Fresh & Easy plans to open store in Southern Highlands area

By Dylan Scott

Thursday, Dec. 16, 2010 | 5:04 p.m.

Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets is planning to add a new location in the Southern Highlands area.

The company received preliminary approval from the Enterprise Town Advisory Board on Wednesday for a grocery store near the corner of Cactus Avenue and Decatur Boulevard.

The application goes before the Clark County Commission on Jan. 5.

The 14,000-square-foot store, like all other Fresh & Easy locations, will place an emphasis on organic products, said Leni Skaar, who represented the company at the meeting.

In October, Fresh & Easy announced plans to close six of its valley locations. Brendan Wonnacott, a company spokesman, said the "local economic conditions didn't warrant having a store open" in those areas.

The chain is continuing to search for new locations in the valley, he said, and it hopes to reopen the closed stores at a later date.

Skaar said Fresh & Easy hoped to open the store by November 2011 "if we can do it that fast." It will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.