Now all three new car and truck dealerships have waived goodbye to our area: Ford, GM and Chrysler.
It’s a big blow to our sales tax coffers, as well as our business stature: A used car lot is not the same as a new car dealership.
On the bright side, could this clear the way for a long-hoped-for Trader Joe’s supermarket? This is one chain store that our community would embrace. TJ’s has a cult following with Web sites such as “Tracking Trader Joe’s.“
What’s more, vacant car dealerships can easily be converted into TJ’s. It’s happening in Los Angeles: A La Brea car dealership building under renovation has been leased by the supermarket chain.
“They have signed a lease for the new space, which will greatly enhance floor space and also offer the added benefit of plentiful rooftop parking,” according to Curbed LA.
Alas, it’s doubtful this would ever happen in our community, however. Our population is just too small — in fact, it’s shrinking. This is the fallout from not diversifying your economy beyond retirees and tourism.
The L.A. car dealership on La Brea is near one of TJ’s highest grossing outlets.
There’s a TJ’s in Chico (estimated population of 87,000) and Redding (estimated pop. of more than 100,000). As reported, a TJ’s is planned for the fast-growing North Auburn corridor, but the recession is hampering business expansion.
Fresh & Easy, an up-and-coming grocery chain, had been looking at the vacant Ford dealership in Grass Valley for a store. But the UK-chain owned by Tesco has postponed its California launch, citing the poor economy.
We’re going to need to work a lot harder when it comes to economic development for area.
We’re going to have to put our turf battles aside. The “anti-green” mindset by some people in our community, as well as arguing how many county supervisors will sit on the Economic Resource Council board, astounds me.
Instead, we’ll have to work together to figure out a way to fill the growing amount of commercial vacant space in our community.
Weaver Truck and Auto, once a state-of-the-art GM dealership, is becoming a “de facto” skateboard park.
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No TJ’s for western Nevada County, we don’t have the population. But I hope the Auburn TJ’s moves forward.
I don’t know about Trader Joe’s but I am shocked that someone else reads Curbed L.A.
Too Cool Dadio