The Challenges:
Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets, in keeping with the company's strong commitment to the communities in which it operates, identified the Crenshaw Corridor in South Los Angeles as a "food desert" - an area lacking access to nutritious food alternatives at affordable prices. In an attempt to mitigate these food-access issues, Fresh & Easy entered the regulatory approval process for building a market at 52nd Street and Crenshaw Boulevard. Despite a large amount of community support, these plans were met with some opposition from individuals concerned about the market’s compatibility with the Crenshaw Specific Plan. Fresh & Easy retained Cerrell Associates to conduct outreach and negotiations with City leadership and community groups to help ensure a victory at City Hall.

Key Cerrell Activities:

• Developed localized messages and materials outlining the dire food-access problems facing the Crenshaw community.
• Arranged negotiations with opponents, with an eye towards reaching a solution that satisfied all parties.
• Worked with area City Councilmember Bernard Parks, who supported the approval of the Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market.
• Conducted extensive community outreach around the proposed site, educating members of the community and other key stakeholders on the benefits the market would bring to the neighborhood.
• Built strong relationships with key decision makers, Council staff members, community stakeholders, law enforcement, and prominent groups in the community to combat opponents’ misrepresentations about the project.
• Engaged in extensive negotiations with the Planning Department, City Planning Commission, Planning and Land Use Management Committee, Department of Building and Safety, and various other regulatory bodies to reach appropriate compromises that satisfied elected officials, neighborhood groups and most importantly, our client.
• Assisted Councilmember Parks and his staff in building a coalition of more than one hundred supportive Crenshaw residents to ensure high turnout at City Hall for the hearing. The coalition vocally supported Fresh & Easy during the hearing, and voiced displeasure with misinformation generated by the store’s opponents.

Results that Speak for Themselves:
Cerrell Associates' strategic communications plan, relationships with decision-makers, and hands on tactical assistance helped Fresh & Easy strengthen its position at City Hall. The City Council ultimately decided to approve the store at 52nd Street and Crenshaw Boulevard despite challenges from community organizations. We were successful in crafting messages that detailed the serious food-access and public health issues facing the community, and in displaying the much-needed benefits that a Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market would bring to South Los Angeles. We successfully overcame powerful opposition to the store through extensive negotiation, relationship building, targeted communications, and creative, outside-of-the-box thinking. Our relationship with Councilmember Parks' office, paired with strong community support proved vital in convincing the City Council to approve the 52nd Street and Crenshaw Boulevard store location. We are continuing to work with Fresh & Easy to help bring fresh, nutritious, and affordable food to underserved neighborhoods across Southern California.

Contact Us:
Lisa Gritzner, President
P:323-466-3445 | E:lisa@cerrell.com | web:www.cerrell.com

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