Ross Dress for Less closing in downtown SLO, creating another big vacancy on Higuera
Update: San Luis Obispo Economic Development Manager Lee Johnson said that the Ross Dress for Less, which closed Tuesday on Higuera Street, received a certificate of occupancy and business license in mid-July 1991.
“While it is unfortunate Ross is closing, it is not unexpected,” Johnson said in an email. “The city continues to work actively with Downtown SLO, the Chamber and our other partners to ensure that our downtown remains a vibrant and welcoming place.”
Johnson said that the local economy is continuing to add “new and diverse offerings downtown and our (commercial) vacancy rate continues to improve. At the highest, the rate was over 12% in June 2020 and now we are at 7%.”
He added: “From the city’s perspective, we are well positioned to attract a high quality new tenant.”
Original story: Ross Dress for Less is closing its store in downtown San Luis Obispo.
The discount retailer, which also has a location at Madonna Plaza, posted a sign on its window facing Higuera Street announcing that Tuesday would be its last day.
The downstore store is located at 868 Higuera St. on a centralized block that has seen the closure of two other large retail stores nearby — Beverly’s Fabrics & Crafts, which closed in 2020, and Charles Shoes, which shuttered in 2019.
Charles and Beverly’s were both family-owned businesses that had operated for about five decades in SLO, while Ross is owned by a national corporation.
After Ross opened a new store location at 273 Madonna Road in the Madonna Plaza in 2019, public speculation followed that Ross would close downtown if the company just wanted to keep one store in SLO.
The store has existed at that location since before Tribune digital archives began in 1997, and it’s unclear when it opened. It replaced the old JC Penney’s, according to historian Dan Kreiger, who mentioned the change in a Tribune column he wrote in 2011.
Longtime SLO architect Pierre Rademaker, whose office is located one block away, told The Tribune he believes Ross moved in during the late 1980s or early 1990s. A sign at the top of the building says 1908 to 1991, perhaps referencing the building’s original history before a retrofit.
“It was JC Penney’s, and then there was seismic work was done (before Ross moved in),” Rademaker said. “I can’t remember who the architect was, but it was kind of controversial. It looks a lot like Philip Johnson’s AT&T building in New York City, which was about the same era (built in 1984).”
The store often is used as a pedestrian passageway between Monterey and Higuera streets, and it’s unclear if any future business or occupant would still allow that public access.
At the time the new Ross opened in 2018, the downtown store manager said that she hadn’t heard anything about changes to the SLO location.
A request for comment Friday at the downtown store was declined by an employee.
Ross’ corporate office didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment Friday afternoon about why the store is closing and how long it had been located downtown.
Ross Dress for Less also has stores in Pismo Beach, Paso Robles and Santa Maria.
Ross is known for its affordable clothing and home supply merchandise, with more than 1,500 locations in the United States.
Shoppers reflect on store closure
On Friday, shoppers at the store said they’ll miss the downtown SLO business for its affordable shopping and browsing opportunities.
“I have classes around here, and I probably come here about once a month,” said Mikayla Blanchard of Nipomo. “I look for the basics, like active-wear and other clothing.”
Claudia Velasquez of Santa Maria said that she comes to the SLO store when she’s in town because she feels like it has a better stock of merchandise that the store near her.
“The have a good selection of things,” Velasquez said. “I’ll look for everything from pots and pans to clothing and other household items.”
The bottom floor of the business was closed on Friday, while gaps of merchandise in the shelving rows were starting to appear in the street-level space, as supplies run short.
“I probably come here once or twice a week,” said Ozzie Moreno, an Ocutt resident who works in SLO. “I’ve been shopping here for about 10 years. I’ll probably still go over to the Madonna Plaza (Ross) store, but it won’t be as often because this one is convenient for where I work, and eat and browse.”
Karen Carroll, a downtown SLO resident, said that she’s “sad” that the business is closing.
“I loved coming here after getting a Starbucks coffee to just check things out,” Carroll said. “I can walk from downtown, so it was great for me.”
Gina Perez of Visalia said she was vacationing in Pismo Beach and has been coming to the store amid Central Coast trips for about 20 years.
“I’ll miss it for its variety,” Perez said. “We liked coming here when we have been in the area.”
This story was originally published January 14, 2022 at 6:17 PM.
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