What is being proposed at the Sherman Oaks Ralphs store?
The site located at 14049 Ventura Boulevard (at Hazeltine Avenue) currently has a Ralphs grocery store consisting of 31,555 square feet of floor area, along with 9,167 square feet of basement space, for a total of 40,611 square feet. There is also an existing parking lot with 189 spaces. The proposed Ralphs Fresh Fare will consist of a grocery store that is 65,500 square feet, two levels of at-grade parking providing a total of 316 parking spaces, a 6,270 square foot lobby to serve the market and two parking levels, as well as 4,000 square feet of ground floor neighborhood-serving retail space that will front Ventura Boulevard. The current site sits on an approximate 11-foot slope, with Ventura Boulevard being approximately 11 feet higher than Moorpark Street. The proposed two levels of parking take advantage of the site’s slope, creating an entrance to the lower level of parking from Moorpark Street, and an entrance to the second level of parking from Ventura Boulevard. Access to the store will also be improved by maintaining the exits/entrances on Ventura Boulevard and Hazeltine Avenue, and adding an entrance at Moorpark Street.
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Shopping Experience
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Are the products and services sold at a Ralphs Fresh Fare different from a conventional Ralphs store?
Ralphs Fresh Fare provides expanded gourmet offerings and better customer amenities.
Gourmet offerings at a Ralphs Fresh Fare include a larger selection of organic produce, a fully staffed meat department featuring the highest quality meats and fresh seafood, a gourmet bakery featuring freshly baked breads and unique desserts, and a large selection of premium wines, spirits and champagnes. In addition, sushi stations and cheese islands are incorporated into the mix of new offerings at a Ralphs Fresh Fare.
The state-of-the-art Ralphs Fresh Fare format features better customer amenities including an enhanced service delicatessen, where shoppers will find an array of delicious entrees and side dishes that are prepared fresh daily and ready for takeout. For customers planning a special event, Ralphs Fresh Fare stores also offer a catering service that can arrange everything from floral decorations to deli and seafood platters or custom decorated cakes.
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Why is Ralphs suggesting that the Sherman Oaks store become a Fresh Fare?
We are interested in improving the grocery shopping experience in Sherman Oaks because we want to contribute to the appeal of the area as a quality retail environment. The existing Ralphs store in Sherman Oaks is one of the older, smaller footprint stores that has not been improved like all the other Ralph Grocery Company stores along Ventura Boulevard in the San Fernando Valley.
Operations
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What will the Ralphs Fresh Fare operating hours be?
The Ralphs Fresh Fare operating hours will be the same as the existing Ralphs operating hours, 24 hours a day.
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At what times will liquor be sold?
Liquor will be sold at the same times as the existing Ralphs, from 6am-2am daily.
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What will happen if the escalators and elevators break down? How will customers get their shopping carts to their cars?
Ralphs Grocery Company is dedicated to providing the best and most convenient service to its customers; therefore there will always be a safe and efficient way for customers to get to and from their cars. If there is ever a technical difficulty with the state-of-the art equipment being used at the Ralphs Fresh Fare, there will always be an alternative way to providing the customer with convenience. Ralph’s investment in this project will include built in redundancy of multiple elevators ensuring an elevator is always available to its customers; this same built in redundancy has been used in many other Ralph’s locations.
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What will happen to the recycling center?
Ralphs Grocery Company is committed to finding ways to service its customers and neighbors when it comes to upholding environmentally friendly policies and will offer in-store recycling at the new customer service desk.
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How will the community be kept engaged in the development process?
Beyond the numerous outreach meetings and activities that the Ralphs team will engage in throughout the process, a project information line, (818) 232-0760, and an on-line community dialogue page, www.myralphsshermanoaks.com, will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Both the online community dialogue page and the project information line can be used for inquiries, comments and updates throughout the process.
Construction
Due to the nature of the project, the existing store will have to be closed for the construction period of approximately 8-10 months. There are two other Ralph’s locations that can be used by our neighbors and customers which are in close proximity:
1.46 miles away from the Ralphs in Sherman Oaks:
14440 Burbank Blvd.
Van Nuys CA 91401
Store Phone: (818) 989-5640
Pharmacy Phone: (818) 989-5422
1.86 miles away from the Ralphs in Sherman Oaks:
12842 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City CA 91604
Store Phone: (818) 761-6196
Pharmacy Phone: (818) 761-7211
Access
How will traffic be impacted on Ventura Boulevard and Moorpark Street?
The new Ralphs Fresh Fare in Sherman Oaks will reduce customer and automobile congestion by creating efficient ways to get in and out of the store. A fully-operating traffic signal at the southern intersection of Hazeltine Avenue and Ventura Boulevard will enable cars and pedestrians to safely enter and exit the store at Ventura Boulevard. A new entrance and exit will be added on Moorpark Street to improve ease of access from the north side of the store. The existing entrance and exit from Hazeltine Avenue will remain the same and will continue to ease congestion at Moorpark Street and Ventura Boulevard by providing another access point.
The newly signalized Ventura Boulevard entrance/exit will lead cars in and out of a single-level parking structure directly below the new single-level Ralphs Fresh Fare. This parking level will also be accessible by the entrance/exit at Hazetline Avenue. As the grade between Ventura Boulevard and Moorpark Street slopes downward, a second parking level will be accessible by cars entering from Moorpark Street and exiting onto Moorpark Street. The third entrance/exit from Hazeltine Avenue will not change. Once inside the parking levels, automobiles can navigate between the two levels of parking by using a ramp and customers can take an elevator or escalator directly into the new Ralphs Fresh Fare, alongside their shopping carts, on both levels. Pedestrians can enter and exit the new Ralphs Fresh Fare from the pedestrian sidewalk on Ventura Boulevard.
The parking count will increase by 75% over what is offered today as a result of the new parking layout, which will incorporate a “daylight parking” design where the two parking levels meet the surrounding streets without a grade change to provide for efficient and full use of the parking areas.
Design
The new Ralphs Fresh Fare will provide enhanced exterior facades along Ventura Boulevard, Moorpark Street and Hazeltine Avenue. Lush landscaping will be added to create a more welcoming environment, and new plants and foliage screens will be included to complement the existing street trees along the perimeter of the property.
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What kind of stores will Ralphs include in the new retail spaces being built adjacent to the new Ralphs Fresh Fare?
Ralphs Grocery Company looks forward to working with the community to learn the needs of the local residents to add retail that is desired.
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How will the new Ralphs Fresh Fare contribute to sustainability of the planet?
Ralphs Grocery Company is committed to being a good steward of the environment, and adheres to sustainability requirements set forth by the State of California. The Ralphs Fresh Fare in Sherman Oaks will incorporate the following environmentally-friendly designs and mechanisms: 1) skylights in the store to reduce energy consumption and energy management systems for lighting controls, 2) heat-reclaim mechanisms on refrigeration systems to re-capture heat to heat the store, 3) variable speed drives on all cooling mechanisms, 4) reflective composite roof materials to reduce thermal massing, 5) colored-concrete floors to eliminate chemical mastic and ongoing waxes, 6) energy-efficient refrigerator motors, 7) LED lights in low-temperature refrigerated cases, 8 ) refrigerated case covers to guide refrigeration directly onto food products to reduce energy consumption, and 9) recycling programs.
