I got a text message from a friend who said, "Thought you should know Walmart is definitely going into the Expo spot."
Is this true? Can the ultimate symbol or white trash loserville really be coming to the yuppie surfburg that is Encinitas?
More from the article,
This news was something I had heard before during the summer when concerned tenants in the area mentioned it to me. I decided to take action and walk the shops on both sides of Leucadia Avenue to see what working folk had to say, and what I heard is that almost unanimously, no one wants a Walmart and everyone really wants a movie theater.
So I took my findings to a City Council planning session and gave a presentation. What I learned that night is that the site is zoned accordingly and that Home Depot has the right to sublease to the party it chooses, as long as the building stays the same and the arrangement is acceptable between Home Depot and Walmart.
This is a dark day folks, Wal*Mart will truly be "the biggest thing that ever happened to Encinitas". If the city and chamber of commerce let this happen you are going to see vacancies all over Encinitas. There will be a horrible sucking sound as the majority of businesses on the El Camino Real corridor are shuttered.
Don't let this happen people. This is the one enemy that could unite all the different factions of Encinitas. A Wal*Mart will be culturally and financially devastating to Encinitas. I know some people will think it's a great idea, people who enjoy purchasing low quality plastic crap from China in bulk, but don't listen to them. The numbers don't work out when you bring Wal*Mart to town. They destroy sales tax, property tax and jobs. This is bleak.
The Expo site would be a perfect location for an IMAX movie theatre. An groovy community like Encinitas should not have to drive all the way to Mira Mesa to see Avatar in 3D IMAX. A multiplex theatre would compliment REI and Islands restaurant.
Yeah, because a Wal Mart would be so much worse than a Target. Plus, the city will be better off w/ an empty building not generating tax revenue.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait until it opens. Love the smiley face deals.
Thank you for posting this. The rumors have been around since Home Expo moved out of the building. What makes this location different from other Wal marts is its close proximity to smaller businesses. It would be like putting Wal mart in the Pacific Station property on the main drag.
ReplyDeleteCome on City Council. Put this item on the agenda NOW! No Wal marts.
I HATE WAL MART. WHAT A TOTAL SHIT HOLE THAT PLACE IS. GO TO THE ONE IN OCEANSIDE IF YOU LIKE IT SO MUCH.
ReplyDeleteSMILEY FACE DEALS? YOU ARE A REAL LOSER.
I filled out an application to be a greeter. The pay is OK and it will give me something to do. Plus there will be a fast food component so I can catch a few meals during the week.
ReplyDeleteHas a permit been issued?
ReplyDelete10 years ago when the Library Task Force was created, there was a push to put the Library on Quail Gardens Drive. No one mentioned prior to the completion of QGD that some wanted it to be the new commercial corridor in Encinitas (linking Leucadia Blvd to Encinitas Blvd.); that the Library there would be the foot in the door for a major zoning change; and that Wal-Mart was busy behind the scenes wringing their hands for a location there. But that was the multi-rumor. And I wouldn't doubt it. Level heads prevailed on the final choice for the Library location, in most people's opinions.
ReplyDeleteI could care less about what goes into the "old" EXPO building. It's already there. There are bigger things to worry about in Encinitas. A theatre of course would be a lot classier, but a Wal-Mart might take that upity Carlsbad corner off their high horse a bit and aim more business to the ranch.
I know what someone will say, so I'll say it first "But the EXPO building is in Encinitas." Now they don't have to.
No one wanted the Home Depot either did they?? Now everyone shops there for a hammer and nails.
ReplyDeleteSpeak for yourself. I'm a long time avid L.blogger but...
ReplyDeleteI LOVE WALMART and will shop there because the prices are cheap. That's what matters to me. If the local merchants can't compete and give ME a cheaper price, then let them go out of business. Things will adjust.
Woooo hooo. I'm excited.
You will hear a lot of idiots like the last anonymous person who believe walmart is the free market working. Believe me this will be horrible for Encinitas on many levels. Good thing it's an election year. Other small cities have successfully written anti-walmart ordinances and our city must do the same. This is a true test for the ECC, DEMA and L101 merchant groups.
ReplyDeleteA Walmart in that location will do poorly. Walmart tends to do well in lower middle class areas. This is why they started in smaller towns and then moved to middle class suburbs. The Target is upscale (in comparison to other Targets) and yet not nearly as busy as Target in Oceanside or Mira Mesa. Encinitas and Aviara/La Costa folks will not shop at Walmart. The Forum parking lot will be full and the Walmart parking lot empty. Encinitas is a Whole Foods, Jimbos, and Sur La Table kind of town.
ReplyDeletethis is what we'll have to look forward to
ReplyDeletehttp://www.peopleofwalmart.com
This is good for global warming because now I won't have to drive to Oceanside or Vista (or is it San Marcos) to get my WalMart fix on.
