By Sandy Gamino
The Azalea shopping center, on Firestone Boulevard. and Atlantic Avenue, is an opportunity for a community to get better stores, jobs and money.
Although many people might say that the shopping center is good for the city of South Gate, they aren’t thinking of the downsides it is causing the city and ELAC students at the South Gate campus. The Azalea shopping center is causing too much traffic.
The students that pass through that area to get to school are often slowed down due to all the traffic. It keeps those who attend the South Gate campus from getting to class on time.
The shopping center has a lot of stores that have created many jobs opportunities. Most of the jobs that the stores offer are minimum wage.
These jobs barely help students pay their school expenses, such as tuition and books.
“Yeah I have a job at the shopping center, but that’s not the only one I have, I work in the morning, go to school I. The afternoon and go to my second job in the evening,” a student said.
The 370,000 square foot shopping center has increased taxes. Taxes are already high in the city of South Gate.
“The taxes are way too much on everything, I sometimes prefer to shop in a different city,” an ELAC student said.
The shopping center cost the city more than $80 million.
They could have used that money to make something more useful, something that students will benefit from. The shopping center isn’t doing a ood service for many. It’s really just another place to waste their money.