Home Depot’s old slogan used to be, “Good things happen when Home Depot comes to town.” Residents in Ontario, California don’t consider Home Depot’s arrival to be a ‘good thing’ at all, and they have organized to try and keep the giant retailer out. The Home Depot plan comes with its own built-in consumer market: 100 townhouses would also be built. According to the Daily Bulletin newspaper, the project is slated for the corner of Euclid Avenue and Riverside Drive. Residents plan to show up to the meeting of Ontario’s Development Advisory Board. The project also must be approved by the Planning Commission. This represents Home Depot’s second attempt to build a store in the area. A proposed Home Depot in nearby Claremont, California is in limbo now that the owner of the abutting Toyota dealership came out against the home improvement store. Residents have also raised concerns over the issue of day laborers lining up in Home Depot parking lots. The public complains that many of these workers are illegal immigrants. In several California communities, Home Depot has had to confront the issue of illegal workers waiting for construction work outside of their stores.
Citizens in Ontario don’t have far to travel to find a Home Depot. There are 7 Home Depots within an easy commute, including two stores in Upland, and one in Chino. So there is no pressing market need for more Home Depots, and neighbors are correct that traffic and crime will have an impact on the quality of life in the community, and on housing values near the store.
