Back in June and again in July, CVS Pharmacy held public meetings inside 3132 Clement to bring neighbors up to speed with their plans to move into the retail space in 2011. The 36,500 square foot building has been unoccupied since 2006, when grocery chain Albertson’s abruptly vacated the premises.
The building’s lease has since been taken over by another grocery chain, Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market, and it was expected they would move in last year. However due to the souring economy, their expansion plans for Northern California slowed in late 2009 and this year.
Enter CVS Pharmacy, who plans to move in and take over 40% of the interior retail space on the southern side. Fresh & Easy would then occupy the north end once they are ready to move in. CVS is already engaged in a co-tenancy with Fresh & Easy in many of their other locations.
At the June 24 meeting, Supervisor Mar spoke briefly, saying he had met recently with Fresh & Easy and that they are still “totally committed to coming to Northern California.”
Fast forward to yesterday, when the Chronicle ran an article detailing Fresh & Easy’s plans to expand into the Bay Area.
What was wrong with the article? There was no mention of Fresh & Easy’s plans to move into the Richmond District in 2011. According to the article, Fresh & Easy “will move into the Bay Area early next year by opening seven stores, including one in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood” at Third Street and Carroll Avenue.
I contacted Supervisor Eric Mar via email to see if he had any comment on the absence of a Richmond District location in Fresh & Easy’s latest announcement. I have not heard back from him.
At the June 24 meeting, the topic of Fresh & Easy pulling out was discussed. Given Albertson’s near overnight abandonment of 3132 Clement in 2006 (“they left us out to dry”), one neighbor asked CVS what they planned to do in the event Fresh & Easy, the lease holder, changed their plans to open in the other half of the building.
CVS responded that though they are subletting their space from Fresh & Easy, they are entitled to take on the lease of the entire building if needed and pursue another co-tenant. The representative added that they are “very optimistic” about the business opportunity for CVS and that they are in for the long haul.
Let’s hope CVS is already vetting some new co-tenants. Looks like Fresh & Easy is off the table, unless they plan on coming into 3132 Clement later in 2011. But if they’re opening 7 stores in the Bay Area already, I am guessing they’ll have their hands full.
Trader Joe’s, are you listening?
Sarah B.
Fresh and Easy, what good things can’t I say about this place. Being a Nor-Cal native growing up with moms treat’s she bring home from Trader Joe’s that she’d make the weekly pilgrimage for was always a treat however I didn’t learn until about five years ago when I reluctantly relocated to LA that TJ’s was founded and started in the San Gabriel Valley in LA. Trader Joe’s is great! Wonderful even, however the way they lay there store out breeds claustrophobia. Small tight parking lots, narrow isles that I would leave my cart at each end and venture in on foot to get what I need get out unscathed. But this article is not about trader joes it’s about Fresh and Easy. Well Fresh and easy has perfected and improved upon what trader joes may have intially set out for.
A trip to Fresh and Easy will include finding yourself in a half vacant parking lot with ample parking the majority of the time. Should you have children with you you’ll find your parking spot waiting for you right up front adjacent to the handicap parking and Hybrid parking. Why? So your eager rambunctious children may pour out of you vehicle and safely make there way into the store with out the worry need to clutch your child’s hand as you make your way through a busy parking lot as to ensure they are not backed into or worse. Once inside you will immediately noticed the is something missing? What you ask? People, the hustle, the noise of check stands and gossip and the whole less then desired “Ordeal” that accompanies most grocery shopping trips. Paper or plastic? Help out with that? Bumper Carts. Would you like to make donation? The fat guy Screaming at some one whole swiped his parking spot in the lot Etc… all those un solicited extras that are included in your shopping excursion. Well at Fresh and Easy you wont experience any of that, there’s no one there. The building is staffed by MAYBE 6 employees tops at all times. There is usually one person giving samples, 2-3 people quietly stocking shelves and or assisting some one with the self check out machines, checking ID’s for liquor purchases etc. All the check stands are self check out.
Really it’s like going to Safeway or your leading grocery store at 3am minus the drunks and midnight munchies customers walking around like zombies or drunken derelicts.