ReplyDeleteAlso, WalMart now has some relatively upscale stores. I'm not sure--at least on the social class level--that WalMart is any worse than the Dollar or 99 Cent stores that already call Encinitas home.
Finally, this article was written by a Carlsbad resident. Since when do we in Encinitas care about what outsiders think.
Thanks for posting, but (yawn).
ReplyDeleteI'll echo an earlier sentiment; "A Walmart in that location will do poorly. Walmart tends to do well in lower middle class areas."
In fact wal-mart has been closing locations.
"What makes this location different from other Wal marts is its close proximity to smaller businesses."
Oh, like Best Buy, Stater, Home Depot, Starbucks, Target, etc.?
"You will hear a lot of idiots like the last anonymous person who believe walmart is the free market working."
Like or hate walmart / capitalism, that is EXACTLY what they are - "the free market working." If you have issues, take it up with the free market, not Wal-Mart. There is a reason the Waltons are some of the world's wealthiest people, and it's not because they've embraced our collective love of socialism.
Lastly, I couldn't care less. They wouldn't do well here, so vote with your wallet.
isn't that whole Forum shopping center the city of Carlsbad, Fred?
ReplyDeleteI will definitely vote with my wallet and would never go there... you might get the Village Park and San Elijo Hells foks may though.
ReplyDeleteThe Forum in Carlsbad is not on Leucadia Blvd. To get in The Forum shopping center, you turn off Garden View Road or Calle Barcelona. If you go to the empty building that used be Home Depot Expo, notice there is a fence that clearly separates you from The Forum stores.
ReplyDeleteVote with your dollars. If you think that Walmart is evil don't go there... Simple.
ReplyDeleteI hate shopping at WalMart - been there a few times and won't ever go back. That said, I think it is ridiculous to pass laws/ordinances against a company doing business in your community. If you don't like the business, don't shop there. If you really don't like it, convince your neighbor not to shop there. If no one comes, they will go.
ReplyDeleteFrom the NCT article:
ReplyDelete"I brought up traffic concerns that already exist during the summer months when Leucadia gets backed up before the turn heading east down the hill and you can find yourself in a blind abrupt stop long before the signal. And I mentioned that with just one bottleneck entrance to the center and a single lane back exit, surely traffic is a serious consideration to be reassessed ---- especially after hearing that the Expo site was approved originally with the belief that traffic would be from bigger cars making big purchases less often."
Now add in our proposed 20 lanes of I-5 for easy access from the North and South. I guess we should start planning to widen Leucadia Blvd. Or is that already in the works? I have to admit I am not as up to date on some of these things as I should be.
Hmmm...do you really think Expo was better than Walmart? Walmart's mission in life is to save consumers money. I realize you are a small business owner but you will never compete head to head with Walmart so why worry?
ReplyDeleteI love all the Leucadia & Encinitas shops that have flavor. They will always do fine. If there is a Walmart there then it will save me the drive to Oceanside!
Walmart will do poorly and go. What we need is something sustainable, and tax generating. Movie theaters, nice restaurants, and dessert/coffee type places would do great there. Maybe even an art film multiplex.
ReplyDelete7:48
ReplyDeleteI believe the EXPO is in Encinitas.
8:57
Thanks AJ
9:32
"I think it is ridiculous to pass laws/ordinances against a company doing business in your community."
There are inappropriate businesses for certain areas and we have ordinances against them. The Home Depot dilemma wasn't so much that they put other businesses out of business by under selling them until they got rid of them (as was claimed to have happened repeatedly in other cities0, but that they blatantly ran rough shod over our General Plan. Because the corner they chose to build on was zoned for 1000 car trips per day (as it is in a flood plain), the city council with a yes vote of the majority at the time approved their business that creates up to 10,000 car trips per day. The problem of course is that the lot they built on was a water shed and so protected by our General Plan. Had they built on an adjacent or katy-corner there wouldn't have been the opposition there was to the project. I do like the fact they have planted over 100 trees in their parking lot. But why pay experts mega bucks to have a General Plan if can be amended with three votes so easily?
That said, in this economy, with Walmart's closing, I'll bet 5 bucks we don't get Wallmart in the EXPO building and it's a rumor. I think the Walgreens was a mistake because of it's poor location with dinky signage. That place is invisible. The EXPO place isn't too much different.
Nope, its definitely in Carlsbad...
ReplyDelete11:55- pull your head out. AJ is correct. The Expo building is encinitas. Forum is Carlsbad.
ReplyDeleteI don't know who you surveyed, but I haven't found one of neighbors who thought Wal-Mart was a bad idea.
ReplyDeleteWalmart picked up customers during this recession. Their sales are at an all time high. Warren Buffett just doubled his position in their stock.
