Safeway will shutter its downtown San Jose store in a matter of weeks, but the closure was a long time coming. Once the grocery chain lost its free parking hook-up below “The 88,” everyone knew its days were numbered.
Sure enough, city officials confirmed this week that the Safeway at 100 S. Second St. will go dark by the middle of next month. Councilman Raul Peralez, who reps the downtown district, issued a memo lamenting the loss.
“We are very sorry to see Safeway close its doors,” he wrote.
The city tried to purchase the parking garage when the agency tasked with selling of old Redevelopment Agency properties put it up for auction in 2016, but its offer paled in comparison to those from private buyers. An investment group nabbed the property and almost immediately nixed Safeway’s free-parking-for-validation deal.
The Mercury News, which broke the story this week, noted how there are still several smaller grocers in the downtown vicinity, including Arteaga’s Food Center and Nijiya, Santo and Cardenas markets.
SJ Inside should go back in time and print the names of the San Jose City Council who voted (as Members of the Redevelopment Agency) and post how much taxpayer dollars were wasted on this foolish venture. Also, I forget (due to the ravages of time) the specialty market that went out of business due to this farcical attempt at social engineering the Safeway project was predicated upon. I believe a really good sandwich shop was also a victim.
David S. Wall
Are you talking about Zanotto’s? It was subsidized and still failed. It was a shabby market in a shabby downtown with shabby customers, and the prices were high.
We should be able to pack 2000 homeless shop lifters into the space abandon by Safeway, who will have to forage far and wide rummaging through recycle bins and trash cans looking for free food. Isn’t Socialism great?
I think you are talking about Zanotto’s The have other locations around town and sky-high prices.
San Jose only cares about big corporation (gOOGLE). More love,light and blessings in San Jose always.
This is old-news. The store closure was known for months.
Wait a minute! Didn’t Bike Boy Sam promise us all that everyone in DT SJ would be riding their bikes from all the new apartments and condos DT using those Liccardo Lanes he had painted everywhere that restrict car traffic?
I think your on to something JO. Lets put all the homeless tent villages on the green lanes.
It’s not like anyone’s using them.
Right on!!!!!
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