Crenshaw : Thrifty Rebuilding Store

Thrifty Corp. has begun rebuilding one of its fours stores that burned down during last spring’s riots.

Construction began in late February on the store at Crenshaw Boulevard and Rodeo Place. Two other stores to be rebuilt are at La Brea Avenue and Rodeo Road and Crenshaw Boulevard and Slauson Avenue.

A fourth store, at Crenshaw and Venice boulevards, will not be rebuilt because the company’s lease expires in two years and the cost of renewing it “is not justified,” said Chris Bement, Thrifty executive vice president.

The 18,000-square-foot Rodeo Place store, which is in a shopping center that includes a Boys Market, will open in midsummer. The two other stores should reopen by fall.

Thrifty awarded the first building contract to the Har-Bro Collins Group, a black partnership that includes the Collins Group, the Black Carpenters Assn. and Long Beach general contractors Har-Bro Inc. The Collins Group and the Black Carpenters Assn. are based in South-Central Los Angeles.

Additionally, 14 of the 15 subcontractors are local black-owned operations. Bement said at least half of the work contracted for the other two sites will go to black firms based in South Los Angeles.

Bement said Thrifty awarded the contract to Har-Bro for reasons beyond its experience and qualifications.