By ROB BARAN
Los Alamos

I would like to follow-on with Kathy Willcut’s good idea (link); the County can use that space for some of it’s recreational initiatives!

I was dismayed to read that the Kroger company has such wide latitude in choosing which businesses can move into the old Smith’s space.  However, Kroger owns the land, so they can do as they please. But with the County pressing forward with the recreational initiatives (made famous … or ‘infamous’ by the Rec Bond debate), why not use that perfectly sited, wide space with ample parking for one of it’s multifunction centers? A reasonable amount of money (or an arrangement with the property ownership) can rehabilitate it from a retail grocery space to fully-functional floor space. 

The County’s link is no longer working (losalamosbondprojects2017.com), and I can’t recall specifics about the “Rec Center,” but using space and facilities that is already available would be far more cost-effective, and financially less risky than constructing new facilities on bare land.

Further, it would finally fill what’s currently our crown-jewel of an eyesore, and bring more business to the Meri-Mac shopping center and downtown in general — local restaurants and Smith’s would benefit from more customer traffic in that area!

I hope the County Council seriously considers using the Old Smith’s to expand its recreational initiatives.