Post by Bill on Feb 19, 2007 10:46:33 GMT -8
I probably should've posted this here:
www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_5245149
Target zeros in on Azusa site
By Alison Hewitt Staff Writer
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
AZUSA - The city's quest to bring a new big-box store to the evolving downtown may have succeeded this week, when Mayor Diane Chagnon announced that Target Corp. signed a letter of intent to bring a store to town.
City Manager Fran Delach described the letter as a sign of a strong commitment from Target, although an agreement still needs to be approved by both the City Council and Target.
The anticipated store would be built on the King Ranch Market block, between Azusa and San Gabriel avenues, north of Foothill Boulevard and next to the future Gold Line station.
Target plans to open for business in Azusa by March 2009, and is expected to help draw in other retailers and plump up city sales taxes, Delach said.
"Target serves as a retail anchor to bring more customers and businesses to the downtown area," Delach said. "The fact that they want to put a store there speaks highly \ ... Target sees it as a growing, thriving area where they want to be."
Assistant City Manager Robert Person praised Watt Genton Associates, the developer of "downtown north," for bringing Target to the table. "Downtown north" is bounded by Foothill Boulevard, Soldano Avenue, Ninth Street and San Gabriel Avenue, Person added.
"This is a great thing for the city," he said.
Despite the occasional outcry against a Wal-Mart, big-box stores are usually welcomed into a city, said Vance Baugham, business development director with the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership. Targets and Wal-Marts pepper the region, sometimes even in the same cities, as in Baldwin Park, Duarte and Rosemead.
"These types of stores really provide a significant amount of money to the city's coffers," Baugham said. "Sales taxes are the most flexible funding a city receives, so it's pursued aggressively. It's unusual to find a community that resists. In fact they're usually courted."
alison.hewitt@sgvn.com
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2730
www.sgvtribune.com/news/ci_5245149
Target zeros in on Azusa site
By Alison Hewitt Staff Writer
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
AZUSA - The city's quest to bring a new big-box store to the evolving downtown may have succeeded this week, when Mayor Diane Chagnon announced that Target Corp. signed a letter of intent to bring a store to town.
City Manager Fran Delach described the letter as a sign of a strong commitment from Target, although an agreement still needs to be approved by both the City Council and Target.
The anticipated store would be built on the King Ranch Market block, between Azusa and San Gabriel avenues, north of Foothill Boulevard and next to the future Gold Line station.
Target plans to open for business in Azusa by March 2009, and is expected to help draw in other retailers and plump up city sales taxes, Delach said.
"Target serves as a retail anchor to bring more customers and businesses to the downtown area," Delach said. "The fact that they want to put a store there speaks highly \ ... Target sees it as a growing, thriving area where they want to be."
Assistant City Manager Robert Person praised Watt Genton Associates, the developer of "downtown north," for bringing Target to the table. "Downtown north" is bounded by Foothill Boulevard, Soldano Avenue, Ninth Street and San Gabriel Avenue, Person added.
"This is a great thing for the city," he said.
Despite the occasional outcry against a Wal-Mart, big-box stores are usually welcomed into a city, said Vance Baugham, business development director with the San Gabriel Valley Economic Partnership. Targets and Wal-Marts pepper the region, sometimes even in the same cities, as in Baldwin Park, Duarte and Rosemead.
"These types of stores really provide a significant amount of money to the city's coffers," Baugham said. "Sales taxes are the most flexible funding a city receives, so it's pursued aggressively. It's unusual to find a community that resists. In fact they're usually courted."
alison.hewitt@sgvn.com
(626) 962-8811, Ext. 2730