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# Old and new collide in SM developments
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/old-and-new-collide-in-sm-developments/
- Published: 2008-02-18T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T18:34:17.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

I’D BEEN H EARI NG RU MORS THAT the Albertsons/Big 5 Sporting Goods property in the 3100 block of Wilshire Boulevard had been sold. This large property between Berkeley and Franklin streets on the eastern edge of the city is at the “Gateway to Santa Monica.”

I’ve shopped at Albertson’s for well over 30 years — even when it was a Lucky Market. I was curious to find out who the buyer was and their plans for the property. Then I’d heard Macerich Company who also owns Santa Monica Place had bought the property.

I called Robyn Young, who is Macerich’s senior manager of development relations in Phoenix. She confirmed Macerich had indeed recently purchased the property. As far as the fate of Albertson’s and Big 5, she said nothing will change for a while. “We are focused on our remodel of Santa Monica Place, which is very important to the company, at the moment,” She told me. “We’re not planning any changes at that property at this time.”

Emphasizing that any redevelopment of the property would involve extensive input from the community Young said, “Before we were to come out with any design or plan for the property, we would be reaching out to the community and doing so very early on.”

At a Neighborhood Council meeting two months ago, city planning director, Eileen Fogarty discussed the “hypothetical” redevelopment of a commercial parcel such as the Albertson’s/Big 5 property, explaining the kind of developmental elements the city favors.

Fogarty told the group retail developments such as Albertson’s with a blank wall to the street (with the store entrance from the parking lot in the back of the property) are undesirable. Fogarty described an ideal redevelopment as one being open, harmonious with the neighborhood and pedestrian friendly to the street, having inner courtyards, landscaping and a variety of stores, restaurants and community serving businesses. Parking would be below grade with housing — either condominiums or apartments above. Of course, the whole project would be environmentally state-of-the-art.

I asked Young about Fogarty’s “hypothetical” and she replied that Fogarty’s comments could apply to any larger commercial property and that her “wish list” were all elements the city favors in new developments. “Nothing has been designed and we haven’t even started preliminary planning,” I was reminded.

What’s to become of Albertson’s and Big 5? Noting that both retailers have leases, Young said, “Nothing for now and probably not for a few years until we can devote our full attention to it."

Albertsons is now owned by Minnesota based Supervalu, Inc., and was purchased for $17.4 billion in cash, stock, and debt in a deal completed in June, 2006\. Past speculation concerned converting some Albertson’s into higher end, Bristol Farms Markets and other rumors whispered that some Albertson’s may become discount super markets.

Needless to say Albertson’s and Big 5 aren’t going anywhere for now. But it will be interesting to see if they will “fade away” or be included in any new Macerich development.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on February 18, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/021808.pdf?ref=smdp.com)