Two Fresno Vons Permanently Closing

Two Fresno Vons grocery stores will be closing down permanently. One of the stores is located near Blackstone and Ashlan, and the other at First and Nees.

The stores have not been profitable for some time and are scheduled to close June 12, according to Keith W. Turner, Senior Communications and Government Relations Manager for Albertsons Safeway NorCal Division.

"I will miss this Vons. I will miss it," said Lisa Peters, a regular Vons customer.

"I’m just sad to see it go. I’ll have to tell them bye," said Stephanie Scarbrough, another Vons customer.

According to Turner, Vons is working to place the employees in other local stores.

Fresno resident Elsie Armstrong said she shops at the Blackstone Vons every day and feels for the employees.

"They know my kids. We know each other by name. They know everything that’s going on with our lives–really friendly," Armstrong said.

The pending closure could be yet another hit to the Blackstone corridor.

Some residents said they hope the building doesn’t stay vacant long and contribute to the city’s blight, "and graffiti, and breaking in, and stuff like that. So I’m hoping that doesn’t happen," Scarbrough said.

Just last month, plans fell through to bring a Smart & Final to nearby Blackstone and Clinton–a move that upset City Councilman Clint Olivier who represents the area.

But he said this business closing is different.

"This Vons had nothing to do with the City of Fresno. The Smart & Final, that blighted lot that’s there today and will be there for years to come, was killed by the city of Fresno," Olivier said.

The Blackstone corridor is always changing, Olivier said. And he doesn’t believe the Blackstone Vons location will be empty long since the existing building would already meet city zoning codes.

"Retailers, developers are going to chose existing buildings more and more as City Hall becomes more and more difficult to do business with because of the General Plan," Olivier said. 

There’s no word yet on the exact number of employees who will be affected by these two locations closing.