ReplyDeleteWalmart just closed a few stores (a Sam's club in Vista), but net/net, there are more walmart stores on the planet now than ever.
Walmart is the most efficient retail distribution system in the history of mankind. That is the reason prices are so low. It is hard to compete with Walmart so if you're a retailer, you will want to work harder to sell unusual and interesting things that Walmart has no competitive advantage in sourcing. For example, I would encourage retailers to not try to sell plastic spatulas, instead sell hand made surfboards.
I will definitely shop at Walmart Encinitas, it will save me a trip to Oceanside.
"Walmart is the most efficient retail distribution system in the history of mankind. That is the reason prices are so low."
ReplyDeleteIt isn't just their distribution system. They also buy in the gazillions from China. And if you are interested in them putting your product in their store, expect their terms to be pretty harsh. They are obviously the King Kong of retailers.
And I realize that Target also buys plenty of junk from China. Seems to be the trend. Perhaps it explains our current unemployment conditions too.
I went to the fancy kitchen store next to the Apple Store in Carlsbad. It was full of Chinese stuff. Why pay them $15 for a Chinese spatula made of plastic when I can buy one at Walmart for $1.99?
ReplyDeleteEverything is made in China. Walmart just distributes the stuff cheaper than the other Chinese distributors. If you want to compete and win as a retailer, you have to bring something to the market that is unique and cool.
China is digging their own grave. The reason it is cheap to make things in China is because the currency is pegged artificially low to the dollar. To maintain that peg, they are purchasing U.S. treasury debt. Ever wonder why our government can afford 2 wars, tarp bailouts, stimulus, 1/6 people being on foodstamps, 10+% of the population being on unemployment? Somebody is paying for all that, and they're also making our spatulas.
All anyone can do is buy junk from China and overseas, since we don't make anything in America anymore.
ReplyDeleteHuntington--
ReplyDeleteI think you give too much credit to distribution, but it's obviously a big reason Walmart can sell things as cheaply as they do. I'm thinking the Walton's are happy with the interstate highway system.
And I have done some business with Walmart so can attest to the strength of their market share. The line of people wanting to sell them something cheaper than the vendor before is many miles long. They have tremendous purchasing power and wield it with glee.
As for China, I don't disagree with the things you describe as contributing to their ability to manufacture products for so little. However, I think the fact that their people aren't free has a lot to do with it too. You do what the state says and be glad you have a job.
As for the expensive spatula, I'm one of those people that will pay the price at the fancy kitchen store. I much prefer supporting their business model than that of Walmart. My only regret is that the store I go to is in The Forum, which means the sales tax I pay benefits Carlsbad.
I don't mind Wal-MArt, I just don't buy anything they sell that is made in CHINA. ABC, Anywhere But China.
ReplyDeleteDon't buy Chinese good or products.
Wal-Mart sux. I feel sorry for those of you who like Wal-Mart. Nuff said.
ReplyDeleteWhen home depot came in, it did create a bit of a monopoly and their competition faltered and left. Now we all shop at home depot and buy their substandard product.
ReplyDeleteTalk to any good plumber and they will tell you that the plumbing products they sell are not quality products and do not shop there for quality plumbing products, but we buy them anyway, because we have no other local option.
The same will happen with wall mart.
I just go to Wal-Mart for the hot babes.
ReplyDeleteThanks for calling me an idiot.
ReplyDeleteMust be a liberal. It's either your way or the highway, right?
Ever heard of Capitalism? Jerk.
We'll I've heard a different story I heard it's Kohl's department store which would be a little better fit. I would however prefer an Imax.
ReplyDeleteWalMart has shuttered about 100 Sam's clubs nationwide, mainly those in Costco country (eg Vista). Overall, they are doing well as a business.
ReplyDeleteI admit, I make a WalMart/Costco run once/month, going up to Oceanside and Carlsbad. This is mainly to purchase household staples. I hate the ambiance of both stores, but the prices are hard to beat. I would shop at a local Walmart to save gas and make sure that my sales tax dollars stay in town.
That particular location just doesn't have adequate parking for a WalMart IMO. Just look at the Target shopping center to see how much parking would be needed for a similar store. I just wish that the Whole Foods were going in there..well, it's an imperfect world that we live in.
I would love to see an I Max, a restaurant, and perhaps a community theater. My mom says "If wishes were horses we would all be riding." I can still wish though.
ReplyDeleteAnon 12:12--
ReplyDeleteI am one of the many liberals that loves capitalism and has no problem with you shopping wherever you want. But that doesn't mean I think the old Home Depot Expo building is the right place for a Walmart.
Does anyone know about the Home Depot Expo lease? Are they able to sub-lease the building without the City's input?
Dr. Lorri, my dad had a similar saying but it was more profane:
"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. If horseshit were donuts, I'd eat 'til I died."
I think he learnt it at the Leucadian.
