Albertsons teardown project kicks off in Roseland

Plans to tear down the old Albertsons shopping center in southwest Santa Rosa formally kick off Thursday with an event preceding the environmental cleanup and demolition of buildings.

The 4 p.m. event at the Roseland site on Sebastopol Road will feature speakers from the county, who will be on hand to answer questions from the public.

“I am extremely happy to see this project move forward,” said Sonoma County Supervisor Efren Carrillo, whose district includes the site. “The groundbreaking and demolition are the first visible steps towards a community plaza and neighborhood center that the Roseland community and our city deserve.”

Crews are expected to begin environmental remediation work on Sept. 22, said Kathleen Kane, executive director of the county’s Community Development Commission.

Officials have called the demolition the first step in a long-awaited dream of building a town center and plaza at the site. There are no plans for the next phase of the planned mixed-use commercial and residential project.

You can reach Staff Writer Angela Hart at 526-8503 or angela.hart@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ahartreports.