Vons WLA closing, new Pavilions to replace

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CalItalian
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Vons WLA closing, new Pavilions to replace

Post by CalItalian »

Vons West Los Angeles on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd. & Barrington will finally close this Saturday, January 11, 2014. This store was once a Safeway. The air conditioning system has had a moldy smell for at least 30 years or longer...I hated to breathe in the store. I am so happy to see this eyesore leave my area. Will be replaced with a new Pavilions. The nearby former Pavilions (Wilshire & Stoner) closed a year ago (and still isn't occupied). http://la.curbed.com/archives/2014/01/g ... ilions.php
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Re: Vons WLA closing, new Pavilions to replace

Post by klkla »

It's about time. This project has been off again, on again for a while and it looked like the deal had fallen through six months ago. It's good to see they worked it out. That neighborhood needs some better supermarket choice.
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Re: Vons WLA closing, new Pavilions to replace

Post by Alpha8472 »

It looks like it is a Marina store. That is too bad. Those Marina stores are classic. The new stores that Safeway builds these days are so bland and ugly. They should build a store with a Marina style arch as a tribute to the old store. Those Marina stores had a very dramatic high ceiling and gave the store a really nice sense of space. These new stores built by Safeway seem claustrophobic and dark.
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Re: Vons WLA closing, new Pavilions to replace

Post by CalItalian »

It's completely demolished as of last week...and construction is starting now for the new Pavilions (or Albertsons depending on what the merger brings). Just glad that the project is proceeding under the circumstances. http://la.curbed.com/archives/2014/04/e ... _store.php
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Re: Vons WLA closing, new Pavilions to replace

Post by CalItalian »

This store will never be built. Safeway has sold the land. What a shame. Just a couple of miles from my place. This was originally as Safeway and I have been waiting decades for them to build a new store. Culver City Pavilions and West Hollywood Pavilions will remain the locations I shop at (Culver City is a bit larger than WeHo and this location would have been the largest of all 3).

Vons has closed 3 locations in the area this century, Westside Pavilion mall Pavilions in Rancho Park (a Vons was on this property before the mall was built), West Los Angeles Pavilions on Wilshire & Stoner and this location on Santa Monica Blvd. Albertsons also closed their location on Wilshire & Yale (now a Bristol Farms).
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Re: Vons WLA closing, new Pavilions to replace

Post by storewanderer »

Maybe another grocer will take the space instead?

Did Safeway sell the land as part of the sale of PDC? I would expect Safeway to continue in the development if it was sold as part of PDC...
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Re: Vons WLA closing, new Pavilions to replace

Post by CalItalian »

storewanderer wrote:Maybe another grocer will take the space instead?

Did Safeway sell the land as part of the sale of PDC? I would expect Safeway to continue in the development if it was sold as part of PDC...
No store will be built. The area has become an extension of "Silicon Beach" and as a very large entire block lot, will be redeveloped into internet related companies office space and likely some housing. It's very rare for a property this size to be available to be redeveloped (just down the street 1 block, the former Ford dealership and some adjacent property, even larger, was just bought for a similar purpose).

I forgot to update this thread back in September when I learned. Here's the story and a pic of the empty lot http://westsidetoday.com/2014/09/04/for ... 5-million/

This area could use a new market since it has lost 2 Vons (Vons & Pavilions) that were within blocks of each other. Nearest stores are the original (and small) Ralphs Fresh Fare on Wishire & Bundy and a large Ralphs Fresh Fare on Olympic & Barrington (plus a newer Trader Joe's across the street from that Ralphs). Bristol Farms (Former Albertsons) on Wishire & Yale...and not much else...
Last edited by CalItalian on August 27th, 2015, 9:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Vons WLA closing, new Pavilions to replace

Post by storewanderer »

Well, that is a VERY valuable piece of land to sell off, especially after their ongoing efforts to get the redevelopment approved which took a long time. Nice one time gain for Safeway to pad its earnings... I wonder if they would have closed the existing Pavilions nearby had they known they were not going to go through with this? I was under the impression the Pavilions they closed nearby was not a good performer though.

Maybe some grocer will move into some portion of a new high rise in the area if any are being constructed.
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Re: Vons WLA closing, new Pavilions to replace

Post by CalItalian »

Well, the new developers of this property, United Oil of Gardena, Ca., are going to build a 55,000 sq. ft. 24-hour supermarket with apartments over it. I can't see it being a Ralphs since there is one just a few blocks south at Olympic & Barrington. This is Santa Monica & Barrington. I don't know anyone other than Vons/Albertsons (Pavilions) that operates 24-hour supermarkets in the L.A. area (Walmart is neither welcome in L.A. nor would it fit this area). Would be a rare new opening for them but this general area has lost 3 Vons & Pavilions and an Albertsons over the years. Closest Vons is about 2 1/2 miles. http://urbanize.la/post/mixed-use-devel ... -boulevard
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Re: Vons WLA closing, new Pavilions to replace

Post by arizonaguy »

Albertsons / Safeway is opening a new Tom Thumb in Dallas in a mixed use development like this so it's possible that a Vons, Pavilions, or Albertsons would open up in this development here.
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