A Roseland shopping center that has long suffered from vacancies will soon be home to four new stores, and locals are hoping the additions will breathe new life into the economically challenged area of southwest Santa Rosa.
Ross, Anna's Linens, Goodwill Industries and Fallas Paredes, a discount clothing chain, are slated to open outlets in Stony Point Plaza, a shopping center on Sebastopol Road anchored by Food Maxx.
Construction work on the center is scheduled to be completed near the end of August. Goodwill plans to open its store by the end of 2011. Representatives from the other companies did not provide opening dates.
"This whole section was so vacant for so long, so it will be nice to have more businesses coming in," said Carl Weber, sales manager for the Rent-A-Center store in Stony Point Plaza.
The new stores are moving into a site targeted by Wal-Mart before the retail giant abandoned the controversial project two years ago, citing delays and unfavorable economic conditions.
Meanwhile, a strip of stores and restaurants across the parking lot have struggled to remain profitable in a center where nearly half of the retail spaces have been empty.
"The past few years it has been really tough," said Salvador Sahagun, owner of Taqueria Santa Rosa. "That part of the shopping center was a ghost town, because there was really little traffic on that side."
But having dozens of hungry construction workers around is already helping his business.
"It has come alive again," Sahagun said. "Having a store like this will be good for the area. It will create a lot more traffic and a lot more jobs."
About 45 local construction workers are currently employed on the project, said Kile Martin, project supervisor for HBI Construction. The crews have built a new facade with raised buttress columns that are more than 30 feet tall.
Representatives for Ross did not return phone calls. The Pleasanton discount clothing chain, which also operates a store in Montgomery Village, has been steadily expanding, according to an equipment salesman who handles dock installations for Ross.
"Things are still slow in new construction," said Ricardo Bustillos of Hayward-based Arbon Equipment Corp. "So to see this on a local basis is encouraging. We need it."
Anna's Linens, a Costa Mesa retail chain that sells bedroom, bathroom and window furnishings, plans to hire about 20 new employees, said Travis Essary, district manager.
"We're looking at some huge growth here in the Bay Area," Essary said. "We have two new stores just this year, and I see a lot more to come."
Goodwill Industries is moving from a smaller store on Sebastopol Road, enabling it to expand its used books collection and provide more employment training opportunities to the public, said Anne Martin, vice president of retail and operations. Goodwill also opened a store on Fourth Street last week.
Supervisor Efren Carrillo, who grew up in the area and now represents it, said the new stores will enable residents to shop where they live.
"It's still a tough economy, but I think it's a sign that things may be stabilizing, and we will begin to see opportunities for improved economic development and the jobs that come with it," Carrillo said.
"I hope it brings some business, because we really do need it," said Joanne Kanu, store manager at Payless. "It's pretty dead out here."
UPDATED: Please read and follow our commenting policy: