MIDNIGHT UPDATE: A Home Depot official confirmed late Tuesday that the property is up for sale.
Can it really be true?
Sunland-Tujunga activists after years of struggle that has made them one of the most effectively organized communities in Los Angeles appears to have won an outright victory against one of the largest and most successful corporations in America, its team of high-prices lobbyists and influence peddlers and city officials who wanted to sell them out.
Can It be true?
The evidence as strong, according to the No Home Depot website which provides the company’s motion for dismissal and reports it canceled its webside promoting its cause in Sunland-Tujunga.
I’m just guessing but the economic recession has a lot to do with the company’s surrender. It wouldn’t make sense to keep on squandering money on lawyers, lobbyists and PR types in the face of organized resistance when consumers aren’t spending.
What’s amazing about this is that even the most ardent activists in this semi-rural corner of L.A. never thought they had a chance but they never gave up.
The lesson for all of us trying to make our neighborhoods healthier and our city greater are clear: You’ve got to organize, you’ve got to fight and you’ve got to never quit. You never know what’s going to happen.
Hopefully, things are what the seem to be, in which case the people of Sunland-Tujunga deserve a hearty congratulations. I do have a question though: What do you want to do with that old K-Mart property that would enhance the quality of life in your community?
We wan’t a Lowe’s
Home Depot Pulls Out Of S-T!
Breaking News! We just spoke with a high ranking Home Depot official (at 10:45 pm) and he is confirming that HD is backing out of their proposed store in Sunland-Tujunga!
We are still shaking from the news, updates when we settle down and stop celebrating!
Score a big victory for local control and our community!
Tonight, the lights were out at the old K-Mart building, the security guard asleep in his car under the portico. For three years, the security lights had lit up the unused parking lot, tonight, the darkness blankets the hopes of the Home Depot team of Big Box want-a-bees. How soon will the Home Depot people remove the lonely, unlit, “Home Depot Coming Soon” sign.
Like some discarded trash, waiting to be hauled away, Home Depot has finally yielded to the amassed citizens of Sunland-Tujunga who felt that their childrens safety and well being was being sold out.
Sunland-Tujunga, like the Alamo, now stands for independence, and will probably be a shining example to other communities that are being besieged by the Big Orange Box.
Fare thee well Home Depot-Your money and lies did not save the day for you.
What do you want to do with that old K-Mart property that would enhance the quality of life in your community?
As hard as it was to stop Home Depot, I fear the community will soon learn that in the current environment it’s going to be much tougher to bring something “in” than it was to keep something “out.”
The wish list for that site — pedestrian friendly shopping mall, bookstore, movie theater, bowliong all — is an ephemeral pipe dream in this economoy.
Conseuently, I fear that like any vacant property, that unused parking lot may be more trouble than it’s worth for the community before this is over.
I’m not criticizing the anti-Home Depot forces. I congratulate their organization, commitment, fortitude and victory.
But they’ve only won half the battle. Now the real work starts — ensuring that site doesnt become a blighted vacant lot….
Hip Hip Hooray !
Great News from a Company that finally did the right thing.
What should go in there next ?
Right now I would like to see balloons!
Lots and lots of balloons fill that lot to celebrate !!
And a carnival. Petting Zoo !
Kids with faces painted running merrily to play games and eat popcorn and cotton candy and just CELEBRATE .
The lives of all S-T Residents are blessed today !
I’ll miss giving the “Home Depot Coming Soon” sign the middle-finger salute every time I drive by it… NOT!
Hehehehehe
Target or similar, we need you. Not K-Mart again. That was the worst K-Mart I have ever been in. Forget Lowes. The nearby Osh basically covers that clientele.
Although I’m glad – I’m not thinking it was as big a victory as everyone in Sunland/Tujunga may bi thinking – the economy is gotta be the biggest reason they are pulling out & who is going to be able to do anything else with the property right now anyway. Hmm….here’s an idea – low incoming housing for the displaced middle class.
I can almost name that person by the negative reply. Please know that this is being worked on diligently. A meeting was held Monday, before this was known, with the council member and her staff and we are in action on a plan to bring successful and needed business to this spot and others. It will happen, ignore the naysayers. Its happening as we type. Cheers to Sunland Tujunga.
