Safeway Set to Release Plans for Local Store

Safeway will reveal plans Wednesday to either renovate or rebuild its College Avenue store, which is located in North Oakland and borders Berkeley.

While Safeway officials remain tight-lipped about the details of the plan, two previous proposals involved demolishing the current 1960s-era, 22,500-square-foot store and a nearby gas station in order to build a larger store, according to Susan Shawl, co-founder of Concerned Neighbors of College Avenue Safeway.

The first proposal was to build a 59,000-square-foot store with rooftop parking, while the second entailed building a 55,000-square-foot store and a 16,000-square-foot building for retail shops, she said.

Although Safeway has not yet applied to the city of Oakland for approval of its plans, Shawl said neighbors have been critical of the store's expansion since it was announced in June 2007.

"(Safeway is) going to make a huge development that should be in a shopping center, not a residential neighborhood," Shawl said.

But Safeway's spokesperson, Esperanza Greenwood, said the expansion is needed to accommodate a greater selection of merchandise.

"We have looked at the site and we want to be able to offer all the amenities that all (Safeways) offer," she said.

Many local citizens are worried about the impact the changes would have on the neighborhood.

Jerry Ver Brugge, owner of Ver Brugge Meat and Poultry, located near the store, said there would not be enough parking to support the traffic a larger store would bring and that the surrounding streets are currently gridlocked often.

"We (businesses) all need each other, but we don't need a bully" he said. "I don't want to see (Safeway) pulling a lot of traffic into the neighborhood."

Berkeley City Councilmember Gordon Wozniak said the project might affect the atmosphere created by small businesses in the area.

"Whatever design Safeway comes up with, it would be nice if it compliments the character of the businesses on the west side of the street," he said.

Greenwood said Safeway hired a local architect to design a store that will fit into the surrounding environment.

"We will make every effort to ensure that Safeway enhances the existing ambience of the neighborhood," she said.

Tags: SAFEWAY