in South Pasadena.

[highwood resident]

I like the idea of a co-op. If the city continues to have trouble with finding a good market to come in, I think that the city should seriouly consider having a community owned store. We could all become members of the co-op.

The one in Santa Monica has 15,000 members. I'm sure that we could build up to that as well.

This organization could help us set it up:
National Cooperative Business Association
www.ncba.coop/index.cfm

Cooperatives—

Are owned and democratically controlled by their members-the people who use the co-op's services or buy its goods-not by outside investors; Co-op members elect their board of director from within the membership.
Return surplus revenues (income over expenses and investment) to members proportionate to their use of the cooperative, not proportionate to their "investment" or ownership share.
Are motivated not by profit, but by service-to meet their members' needs for affordable and high quality goods or services;
Exist solely to meet the serve their members.
Pay taxes on income kept within the co-op for investment and reserves. Surplus revenues from the co-op are returned to individual members who pay taxes on that income.

Consumer Cooperatives—Consumer cooperatives are owned by the people who buy the goods or use the services of the cooperative. They sell consumer goods such as food and outdoors equipment. They provide housing, electricity and telecommunications. And they offer financial (credit unions), healthcare, childcare and funeral services. Almost any consumer needs can be met by a cooperative.

Cooperative Principles
Cooperatives follow seven internationally recognized principles:

Voluntary and Open Membership
Democratic Member Control
Member Economic Participation
Autonomy and Independence
Education, Training and Information
Cooperation Among Cooperatives
Concern for Community

How To Start a Co-Op:
www.ncba.coop/abcoop_howto.cfm

Food Co-Op's:
www.ncba.coop/abcoop_food.cfm

Book:
www.ncba.org/catalog/itemlist.cfm?catid=21&compid=1&pcatid=0

[Jeff]

Does anyone know if the city is looking into the possibility of doing such a thing? It sounds like a great idea to me. I like the idea of getting some of the money back that I spend on groceries and at the same time, having a high quality store that is located in Azusa. I would rather spend my money in Azusa than Glendora.

Here is one in San Diego: www.obpeoplesfood.coop/

Santa Monica Membership Info:
www.coopportunity.com/pages/membership.html


Directory:
www.coopdirectory.org/directory.htm#California


Potential Ideas For Names for the Co-Op:

Route 66 Co-op Market
Foothill Ranch Co-op - and have the building shaped like an orange packing barn.
Azusa's Community Co-op Market
Azusa Canyon Natural Foods Co-op
Auzsa Canyon Community Co-op
Nature's Community Market
Angeles Forest Community Co-op
San Gabriel River Community Co-op
Forest Community Co-op

[Jenny]

Does anyone have any updates?

Is there anything that we can do to speed up the process?

I'm ready to sign up for my membership.