Ralphs Market Closing Postponed

Customers of Ralphs Supermarket at Ventura Boulevard and Hazeltine Avenue are being told that the scheduled closure of the store has now been postponed until at least May.

"They said it won't shut down for at least another month or two," said a Ralphs shopper named Grace, who declined to give her last name.

The Los Angeles City Council approved Ralphs' plan to build a mega-market on the site 15 months ago, over the objections of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, which opposed the market on grounds that it was too big and did not comply with the Specific Plan for the Ventura corridor which limits the size of structures.

Initially, Ralphs said it was going to close the market and begin construction in mid-2011, but the plan to break ground was postponed several times.

Ralphs management is not saying when the market will close. Managers at the store are saying that the store will probably close in May.

"But that's unofficial," a manager said from behind his enclosure.

The "Fresh Fare" market, which will be more than 70,000 square-feet in size, will include wide aisles, large produce and deli sections, and a full bakery.

"I guess I'll have to shop at Pavillions, when they close," said Grace, walking off to her home in the neighborhood across the street from the store.

"I've been walking to this market for years," she said. "Now I'll have to drive to do my shopping."