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W. Main Safeway quits today Company insists it has no options By Jim Davis The meat is almost gone, the green beans sit alone in an otherwise bare cooler and the Hallmark-card shelves stand empty. Safeway will close its doors in west Medford at 7 tonight after years of operating the store at 1101 W. Main St. Community advocates, worried about the loss of the market in the middle of a residential neighborhood, have tried unsuccessfully to meet with Safeway officials. "What happens to the store is of prime concern to the community," said Rich Rohde of Oregon Action, a community action group. "How are we going to be able to find out what the plans are for the store if they continue with their no-meeting policy?" Bridget Flanagan, a Safeway spokeswoman, said the company would not meet with community groups because there are no options. "We declined the invitation for the meeting primarily and simply because the store is closing," Flanagan said. "We have supported Medford for decades -- since the mid-1930s -- and we will continue to support Medford, but we can't keep a store open and lose business." Safeway leases the building, which is owned by a Walnut Creek, Calif., man. The store's closure leaves Sherm's Thunderbird Market as the only large grocery store in the area. Albertson's is opening a store across the street from Sherm's later this year, but both stores are a mile away from the Safeway store. Medford City Manager Michael Dyal said city officials tried Friday unsuccessfully to set up a meeting with Safeway because the closure creates a hardship for west Medford residents. He noted that no sidewalks lead to Sherm's or to the new Albertson's. Several community groups met this month to try to find a way of keeping a grocery store at the Safeway location. Rohde, who tried to set up the community group's meeting with Safeway, said he was frustrated because Safeway officials refused to even speak with those groups. He said the company should have given the community more time to come up with options, noting that Safeway announced the closure just three weeks ago. He said Safeway has given other communities more notice of store closures. Flanagan said that what has happened in other communities doesn't matter, because real estate situations differ from one city to another. For instance, Safeway could rebuild the property in Salem because the company owns it while it leases in west Medford. Flanagan said people shouldn't judge her company because it "didn't chat with the whole world when we made this business decision. "You can't continue to operate a store that is not profitable," she said. Safeway will let a holding company, Property Development Associates of Portland, deal with the property. She said she will direct community groups and city officials to speak with that company's representative about future options for the vacant store. She noted Safeway has two other stores in the community. "We're in Medford in a big way," Flanagan said. "We love Medford and there is nothing to say that as the future shapes up that Safeway won't return to west Medford. "It just can't return to that location at this time." Today's Business Index Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA