Rainbow/Flamingo, Las Vegas

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lvkewlkid
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Rainbow/Flamingo, Las Vegas

Post by lvkewlkid »

I was on the Assessor's website looking at what the Sunflower Market used to be at Rainbow/Flamingo, which I would still like to know...

but I was looking at 4120 South Rainbow, which is across the street and is currently a vacant Albertsons which recently closed, the Clark County Assessor history site said that it was built in 1978 by Safeway and pretty much owned by Safeway until 2000, this surprised me since I thought that all Albertsons in Las Vegas were Lucky's except for the recent new-builds...I don't remember a VONS in that location, so can someone help me figure out if this was just land leased to Albertsons, which would be very strange to me...

Also the former Rite Aid, former PayLess was built in 1991, which I thought was odd since the rest of the center was built in 1978, was there anything there before the Pay Less, maybe a razed row of shops?
surfingdude
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Re: Rainbow/Flamingo, Las Vegas

Post by surfingdude »

According to my store list dated 3/86, 4120 S. Rainbow was a Lucky. I cannot recall the open date, but judging from the store number, I would guess 1979-81.
lvkewlkid
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Re: Rainbow/Flamingo, Las Vegas

Post by lvkewlkid »

that would make sense to me, but I wonder why Safeway was the owner for the land in 1978 and in 2000, it is very strange...
surfingdude
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Re: Rainbow/Flamingo, Las Vegas

Post by surfingdude »

lvkewlkid wrote:that would make sense to me, but I wonder why Safeway was the owner for the land in 1978 and in 2000, it is very strange...
Not as strange as you may think. For example, Safeway may have purchased the land sometime prior to 1978 as a comptetitive or defensive move, and changed ther plans later. Lucky may have then leased the land and built their own building. Many possibilities. Safeway was beginning to stuggle in So Cal/Las Vegas division by the late 70's.
mgrmk
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Re: Rainbow/Flamingo, Las Vegas

Post by mgrmk »

The Sunflower market site @ Rainbow and Flamingo was a Vons when I moved to Las Vegas in 1992 and closed in mid 2005. That entire center has not changed, just a little more run down since 1992, the only difference is the Starbucks/Einstein's building was built around 2001.
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storewanderer
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Re: Rainbow/Flamingo, Las Vegas

Post by storewanderer »

That Albertsons was pretty run down. The Rite Aid and surrounding stores seemed newer than the Albertsons. The Albertsons seemed like a store that had been built by Lucky, but who knows.
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lvkewlkid
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Re: Rainbow/Flamingo, Las Vegas

Post by lvkewlkid »

yeh it was built by Lucky, all Albertsons (currently) in Las Vegas, pre-merger were Lucky's...All the former Albertsons became Raleys, which in turn, became Kroger (Smith's and Food4Less)
rnaikens
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Re: Rainbow/Flamingo, Las Vegas

Post by rnaikens »

The store on the Southeast corner of Rainbow was originally built by Safeway. When I moved here in 1985 it was one of a couple closed Safeway stores. A few years later Lucky's reopened and remodeled the store.
lvkewlkid
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Re: Rainbow/Flamingo, Las Vegas

Post by lvkewlkid »

they must've done a lot of remodeling to the outside of the store, because it looks like a stereotypical Lucky exterior...very interesting that it used to be a Safeway, would you know what other Safeway's closed in 1985, or did they just do a relocation across the street?
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storewanderer
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Re: Rainbow/Flamingo, Las Vegas

Post by storewanderer »

I was just checking to see if I had a photo of the exterior of this store, but I do not.

The layout of the interior of the store was a rather standard Lucky layout. It felt less spacious than typical in a number of places around the walls including in front of the checkouts and around the bakery/deli.

I'm surprised this store in a mature area of Las Vegas closed. It did not appear to be a struggling store based on what I saw when I was there.

I often wonder how many Albertsons will still be open in another five years.
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rnaikens
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Re: Rainbow/Flamingo, Las Vegas

Post by rnaikens »

Compare the former CompUSA at Valley View and West Sahara. That was the same design as the building we are talking about on Rainbow. I wonder if you'll see any similarities.

I don't remember Lucky's changing the building exterior to a huge degree. Spring Valley was well developed when Safeway closed the store. The Vons across the street was nothing remarkable. Interesting back story in there somewhere.

The other out of commission Safeway was at Vegas and Decatur. It is a body shop now.

My real Safeway regret is that I never went in the store in NLV at Lake Mead and Civic Center. It's partly Pistol Petes now. That was a Safeway oldie but goldie. It closed like 6 months after I moved here in 1985.
Former Safeway, 3535 W Sahara
Former Safeway, 3535 W Sahara
lvkewlkid
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Re: Rainbow/Flamingo, Las Vegas

Post by lvkewlkid »

wow, big similarity now that i see it, but it still seems like Lucky did something to the exterior...

yeh, storewanderer, i too am surprised that it closed, maybe with the walmart and 2 smiths down the street and albertsons as well and ethnic asian markets, it couldnt compete...
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