Trader Joe’s teases opening in Marina del Rey [STORY UPDATED]
April 18, 2019
Corporate headquarters initially announced store to open on April 12, but opening date was almost immediately postponed.
STORY UPDATE: The Trader Joe’s publicity team, at 10:40 a.m. on April 18, announced (via email) the new Marina del Rey location will open on April 19. Trader Joe’s Marina del Rey will officially open for business at 9 a.m. on the 19th. “Moments before doors open, a ribbon cutting will take place, and the grand opening celebration is scheduled to continue throughout the day with food tastings, giveaways and more.”
MARINA DEL REY—A new Trader Joe’s at Marina del Rey’s Pier 44 was all set to open on April 12, with the company’s public relations team announcing a formal grand opening of the waterfront store on a Friday morning. The April 12 opening, however, was cancelled less than 24 hours later, with doors set to open later in the month.
“The Trader Joe’s Marina Del Rey store was set to open on April 12th. We’ve just gotten word that the date has been pushed back, due to some last minute preparations. The store is still expected to open this month, however I’ll share an exact date with you, once it is confirmed,” Kenya Friend-Daniel, Trader Joe’s public relations director, stated in an email on April 3.
An email sent to The Log on April 2 stated the Trader Joe’s in Marina del Rey, which had been in the works for years, was set to open at 9 a.m. on April 12. The grand opening festivities would continue throughout the day, with a ribbon cutting at the start. Those visiting the store on its first day in business would be offered food tastings and giveaways.
Trader Joe’s has been positioning its Marina del Rey location as a destination for local mariners and residents alike.
“The much anticipated waterfront store will offer boat ramps and feature murals that pay tribute to local landmarks and attractions including nearby yacht clubs, Mother’s Beach and Fisherman’s Village,” the official Trader Joe’s statement on its Marina del Rey location said.
Los Angeles County, which oversees Marina del Rey, had been working to bring a Trader Joe’s, West Marine and other retailers to Pier 44 for some time. The larger redevelopment project was to also include dining and recreational options.
Pacific Marina Venture was given the green light to redevelop Pier 44 a few years ago, with plans calling for new dry boat stacks, an updated marina and space for a yacht club to be included with the new Trader Joe’s and West Marine. Plans for the new marina called for 141 slips and five end-ties, a dramatic change from the 232-slip marina (with seven end-ties) at Pier 44 prior to redevelopment.
A fully redeveloped Pier 44 was also set to include a public promenade, bicycle paths and water taxi, according to L.A. County staff. Such amenities, county staff added, would improve public access to the waterfront.
Redeveloping Pier 44 also called for the demolition of existing docks and 15,000 square feet of existing landside uses, which included a boat launch ramp, public parking and a yacht anchorage. L.A. County staff, in 2012, anticipated the project redevelopment would cost $23 million.
The Log will follow this story up with an in-depth feature story about the new waterfront redevelopment at Pier 44, comparing what exists today to what was at the same location prior to the start of work.
Trader Joe’s is a national grocery chain, which started in the Los Angeles area in 1967; there are 500-some stores in 41 states and Washington, D.C
