Questions of Encouragement? Target Finds Hope in Council Queries

By Teresa Rochester

Target officials said they were heartened by a volley of questions from City Council members Tuesday night following public testimony on the national retailers' plans to open a three-floor store in the center of downtown.

"The council asked legitimate questions that were encouraging," a source close to Target officials said after the hearing, which will likely conclude Thursday night with a final council decision on the project's fate.

The council queries of Target officials ranged from their knowledge of a possible living wage law to whether or not they owned the property at 5th and Broadway streets where they plan to open their 162,000-square-foot store.

Carolyn Brookter, Target's public relations director, told the council that the company is aware of the potential living wage law and that Target offers employees competitive salaries and hefty benefit packages.

One of the council member's biggest concerns is the long-range fate of the proposed site, since the development permit they would have to grant could be transferred to another store that may not provide a much-needed affordable shopping venue.

Councilman Ken Genser asked Target representatives how likely it would be that the general merchandise retailer would move out and whether they own the land that once served as the location of Henshey's Department Store.

"Target will own the title," Brookter told the council, adding that of the 1,000 Target stores nationwide only 30 have closed. "We don't close lightly. We don't typically sell to someone else. Never say never, but we've never been acquired."

Other council members questioned the estimated turnover of cars in the store's proposed 580-space subterranean garage and how many vehicles can line up in the garage while exiting and entering.

A study conducted by Target of its Pasadena store - which is the same size as the proposed store -- showed that even if customers park for two or more hours there would always be at least 100 parking spaces available, Target officials said.

They added that Target plans to offer parking validation at its Santa Monica location that will allow visitors to use the garage while visiting other downtown locations. Store officials said the rate structure would be similar to the cost of parking in City-owned garages.

A handful of residents at Tuesday night's hearing lobbied the council to approve Target in part because the store would contribute to various programs in the city. If the Council approves the project, Target officials have promised a one-time donation of $150,000 to the school district's Early Childhood Development Task Force to establish a child care center.

"This could be a dream come true," sad Irene Zivi, a member of the task force's steering committee. "This kind of center would be a wonderful model and would not use precious public dollars."

But some opponents accused Target of trying to bribe the community with offers.

"Target has launched a campaign blitz with a smoke screen of a lot of deception," Bill Saraf told the council. "They're really not concerned with the quality of life.... Target just wants to create a profit center. This project will bury Santa Monica."

A union official also worried that Target would hurt small, independently owned stores, eliminating local jobs.

"They're a predatory type of employer," said Michael Straeter, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Local 1442. "They'll wipe out the small businesses in town with a similar merchandise mix."

Straeter had sent the council copies of articles, one of which indicated that Target had used sweatshop workers in Nicaragua. Similar concerns were raised by Kathy Knight, president of Friends of Sunset Park, who spoke on her own behalf.

"I'm very concerned about the allegations over sweatshops," said Knight, who also asked the council to conduct a study on the impact Target would have on small businesses.

Brookter denounced the practice of using sweatshop labor as "horrible" and said that Target officials pull their business from manufacturers when they discover sweatshop conditions.

"We do not believe in or condone sweatshop labor," she said. "When we learn about sweatshop labor we pull our products."

Craig Johnson, a consultant for Target, noted during the store's presentation to council that the proposed Santa Monica store would create 400 jobs.

Target officials said they would prepare a memo detailing their responses to council questions before Thursday night's council meeting, when a decision on the store's future in the City will likely be determined.