San Francisco city officials on Monday welcomed news that the Fillmore neighborhood's only full-service grocery store would stay open for another year.
Earlier this month, Safeway announced that the store at 1335 Webster St. would close in March, prompting concerns from residents in the city's Japantown and Fillmore districts.
"We have decided to extend the closing date to January 2025 to give the community and the city more time to establish a transition plan," Safeway said in a statement on Monday.
Mayor London Breed welcomed the announcement and said she had met with the site's new owner, Align Real Estate, to find an interim solution to keep services in the area.
In addition to groceries, the Safeway on Webster fills prescriptions and provides banking services.
"The Fillmore's Safeway has played a central role in helping build and bring community together, especially among senior citizens," Breed said.
Safeway announced the closure on Jan. 4 after reaching an agreement to sell the site, known as Webster Plaza, to Align Real Estate, with plans to build a mixed-use development to include housing and commercial space.
Before Safeway's announcement Monday that the store would instead remain open for another year, San Francisco Supervisor Dean Preston had introduced a resolution to the board of supervisors demanding the store reconsider plans to close the store.
"I am thankful that Safeway has listened to the hundreds of community members who demanded they reverse plans to close a critical location to so many of our vulnerable community members," Preston said.
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"We urge Safeway and any buyer to work collaboratively with community members and city leaders on a real plan for this important site in the heart of the Fillmore," Preston said.
