By Natisha Hales, Las Cruces Bulletin

Ask and you shall receive, right?

Well technically, I didn’t ask, but my column on El Paseo Road (Sept. 12) and its lack of business activity has led me to information that may change the makeup of the entire corridor.

The Community Action Agency building is going back to its original purpose - to serve as a grocery store.  Pro’s Ranch Market, based in California, has announced that they will take over the building in the near future.

The Hispanic grocery store, started in 1982 by Mike Provenzano Sr., started in southern California, but has expanded to Phoenix, El Paso and Albuquerque and been well received in all cities.  According to the company website, the grocery store has filled a niche with a goal “to give the Hispanic customer the variety, brands, and fresh authentic foods they know and love in a warm, upscale environment.

I was unable to get a hold of the contact provided to me, so I’m not exactly sure of any renovation or opening dates.  But I am sure of one thing - whenever that grocery store does open, businesses will follow, and the El Paseo Plaza will become much more active again.

Pro’s Ranch Market’s “upscale” atmosphere may also attract “upscale” businesses, which also is a plus for our economy.  Whatever the type of environment, businesses will come.  It’s a known fact that grocery stores serve as anchors in plazas, and other businesses - such as nail salons, dry-cleaning establishments, electronic retailers and other shops that get much of their business from walk-in traffic - follow the yellow brick road.

Albertsons, south of the El Paseo Plaza is proof of that concept.

Despite the shifting of the town’s new “core” - which also has an Albertsons grocery store at the hub, by the way - many of the businesses around the “west side” Albertsons have stayed in their place for years - Village Inn, Factory 2-U, International Delights, Diamond Shamrock and Arby’s, among others.  Those that have closed around the market have closed for other reasons, not just from the lack of walk-in traffic.

Since I’ve moved back to the west side of town, this is all good news to me.