San Fernando OKs Latino Supermarket, Shopping Plaza for Downtown District

The San Fernando City Council has approved plans to develop a Latino-oriented supermarket and shopping plaza in an effort to revitalize a blighted and mostly vacant section of the city’s downtown business district.

The plans call for the city to spend $4 million to buy several buildings and a five-acre parcel of land bounded by San Fernando Mission and Pico boulevards, Kalisher and Celis streets, Councilman Jess Margarito said Tuesday. The land would then be sold at cost to Alexander Haagen Co. to develop a 50,000-square-foot, Vons-owned Tianguis supermarket on the site.

Tianguis stores are known for their festive street-fair design, with booths featuring Mexican products such as bakery goods, including handmade tortillas, Vons spokeswoman Mary McAboy said.

The council voted 4 to 0 Monday night to approve the development agreement. Councilman Evelio Franco abstained from voting because his home is near the site.

The city hopes that Tianguis “will not only serve the needs of local consumers,” but will attract “new money and new people to the city” because of its unique atmosphere, Margarito said.

Because of the area’s large Latino population, San Fernando was considered a prime location for such a market, McAboy said. Other Tianguis stores are in Montebello, El Monte, Cudahy and Huntington Park.

Ground breaking for the San Fernando store is expected early next year, said Tom Corely, project director for the Haagen Co.

A vacant Safeway store and an adjacent parking lot, which occupy most of the development site, are to be demolished. Also on the property are Mission College offices and a beauty salon, which will be relocated as part of the redevelopment project, Margarito said.

The city has tried unsuccessfully for years to develop the downtown site, which has gradually fallen into disrepair, Margarito said.

Previous proposals included opening an indoor swap meet, which was deemed inappropriate for the area by city officials. Mervyn’s department store officials also expressed interest in building a store on the property but later withdrew plans, saying the site was too close to their Sun Valley store.