End of an era:Curtain to fall on Valley Fair Safeway after 67 years

[norcalriteaidclerk]

This store was the last link to one of the two formerly separate centers that became Westfield Valley Fair.

I do have to wonder if this was a dead store walking for the past two decades:both interior(mid-1990's decor)and exterior(ribbon leaf logo signage from the 1980's still intact)have been stuck in a time warp,and plans to replace this store and the Longs Drugs museum(originally Safeway Super S then Pay-n-Save and Bills's Drug which Longs acquired by the early 1990's)with new buildings around 2010 never came into fruition.I do wonder if the now-CVS will evade the phased closure rounds(900 over a three year span)as it likely has the last intact Longs interior(late 2000's 'Wellness' package not to be confused with the two separate RAD interiors of the John Standley era)in northern California.Of course it's an entirely possible that a traditional supermarket no longer fit the upscale profile of just one of the few crown-jewel properties that will be retained by Westfield USA.

[mbz321]

According to Google, the neighboring CVS has already shuttered?

[Alpha8472]

My guess is that they want the land for expensive condos or townhouses.

The old Long's Drugs Flagship store in Walnut Creek, California was supposed to be bulldozed for condos, but so far nothing has changed. The problem is that so many newly built condos in the San Francisco Bay Area are sitting unsold and empty now.

People want huge houses with big yards in the suburbs now. Condos and townhouses are not giving a good return on investment.

The abandoned Nob Hill Foods in San Ramon was supposed to be converted to expensive houses with small yards. The building still stands and no work has been done for years. Killing off retail for residential is not bringing in the money.

[storewanderer]

This store has been a redevelopment target for a long time. I am really surprised it survived in its current form as long as it did. This is a great, busy location. However I suspect in recent years the poor condition of the store drove customers away.

I thought the CVS closed too.

[norcalriteaidclerk]

According to Google, the neighboring CVS has already shuttered?

That slipped below the radar(February or March based on last online reviews on both Yelp and Google)and I didn't catch it until after posting this.Already it's being occupied by a Spirit Halloween.

[submariner]

I personally think it's rather interesting that this store has lasted until now with the 80's era box sign... and has not had a remodel since before the turn of the century.

[storewanderer]

Pinole at the Appian 80 Center is still unremodeled as is South San Francisco Chestnut. Also the San Leandro Pak N Save. Also Lovelock, NV. I think those are NorCal division's last 4 non Lifestyle (or Florida) interior stores.

I'm not sure how to classify 298 King in San Francisco as it has elements of pre Lifestyle and Lifestyle. Only place I've seen that interior and the cement floor has been there for a long time. Maybe that's the industrial lifestyle interior.

[Alpha8472]

The very busy Safeway in Pleasant Hill, California on Contra Costa Boulevard still has the 1980s Safeway logo even though it became Safeway in 1996. It has the oldest version of Lifestyle Decor and was one of the first stores to receive the Lifestyle decor.

The store was originally Fry's Food and Drug, then it became Save Mart. Then it was traded to Safeway in 1996 in exchange for some stores in the Fresno area.

[norcalriteaidclerk]

Pinole at the Appian 80 Center is still unremodeled as is South San Francisco Chestnut. Also the San Leandro Pak N Save. Also Lovelock, NV. I think those are NorCal division's last 4 non Lifestyle (or Florida) interior stores.

I'm not sure how to classify 298 King in San Francisco as it has elements of pre Lifestyle and Lifestyle. Only place I've seen that interior and the cement floor has been there for a long time. Maybe that's the industrial lifestyle interior.

There's also 625 Monterey in San Francisco(1972-era replacement for an early-to-mid 1940's store on the site of its rudimentary surface parking,most parking is rooftop)which is stuck in the 1980's inside and out.

[storewanderer]

Pinole at the Appian 80 Center is still unremodeled as is South San Francisco Chestnut. Also the San Leandro Pak N Save. Also Lovelock, NV. I think those are NorCal division's last 4 non Lifestyle (or Florida) interior stores.

I'm not sure how to classify 298 King in San Francisco as it has elements of pre Lifestyle and Lifestyle. Only place I've seen that interior and the cement floor has been there for a long time. Maybe that's the industrial lifestyle interior.

There's also 625 Monterey in San Francisco(1972-era replacement for an early-to-mid 1940's store on the site of its rudimentary surface parking,most parking is rooftop)which is stuck in the 1980's inside and out.

They promised to upgrade/remodel Monterey Street after canceling a rebuild of the store over 5 years ago. For some reason I thought the remodel had occurred. Looking at photos obviously it hasn't. I wonder what the hold up is.