Looks like our city leaders blew it again – allowing a megastore that caters to Latinos to go to Fountain Valley instead of helping to find a location in “Orange County’s downtown.” Read what you will into this, but I am guessing Ream, Pulido and company were not very motivated in this regard. Here is the Times’ article about this:
Latino superstore not quite in Santa Ana
In Santa Ana, “it’s all about how we can attract non-Hispanics, so I’m not surprised the store is in Fountain Valley,” said Sam Romero, who owns a Santa Ana religious-articles shop. “This is the center of the Hispanic community, and the store should be here.”
For years, Santa Ana’s city leaders have tried to reshape their immigrant city by bringing in more upscale restaurants and shops that attract a wider variety of people. Executives with La Curacao said they tried for three years to find a Santa Ana location before settling on adjacent Fountain Valley, which is only 10% Latino. At Fountain Valley City Hall, employees were still tongue-tied this week trying to say the store’s name (pronounced kurra-SOW).
Despite the store’s official address, La Curacao advertises itself as being in Santa Ana.
“We don’t have a problem with it,” said Fountain Valley city planner Robert Franklin.
“It will add to our sales tax revenue. We’re predominantly Anglo here, but in 10 years who knows what we will be.”
Critics say La Curacao, which offers immigrant shoppers instant credit, computer lessons and shipping to Mexico and Central America, belongs in Santa Ana, where 76% of the population is Latino and a greater percentage of people speak Spanish than in any other large city in the United States.
Elsa Gomez, president of the 4th Street merchants group, said shoppers were even searching Santa Ana for the new store.
“Everybody is looking for it,” Gomez said. “I’ve had more than 15 people ask me and I say, ‘Aqu
I was turned off by the racist comments made by patrons of this store. They thought the store shouldn’t sell in non latino neighborhoods. Que Quero Taco Bell.
The flagship La Curacao does 70 million in annual sales.
Santa Ana and it’s leadership complains about revenue’s and yet allows a store like this to not be in Santa Ana where it’s tax revenue could have been several million or more a year.
Could this have anything to do with the recent “economic impact report” council agenda or the fact that it is non union and several council members, including the one quoted, have had campaigns funded by the unions?
How is La Curacao’s labor record in comparison to Wal Mart’s record?
Besides, the City of Santa Ana should do more to encourage small businesses and not just a latino version of Wal Mart, where only a few wealthy owners profit.
If Pulido and Co. had encouraged La Curacao to come to Santa Ana, the Pulido critics on here would have complained that he brought a business to the city that would hurt small businesses.
Be careful what you wish for you 4th Streeters. How soon you forget. We know that when the big box stores and malls came to town the Mom and Pop stores suffered to the point of near extinction. It happened to 4th Street thirty years ago. The possibilites are endless…….
This article is ridiculous!
If something is Hispanic, then it obviously belongs in Santa Ana?
What a pathetic mindset!
As for the revenues from this store, a large part of La Curacao’s sales are based on sales to be delivered in other countries, money transfers, and other financial services. The city makes no tax increment on these sales!
It may look like a big store, but it does not provide any kind of windfall for the local community.
In comparing the prices to Walmart, we see that Walmart generally has a better price on similar items, but La Curacao may get the sale because they will provide credit. They only charge a mere 24% for providing this service. That makes most items cost out a lot higher than Walmart or Target.
Since La Curacao is a business that preys on otherwise credit-poor Hispanics, I’m glad they didn’t locate in Santa Ana.
The store is located on Harbor Blvd. about 1 block North of Edinger. It’s a very big, old K Mart that has been sitting empty for 3 or 4 years. Although technically that is part of Fountain Valley, it’s only about a mile South of the Harbor/McFadden(Santa Ana) shopping area that is full of stores catering to Hispanics because there is a very large Hispanic population in the Harbor/McFadden area of Santa Ana.
If any of you are familiar with the Chris N’ Pitts restaurant, it’s right there, across the side street, facing Harbor. That area is where Fountain Valley and Santa Ana merge. We happened to go to Chris N’ Pitts for dinner the other night (great ribs!) and saw this new store as we drove by.
There is no other large vacant store in that area of Santa Ana and no “empty” area where they could have built a store that large. And while I’m not familiar with every square foot of Santa Ana, I don’t know of any other vacant store, that large, anywhere West of Main street.
I don’t know if La Curacao is good or bad as far as their business practices, but they were smart to scout locations and find a large vacant store with a built in customer base so close, and a landlord who I’m sure was very happy to make a deal.
You all need to remember that Santa Ana is pretty much “built out”. That’s why Santa Ana lost their Costco to Fountian Valley years ago. Costco needed more space, but wanted to stay in the general area of Harbor/MacArthur. Santa Ana tried to find them a larger location, but there was none. So they ended up at Euclid/MacArthur (Fountain Valley) where they built a larger store with more parking.