Yes , We need to fight Walmart. We need a movie theater. Bev
ReplyDeleteI would just hate to see another mega store that sells cheap imports. I would love to see a hip bowling alley, or something else recreational.
ReplyDelete1:11
ReplyDeleteMy mom used to say "Wish in one hand, and..." nevermind.
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ReplyDeleteMarco could stop it. He could, he could.
ReplyDeleteSales tax is not collected on movie tickets, which is why our representatives would prefer a Walmart to a movie theater.
ReplyDeleteI think its interesting that you will be able to see Target if you are physically standing in front of the would-be WalMart. Is there any possibility they could build a TGIFridays on top of the Encinitas WalMart so diners could physically see Chili's while they eat? That should echo the retail strategy very well in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of what goes in that space, I will continue to drive with my knees down Leucadia Blvd, extending middle fingers of both hands at each side of the street while I am on my way to Rico's to eat one of the last remaining, homegrown, delicious meals to be had in Encinitas.
Rico's serves chow on par with fecal matter. If you want decent quick Mexican food go to Bety's Tacos (in the 7 Eleven strip mall on Encinitas Bld) or Jorge's (on El Camino Real near the Wells Fargo).
ReplyDelete3:14
ReplyDeleteMarco could only stop the widening of Walmart.
Anon 4:55
ReplyDeleteBest post ever.
Get fat ass Mike off this blog!
ReplyDeleteHis posts are so easy to smell.
That would have been a turn key spot for the City maintenance yard...why not move City Hall there and sell the existing City Hall ocean view property to De Wald to develop...
ReplyDelete8:39,
ReplyDeleteI think you're on to something. But city hall wouldn't have to move.
I'd like to see the city develop that useless frontage they have at the base of city hall on Vulcan making businesses with killer facades, underground parking, an escalator to the library, and get some kind of positive cash flow happening there directly for the city as the landlord. Instead we have that bleak paved over gas station lot, a needless driveway to the top, and concrete encrusted bluffs crowned with a cyclone fence. Oh wait a minute, I forgot that would take 50 million dollars to do.
Fred, the city will just issue more lease revenue bonds and make the ratepayers from the San Dieguito Water District pay.
ReplyDeleteI just checked and the old expo is about 80% in Carlsbad and the south west part of the building is in Encinitas...
ReplyDeleteI agree with anon 8:39. Move city hall and develop the property. Perhaps a multi-story parking garage under a shopping center.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I have it on good authority from the City of Carlsbad that they are in the process of approving an indoor paintball range. This will greatly improve the shooting skills of our kids. It will entertain them a lot better than an expensive movie theatre.
Hey everbody! HALF PRICE on sandwiches today 1-29-10 till 10pm at the Subway/Mobil station in Leucadia. It's a great deal. Please patronize this place!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
(As they used to say on matchbooks
"Eat here and get gas!)
make it a soccer field.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea!
ReplyDeleteHave the people wanting a movie theater been patronizing the La Paloma? Yeah, that's what I thought.
ReplyDeleteIn honor of Walmart, I've written a haiku poem...
Contests at Swamis
Walmart and Encinitas
Matches made in hell
Wal Mart a symbol of "White trash loserville"? What about those Encinitas trailer parks you cherish so much? Does anyone else see a double standard here?
ReplyDeleteThat sums it up. Walmart sucks so bad even the local trailer park people hate it.
ReplyDeleteThey're not trailers. They're mobile estates.
ReplyDeleteWhite Trash? Along with Mexican Trash, Chinese Trash, Korean Trash, Italian Trash, Jewish Trash, Cocker Spaniel Trash...
ReplyDeleteWalmart is great. Really get anything you need dirt cheap. Could employ a lot of the stoner/surfer losers in Leucadia, they'll hire anyone. Even that guy that used to work in the 7/11 with tatoos on his face could work there. Im stoked, cheap ass stuff in yuppie ville.
ReplyDeleteSo we all hate Target all of a sudden? Remember how much work it took to bring Target to Encinitas? What is wrong with you people?
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to get a glimpse of the rare large back breasted humpty when it comes to town.
ReplyDeleteI mean, check this thing out.. who wouldn't want one of these in Encinitas...
http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?p=7300
I've always thought it would be great to put a roller rink in one of those empty big box stores. I have fond memories of roller skating at the rink across from the Belly Up (now an antique store). Fun for kids and adults alike. Safe place for teens to hang out and perfect spot for birthday parties for younger kids. I'd go!
ReplyDeleteThis conversation makes me miss the colorful rows of gladiolas that used to be there. Has anyone noticed that there is one lone gladiola that blooms every year just east of Leucadia Blvd., at the corner of Calle Barcelona? One red flower that emerges every year to remind us of how it used to be...
oh and hey thanks for the Mexican restaurant tips.