Save Our Community was founded in the movement to resist Wal-Mart's development in Rosemead, California. Now, it has become a general site for news, information, gossip, talk, and blogging about Rosemead. We also have stories about South San Gabriel, San Gabriel, Montebello, and occasionally about Pico Rivera, El Monte, South El Monte, Alhambra, Temple City, and other nearby communities. Your host is Todd. If you want a blog just sign up, get approved, and start writing. Good posts will be moved onto the home page.
Long-term commercial vacancy
My initial suspicion is that this corner is going to stay vacant for a long time. It's a deceptively large parcel that doesn't lend itself to regular commercial development, which is what the Clark/Taylor team want to designate. Particularly at a .35 floor area ratio (FAR) limit, even if this lot DOES reopen, it's an inefficient use of limited land.
The large number of vacant new developments on either side of this corner is testimony to the fact that there just isn't enough demand for the available retail, never mind any new retail that might move on to the Barr Lumber parcel.
I think it's a crying shame that this place, which ought to be the heart of downtown Rosemead, is just full of vacant lots (around McDonald's) or vacant buildings (Barr Lumber and in the recent construction within 1/4 mile east or west on Valley from this corner). Even worse, the large parcel across the street (and slightly east) from Barr is a self-storage facility, which contributes essentially nothing to the city's tax base.
I'll write a bit more in a day or so about why this parcel makes a lot more sense if it were kept mixed-use rather than redefined as commercial.
Or you could go the other way
See if you can't bring in a movie theater. Not sure if there's enough room to fit them there, but if they could, that would also bring traffic (bad) and customers to support all those restaurants near this corner (good).
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