The strip mall in the center of the Carlsbad Village, located off of the highway exit, is going to have a new look. The demolition of the historic building hosting many stores, such as Smart&Final, has sent a shockwave of mixed emotions around the village.
Many Carlsbad residents are not in favor of the demolition of many crucial stores residing inside the village. They feel as if it takes away from what makes Carlsbad special.
“We all hate [the demolition] here in Carlsbad, it’s going to make our little village more of a bunch of condos instead of a village, so it’s taking away that community feel…” said Christy Cunningham, a resident of Carlsbad, in an interview with Fox 5 News.
Some may believe that the reason for this demolition is that the center is not used much; however, many residents disagree. Families all around Carlsbad go to Smart&Final and the surrounding stores on a weekly basis.
“I say [I visit] usually maybe once or twice a week,” senior Christian Canseco said. ¨And as a matter of fact, last night before they closed, my mom and I went there to get some groceries because of its close proximity to our house.”
Many residents in Carlsbad are left to wonder where they will get their groceries after Smart&Final is gone, and what hardware store they will go to once Ace Hardware is gone. The impact of this strip mall leaving Carlsbad will have locals looking for an alternative to acquire their basic needs.
“This is important to Carlsbad because it is like her own shopping center that’s very close to us. Like Walmart, it’s miles away; [however], this Smart&Final is close. It has almost everything you need and gives everyone all their necessities,” Canseco said.
Due to the people of Carlsbad not having a grocery store within walking distance, they have no other choice but to drive to get groceries. This will cause Carlsbad residents to spend more money to get their everyday goods.
“The impact that it will give to the community is that they would have to spend more money on gas, because every other store that offers groceries, say, milk, eggs, the necessities, would be miles away,” Canseco said.
In the context of a major grocery store being demolished, Canseco hopes that it will turn into a better alternative. He hopes that Carlsbad locals still will have a grocery store that is crucial to the town, however, it will be turned into two apartments with 213 units inside of it.
¨I honestly [hope] for an upgrade of Smart&Final. Smart&Final’s great, but I just don’t hope that it’s housing because we already have a lot of housing in Carlsbad, but I hope it’s a bigger shopping mall,¨ Canseco said.
