Mesa, AZ: Former Safeway reopens as Latin supermarket

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TheStranger
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Mesa, AZ: Former Safeway reopens as Latin supermarket

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Roadsidepictures put up on his Flickr page this 2003 shot of the former Safeway/Thrifty marina combo on 827 East Main Street (at Horne) in downtown Mesa:

http://flickr.com/photos/54177448@N00/229573148/

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In good news, this store received redevelopment funding in 2005 and has reopened as Carnicerias Rancho Grande, a Latin market, after two years of construction.

http://www.nedco-mesa.org/html/rancho.htm
Carnicerias Rancho Grande will occupy space at Main Street and Horne Road in downtown Mesa and will employ 125 full time persons. The store, expected to open in May 2005, is in a long vacant site at 827 East Main Street, last used as a grocery store by Safeway nearly a decade ago. “The total project cost is exceeding $1.6 Million,” said Carlos Ruiz, owner of the store. Mr. Ruiz, the successful owner of Carnicerias Rancho Grande at 4227 South Central in Phoenix since 1996 says the Mesa location is his second venture in Arizona. His independently-owned chain of food stores includes three, soon to be five, locations in Southern California.
http://www.azcentral.com/abgnews/articl ... o0921.html
Like many markets that cater to the area's Hispanic population, Rancho Grande has foods and drinks native to Mexico and South America and an area where employees crank out homemade tortillas daily.
The arrangement here kinda reminds me of how the former Safeway in SF's Bayview (at 345 Williams) was reopened as ABC/FoodsCo...
The need for another supermarket in the area was a driving force behind Mesa's Neighborhood Economic Development Corp. solidifying a loan to finance Rancho Grande's construction, Executive Director Karen LaFrance said.

At $250,000, it's the largest loan the community development group has given, and at 24,000 square feet on a visible Main Street corner, it's the group's most conspicuous project as well.

"No question," LaFrance said. "Actually, we had to waive our own lending policies at the time. It was judged to be such a worthy project that it was not a difficult decision."
Here's a few Live Local birdseye shots of the building being remodeled (notice that the marina wings have been repainted with a colorful design):

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And a shot facing west showing the Walgreens right across the street from the former Thrifty, as well as the still-extant 1960s double-pole standing sign:
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Closer shot of the old-school sign:
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Chris Sampang
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