Not you Cecile. I was referring to the chicken bleep that used an anonymous post.
How about a community social service ctr. not a government social security office, but a clearinghouse for services that exist like a job core outlet. Or a corp. Green collar retraining facility?
How about a facility for families to get specialized community sponsored health assistance, Like dental work for people who can not afford the co-pays with their insurance. Or a facility to manufacture low cost eyeglasses, dentures, hearing aids ect.
Did you know that for senior who needs hearing aids, it can and usually does cost them as much as $6000.
There is allot of need and NO-ONE knows where to go for those needs therefore these needs go unmet.
Did you know that there is legal car insurance available for low income people (I think the threshold is somewhere around 28K a year) for roughly $350 a year. But where do you go to get it??
Did you know that you can get most any medical prescription for free if you qualify financially, however you have to work through an advocate, who are the advocates and where are they? No one knows. That doesn’t mean without a job or even poor, some programs for up to 80K a year. But where do you go to get it??
How about a real Employment office for the scores of people whose jobs have been off shored? The unemployment office only takes applications for unemployment. How about a DMV Satellite office?
How about free office space for legitimate Non-Profits, the ones that truly serve the publics interests.
People would know where to go. At least they would be able to get real information.
We are headed into a really hard time and we are going to have to help our neighbors, sometimes things are more important than simplistic consumerism.
Thats my 2 cents
Sunland Tun, good on ya- Great Job.
Glenn Bell
Maybe we could at least turn it into a park and a community garden and keep the local deadbeat homeless out of there – wouldn’t that be grand! I’ll bring the shovel and rake and some plants!!!!
I have concerns, though. Does Home Depot own still have the lease? Can they block our efforts and let it sit and deteriorate more? can we fight that if they do?
Watch and wait. The battle has been won, but not the war. Yes, congratulations all around and a big party to celebrate must be held. But, the next battle will be keeping the property from falling into disrepair and creating (more) urban/rural blight.
Meanwhile, all of us in CD2 need to get our act together and find a candidate for Wendy’s seat. The next Council Member will have a very BIG voice in what goes in at that site. About 12 years worth!
Again our congratulations from your friends at Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association.
As long as Home Depot owns the property, they are responsible for the upkeep of their property, just like any other land owner.
I’d love to see a Target or Kohl’s there along with a Trader Joe’s. I’d also love to see a Border’s or Barnes and Noble but that’s probably asking for too much.
I may be a little late in my reply here, but I do want to address one comment made in your post about city officials. The truth is that we had the support of Councilmember Greuel from the very beginning. Wendy’s actions never resulted in anything that could be remotely considered a sell-out. Wendy stood up for the community at every possible juncture and worked to enforce the City rules and regulations, which Home Depot was trying to avoid. There is no Home Depot today, because of her support and her actions. Now we have the opportunity to get the right development at that site that meets the neighborhood’s needs.
I like the party idea. After all of the hard work, late nights spent working on speaches, and all of the headaches HD has caused our community, I think we should have a community celebration right there in the middle of the parking lot. Wouldn’t that be something?!
Whole Foods!
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You guys are killing your town… Its already half dead with drunks, intentionally homeless bums (not the kind that cant help it), bikers, and say nothing of the crummy streets and backwoodsy hick mentality. Whenever anything comes in that will help it thrive, you say.. NO We dont want THAT in our town. You dont realise that business is what makes a town thrive. If you kill the money makers… what have you got. A crummy little run down town. I’ve lived here 2 months and in my view, Id rather live in Compton than here. At least in Compton there are some people with brains and they have stores you can shop at without going broke because there is competition which keeps prices down. Sad but true. This town is falling to the dogs.. and fast!
Does anyone know how to contact the Target Corporation, or a Trader Joe’s, and let them know that Tujunga would like one of their stores to open in the lot? Someone should do that. It would be sweet to have a couple stores like that closer.
I wouldn’t contact Target or anyone else. They see what you did to Home Depot and the big retails will stick together when one is run out of town. It would have been better to let them remodel the store, open and hire local people for jobs. Now it is still vacant and it did not help anyone!
Great post!