Update: Albertsons to Close By End of June

Story updated at 1:10 p.m. to include a quote from Albertsons representative Lilia Rodriguez about whether or not the store closure has anything to do with a Walmart scheduled to open in the area in the fall.

The Albertsons in the 1800 block of Coronado Avenue, which opened in 1991, will close by the end of June, a company representative said.

"We have a responsibility to assure the success of all of our stores, and that was one store that was just not meeting its goals, especially in a competitive and difficult economic environment," said Lilia Rodriguez, Albertson's communication manager.

The store includes fresh produce, a bakery and fresh meat.

Employees were notified April 27, she said.

Albertsons declined to disclose how many employees work at the Coronado Avenue supermarket but said employees may be relocated to other locations across San Diego.

The closure will reduce the amount of stores in IB and west of Interstate 5 that sell fresh produce daily from four to three.

Currently, only Wallys on Palm Avenue and La Posta Market on Imperial Beach Boulevard serve fresh produce in IB.

The Imperial Beach Certified Farmers Market also sells fresh produce every Friday from 2-7:30 p.m.

"We don't focus on competition. We focus on what we have to do for our business," said Rodriguez when asked if the closure has anything to do with a Walmart expected to open in the area in the fall.

What happens next with the property is still unclear.

According to the San Diego County Assessors Office, 1860 Coronado Avenue is owned by American Food and Drugs Inc. 

A representative from SUPERVALU, Albertsons' parent company, said American Food and Drug Inc. was purchased by Albertsons in 1998.

However, Rodriguez and a spokesperson for SUPERVALU maintain that the property is leased, and have declined to state who they lease the property from.

Christine Howell has lived blocks from the Albertsons for about 20 years.

Though she technically lives in San Diego, she considers herself part of both the Nestor and Imperial Beach communities.

She typically shops at the Vons off Saturn Boulevard and the commissary at NOLF IB, but occassionally picked up a few groceries from the Albertsons.

"They have good chicken there and fruit bowls," she said laughing.

She's concerned that the store will no longer be there to serve people who don't have a lot of money to shop elsewhere.

"It's on a bus line, and I know that's kind of important to people who don't have transportation," she said.

She is also sad to see the store close since, that's where she used to buy monthly bus passes called Compass Cards for her son.

"Now we don't have anywhere to pick it up, and we'll have to go to Third Street in Chula Vista to get that," she said.