Target officials project July opening for ‘small-format’ store in La Cañada
Officials with Target Corp. have confirmed that the 45,865-square-foot “small-format” retail store being planned for La Cañada Flintridge’s Town Center, in the former site of the locally founded Sport Chalet, is anticipated to open its doors to shoppers in July 2018.
The La Cañada retail space will be the 11th of 130 scaled-down stores being planned for use in dense suburban and urban neighborhoods across the nation through the end of 2019, according to a release issued Friday, which included renderings of what the space will look like.
“We look forward to providing the many residents in the San Gabriel Valley with a more convenient option to shop Target closer to home,” said Mark Schindele, Target’s senior vice president of properties, adding the store’s offerings will be curated to meet the “quick-shopping” needs of the local neighborhood.
The location plans to offer family apparel and accessories, beauty products, home décor and back-to-school items and will maintain a grocery selection. An on-site CVS pharmacy, with pick-up service, and a Starbucks coffee shop are also being planned.
Currently, the Target store closest to La Cañada is located in Eagle Rock Plaza, about 6 miles south off the Glendale (2) Freeway. Others in the general vicinity include one in the Glendale Galleria and two in Pasadena, near the Foothill (210) Freeway. A smaller 24,750-square-foot store is expected to open on Burbank’s Magnolia Park in March of next year.
Rob Fuelling, senior vice president of Town Center property owner IDS Real Estate Group, said in the Aug. 18 release the lease with the national retailer completes a five-year strategic plan to reposition La Cañada’s Town Center area as a “preeminent neighborhood shopping center within the San Gabriel Valley.”
“Combining quality restaurants with our retail tenants provides neighboring residents with the opportunity to shop, dine and socialize in one community-centered location,” he said in the statement.
Reactions to last week’s news of Target moving into town have been mixed, with many La Cañada residents taking to social media to lodge complaints about foreseen congestion, traffic and compounded parking issues in the Town Center.
La Cañada Community Development Director Robert Stanley confirmed the area contains a total of 478 parking spaces, including 147 rooftop spaces on the store building itself, while the former Sport Chalet’s office building and future site of a new City Hall next to the retail property has 104 dedicated parking spaces.
Target spokeswoman Kristy Welker said Monday the company intended to make full use of the current structure and its square footage.
“Our store design team is currently working through the design of the interior,” Welker said. “The exterior of the store will remain as the current footprint, except for the addition of a second elevator to the roof parking.”
Welker said the new tenants have not yet decided what they will do with Sport Chalet’s pool area, located on the west side of the property.
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