Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

West LV residents rally for grocery store

A West Las Vegas community organization rallied under the glaring midday sun Thursday to call attention to the lack of a large grocery store in the neighborhood.

The group is trying to ensure that the city follows through with a pledge made Wednesday to seek offers for a new grocery store on city-owned land near the intersection of Martin Luther King and Lake Mead boulevards.

But John Edmond, the man overseeing the development of the nearby Edmond Town Center, said the group's efforts could be counterproductive to the continued push to land a new grocery store for space at his shopping plaza that was vacated by Vons almost a year ago.

The local chapter of ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, announced the rally early this week, saying it would be a call on the city government to seek proposals for a grocery store on the property at MLK and Lake Mead.

Then on Wednesday, a city statement announced that while officials would continue to work to bring a grocery store to the former Vons building at the Edmond Town Center, "If these efforts do not yield a signed lease for a grocery in the next two months, on Sept. 1 the city will request proposals from major grocers to secure a grocery anchored development on a 10-acre site on Martin Luther King and Lake Mead Boulevard."

Las Vegas Councilman Lawrence Weekly, whose ward includes the neighborhood, said in the statement, "It has been extremely frustrating for the residents to not have a grocery store in their neighborhood. Many of these residents are single mothers, seniors and others who do not have transportation.

"While we continue to work with Mr. Edmond, if those efforts do not bear fruit, the city will request proposals from grocers for the Martin Luther King location. Maybe at the end of the day we'll be fortunate enough to have more than one supermarket for the community," Weekly said.

The city has also put together a package of tax incentives and grants that could be worth $300,000 to a grocery store coming to the neighborhood.

Local ACORN Chairwoman Veronica Dunn-Jones said that while she too hopes a new tenant can be found for the Vons building, "It's been almost a year and we're tired of waiting."

The neighborhood has been without what Dunn-Jones calls a full-service grocery store since last August when Vons closed its doors. This has forced residents to either make long trips to other grocery stores miles away, or shop at the more expensive smaller markets in the neighborhood.

Seventy-year-old Coleen Wilson said she could walk to the grocery store for years, but now must drive 15 or 20 minutes to get to a grocery store in nearby North Las Vegas.

Assemblyman Harvey Munford, D-Las Vegas, who attended the rally, said many of his fellow legislators were "appalled and shocked to learn that this area doesn't have a full-service grocery store."

Standing on the vacant city-owned land at MLK and Lake Mead and surrounded by supporters, some holding signs with slogans such as "We Eat Too," "Grocery Store Now," and "Release the Land," Dunn-Jones said they want to "make sure the city keeps its promise to release this land on Sept. 1."

Dunn-Jones said a grocery store on that land would be a catalyst for other retail and commercial development in the area, and would probably help bring business to the Edmond Town Center.

But Edmond isn't convinced.

"This would defeat what we are trying to do," Edmond said.

The city sold Edmond the 10.5 acres at Owens Avenue and H Street where the Edmond Town Center is being built for $1 about four years ago, with the agreement calling for the construction of the shopping center. At that time, Edmond's partnership Edmond Town Center LLC, also purchased the Vons store for $6.5 million.

On Wednesday, the council voted 7-0 to give Edmond an extension until Sept. 12 to finish construction of the shopping center, which he said could be done before then.

Edmond said finding a new grocery store to fill the Vons space is a key to the success of his project.

"Tenants follow anchor stores," he said, adding that he has agreements with four potential tenants that are contingent upon a grocery store anchoring the shopping center.

Vons still has about 11 years remaining on a $40,000-a-year lease on the building at Edmond Town Center, and so would have to approve any new tenant.

Vons spokesman Daymond Rice said the company has been "looking at a variety of tenants, including grocery stores," for the space, but he would not be more specific.

Vons moved out of that building in August because the store "wasn't living up to our performance standards," Rice said.

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