Los Angeles - A promise long deferred will be kept when a major supermarket
breaks ground at the corner of Vermont & Slauson Avenues on Monday,
April 29, 2002. Construction will commence on the city's first from-the-ground-up
Gigante Supermarket a decade after the intersection was torn by civil
unrest.
"A decade after the riots, we have finally fulfilled one of the
promises which city leaders made to our community," says Marva
Smith Battle-Bey, Executive Director of the Vermont Slauson Economic
Development Corporation. "Our commitment to this project required
a full decade of struggle and the patience of a saint, but we have succeeded."
The Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation bought the parcel
of land from the Von's chain in 1998.
"It is especially gratifying that Gigante will serve our community,"
says Ms. Smith Battle-Bey. "Our community has long sought a supermarket
which understands that those who live here want their culture and their
ethnicity reflected in the products available to them. Gigante's commitment
to our community will be seen on every shelf in their store."
Gigante
will occupy a brand new, 50,000 square foot supermarket on the southeast
corner of Vermont and Slauson Avenues. The retail center will also feature
a drive-through Burger King (4,000 sq. ft.) and office space (approximately
5,000 sq. ft.) which Vermont Slauson EDC will occupy. The center will
have 230 parking spaces easily accessible from Slauson Avenue and from
58th Place.
Following the 1992 unrest which swept through Los Angeles, city leadership,
post-riot agencies, and studies and reports all agreed that the economic
health of the areas damaged by the riots required significant attention.
Vermont Slauson EDC, which Ms. Smith Battle-Bey has headed since 1981,
is among the most seasoned agencies in Los Angeles devoted to inner-city
economic development. The agency's efforts have led directly to exactly
the development which post-riot observers believed to be essential.
"Inner city retail is the last frontier," says Ms. Smith Battle-Bey.
"Finally, the retail community is paying attention to the fact
that there is money to be made in our community."Justo Frias, President
of Gigante USA, agrees. He points to the development as a clear recognition
that one way to bring communities together is to unite them economically.
"Marva is a savvy developer who embraces the changes reflected
in the community over the past ten years," he says. "Her understanding
of her community is the reason we're so delighted to be part of this
project - we share her commitment to the inner city and its success.
Our store brings quality merchandise, and jobs, to a vibrant neighborhood."
Vermont Slauson EDC is the owner-developer. Nadel Architects provided
design work on the project, Hall & Foreman the civil engineering,
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher development and real estate legal services.
Montgomery-Neimeyer, Inc. provided accounting service for the project
and construction. Financing came from several sources, including the
Los Angeles Community Development Bank, the Office of the Mayor, the
U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Health & Human
Services, and Genesis LA Economic Growth Corporation.