Downtown Safeway Store Still Closed 18 Months After Napa Quake

NAPA (CBS SF) – It's been nearly two years since a devastating earthquake rocked downtown Napa and the temblor's impact is still being felt by local residents.

The August 2014 quake heavily damaged the Safeway store nestled in a downtown Napa neighborhood.

The Jefferson Street store has yet to reopen and the company has not announced any timetable for its reopening. So for now it remains dark, empty and shuttered.

"I've got a long list of letters from people saying we want Safeway, we want Safeway to come back," Napa Mayor Jill Techel told KPIX 5.

Local residents now have to travel to other parts of the city to find a Safeway or an Albertsons store.  The Northern California grocery store giants merged last year.

John Scroggins lives in the downtown neighborhood and misses the easy access to a grocery store.

"I know a lot of ladies who worked there," he told KPIX 5 "They didn't cater to me, but they helped me a lot because I'm disabled."

Ron Sutter said many seniors have been inconvenienced.

"This is an old district," he said. "They built a senior center here because there was a Safeway nearby. And then they turn around, the Safeway, they want to stay shut, they don't want to open again."

Randy Buchanan also has grown inpatient.

"We've been here a year, and we've heard a lot of talk, but we haven't heard any real results," he said.

There is also more residential development taking place in downtown Napa compounding the problem.

"We don't have a drug store downtown," Techel said.  "We don't have a grocery store downtown. And we're building more housing downtown. So it's something that's really needed."

"And we're trying to be walkable. How can you walk around downtown to get the things you need and go back home?"

Safeway currently has a 10-year lease on the property and a no-compete clause which says if it isn't here, the landlord can't rent to another grocery store

KPIX 5 calls to Safeway headquarters went unanswered on Monday.