Tracy info post-1981
Posted: 24 Jul 2026 12:13
Since I grew up in Tracy and still have family in the area, I can fill in the gaps for the history between 1981 and now.
Both Purity buildings at 10th and Central burned down at different times. 940 N. Central was converted into Firestone and burned in the 1960s (the current building is a rebuild), and 30 E. 10th St was a classic quonset hut that became a True Value Hardware that burned in the 1980s. (Apparently that was a thing with Purity quonset huts that became hardware stores - I heard the same thing happened in Arcata.)
Hagstrom's is now Bank of America and has been as long as I can remember.
2151 Tracy Blvd was the first Save Mart. A second Save Mart opened in 1984 at 1320 W. 11th (now Dollar Tree). That location relocated to 1950 W. 11th when Safeway moved across the street. 2151 was relocated into a bigger building next door which closed some years ago and is being kept dark by Save Mart, creating a food desert in that part of town.
875 S. Tracy Blvd was originally a Lucky Savon that was a replacement for an earlier Lucky at Tracy Blvd and I-205, which is now a Planet Fitness. Save Mart got 875 in the Albertsons purchase. Across the street from Planet Fitness is La Plaza, which was originally Food 4 Less (I believe it was owned by Nugget) and later FoodMaxx before becoming La Plaza. FoodMaxx didn't open on 11th Street until much later.
At one time Save Mart had 3 stores in Tracy plus 1 FoodMaxx (the current La Plaza), compared to 1 Safeway store; Raley's and Winco had not opened at this point, and Walmart had not yet expanded into a supercenter. Save Mart had bought their way into a near monopoly, which collapsed with the opening of Winco and the expansion of Walmart, both of which Save Mart tried to fight. Closing 2005 Tracy Blvd (the replacement for 2151) and converting 1950 W. 11th into a FoodMaxx was the end result (La Plaza had already taken over the previous FoodMaxx).
1210 N. Tracy Blvd is now O'Reilly Auto Parts.
It had been said before that the 1320 W. 11th Save Mart had been an Albertsons, but it never was. This makes me wonder if it was planned as one, as Albertsons had a history of opening in shopping centers with Payless Drug Stores which was also here. Two of these were in Stockton, and Save Mart purchased these locations a couple of years prior to 1320 W. 11th opening. Albertsons and Payless also shared a shopping center on Murrieta Blvd in Livermore that was fairly new at the time. Does anybody know if this Tracy Save Mart was planned as an Albertsons?
I know this is a long post, but I figured I'd fill in the gaps.
Both Purity buildings at 10th and Central burned down at different times. 940 N. Central was converted into Firestone and burned in the 1960s (the current building is a rebuild), and 30 E. 10th St was a classic quonset hut that became a True Value Hardware that burned in the 1980s. (Apparently that was a thing with Purity quonset huts that became hardware stores - I heard the same thing happened in Arcata.)
Hagstrom's is now Bank of America and has been as long as I can remember.
2151 Tracy Blvd was the first Save Mart. A second Save Mart opened in 1984 at 1320 W. 11th (now Dollar Tree). That location relocated to 1950 W. 11th when Safeway moved across the street. 2151 was relocated into a bigger building next door which closed some years ago and is being kept dark by Save Mart, creating a food desert in that part of town.
875 S. Tracy Blvd was originally a Lucky Savon that was a replacement for an earlier Lucky at Tracy Blvd and I-205, which is now a Planet Fitness. Save Mart got 875 in the Albertsons purchase. Across the street from Planet Fitness is La Plaza, which was originally Food 4 Less (I believe it was owned by Nugget) and later FoodMaxx before becoming La Plaza. FoodMaxx didn't open on 11th Street until much later.
At one time Save Mart had 3 stores in Tracy plus 1 FoodMaxx (the current La Plaza), compared to 1 Safeway store; Raley's and Winco had not opened at this point, and Walmart had not yet expanded into a supercenter. Save Mart had bought their way into a near monopoly, which collapsed with the opening of Winco and the expansion of Walmart, both of which Save Mart tried to fight. Closing 2005 Tracy Blvd (the replacement for 2151) and converting 1950 W. 11th into a FoodMaxx was the end result (La Plaza had already taken over the previous FoodMaxx).
1210 N. Tracy Blvd is now O'Reilly Auto Parts.
It had been said before that the 1320 W. 11th Save Mart had been an Albertsons, but it never was. This makes me wonder if it was planned as one, as Albertsons had a history of opening in shopping centers with Payless Drug Stores which was also here. Two of these were in Stockton, and Save Mart purchased these locations a couple of years prior to 1320 W. 11th opening. Albertsons and Payless also shared a shopping center on Murrieta Blvd in Livermore that was fairly new at the time. Does anybody know if this Tracy Save Mart was planned as an Albertsons?
I know this is a long post, but I figured I'd fill in the gaps.