I would be thrilled to get the Fresh and Easy to open in our neighborhood besides all the great perks I mentioned they are also Very affordable, this low overhead allows them to give rock bottom prices and they portions are ideal for a small household or a couple. No need to waste money buying more food then you are going to eat. We need to create a buzz about this store and get in opened. They state that due to the economy they are being held back however there products and prices are geared to the struggling economy and the residents of the neighborhood should be able to enjoy the benefits this kinda of shopping experience will bring to the neighborhood.
Gosh that was long winded but truly this store needs support and needs to come to our neighborhood, I believe only a person who has experienced there store such as I could give them the kudos they deserve as new kids on the block.
TARGET
@ Simon- nice commercial. When Alberstons folded Fresh and Easy was supposedly looking at that and many other sites. Sorry, such a large expansion in this economy did not make it and will not make it. I also think a lot of self scan stations means less jobs. Trader Joe, whole foods a combo, farmers stall type market in combination lets give it a try! Instead of waiting utilize that site with another tennant
@ Jenny patience the Masonic Target store will open soon and you can get all the crap you don’t need there!
Supervisor Mar again seems to be behind the curve when it comes to the needs and interests of the neighborhood. Presidio apartments, the Alexandria. the Albertson’s site, Mountain Lake, come on dude get with it and get proactive instead of issuing certificates.
I think Target is slated to go in up on Masonic by Best Buy, or there was talk of that.
go to fresh and easy website and fill out their “location suggestion” form specifying 32nd and clement in SF
i read the chron article. like you, i read on with anticipatory excitement at seeing our “ripe ready and pleading” 33 and clement address mentioned as one of their 7 developments, and was left bewildered.
WHY? WHY? WHY?
has that place has that lot become a cursed vortex? i am just curious because dang, don’t we all want something spectacular to set up shop there?
dare i say, something more exciting than half of a cvs rx?
of course, i am sure, lease, $$$, all that, but what else?
ps, please forgive me for my grammatical errors.
love this blog!
No worries, storey! Thanks for commenting, it’s always appreciated. 🙂
Sarah B.
Whole Foods! Or better yet, Rainbow! TJ is just a clusterfk and hacks at the base of organic/fair-trade/sustainable agriculture standards.
Or we could turn it back into a streetcar barn. Oh, that’s right, we’re getting bus rapid transit instead of light rail.
Oh no…can’t believe that this space was all redone so recently…and then has sat empty for so long! WISH Trad’r Joe’s would come (though not sure about the traffic — but with 3 in town, it might be better?) Even a Whole Foods…
Isn’t part of the problem that the city is requiring the new tenants to hire union employees to replace the Albertson’s union employees and/or some other type of requirements not required at most locations? I don’t think fresh & easy, whole foods or trader joe’s (my favorite choice) have union employees athough they do offer good wages and benefits. If so (I could be totally misinformed about all of this), then it sounds like the city needs to be more flexible and look at the big picture. Eric Mar…?
I don’t know how many people have ever been to a FoodMaxx. Open one here and “they will come”!.
It’s not Trader Joe’s or Fresh & Easy, but it hits the mark for realistic, everyday, non-gourmet, low food prices for today’s troubling economic times.
It’s already easy to shop the multitudes of gourmet stores around SF.
I’d rarther see an inexpensive alternative to those pricey stores.
yeah Anton LaVey cursed that Albertson’s site before he died, everybody knows that. the whole thing is built on the unmarked graves of immigrant railroad folk! The Fresh & Easy boss took one look inside and heard a disembodied voice boom GET OUT
The way we treat businesses around here, I’m surprised any business is considering anything in the outer richmond let alone the bay area. Look at this fresh and easy pullout, the safeway at la playa, the chevron refinery upgrade project (which was a win-win even if you are afraid to admit it), the America’s cup in the bay. Why would a biz risk the expense and wasted time getting shot down by small interests groups. I would not be surprised if we are stuck with a vacant building– great use!. Even a skateboard park in the parking lot would be a longshot. Sorry. I am not optimistic I will ever get any amenities that I would enjoy in my neighborhood. Just more and more stop signs, closed roads, and more people texting while crossing the street. Maybe it is just the 6 weeks of fog that is clouding my normal happy demeanor.