Published: July 19, 2011 Updated: 4:27 p.m.

Target San Clemente preparing to hire 200

City officials say store being built at 990 Avenida Vista Hermosa will provide about 200 local jobs and generate $300,000 per year in sales tax for local government.

By FRED SWEGLES / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Target is preparing to hire staff for a new store being built in San Clemente, with a "mass hiring event" set for Aug. 11-12-13 in San Clemente.

City officials say the Target store will create about 200 local jobs to staff a store expected to open in October at 990 Avenida Vista Hermosa.

The San Clemente Chamber of Commerce is promoting the mass-hiring event, having announced it on the Chamber's website and sending e-mails around the community.

"We've had a lot of phone calls," said Norma Hernandez, chamber administrative assistant.

Today at 6 p.m., the City Council will consider waiving a $750 rental fee to help Target get a head start with an Aug. 5 job fair in the landmark Ole Hanson Beach Club.

The report to City Council says the job fair would be from 1 to 6 p.m. in the beach club, a city recreational facility at 105 W. Avenida Pico.

"This job fair would allow Target to announce hiring for its new store in town, accept applications and even do some on-the-spot interviews," Laura Ferguson, the city's public information officer, tells the City Council.

City staff is asking the council to approve the $750 fee waiver to help Target begin a two-month recruiting campaign that Ferguson said "comes at an opportune time, considering the ongoing economic slump which has impacted the city's financial condition. Target's job fair serves as a legitimate economic-development activity that will help stimulate our local economy."

The 142,000-square-foot store is being built at the corner of Avenida Vista Hermosa and Avenida La Pata, near the entrance to San Clemente's Talega community. Across the street from the store, at 989 Avenida Vista Hermosa, the city is building a $32.7 million sports park funded in part by the city's sale of the land to Target.

Ferguson's report estimates that the store will generate $300,000 per year in sales-tax revenue for the city.

Target also is accepting job applications at target.com/careers.

Contact the writer: fswegles@ocregister.com or 949-492-5127

http://www.ocregister.com/news/city-308 ... store.html