Wow!! What a shock to see someone post about Hemet! Living in Hemet, I must agree with you that there are many conversions along Florida Ave, as well as other parts of the city.
Home Depot - NW corner of Sanderson and Florida. Former "Max Club", a small Costco style warehouse store that also sold a limited amount of groceries. Store only lasted a few years and was expanded into Home Depot. You can see where it was expanded to the east, where there aren't as many skylights.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1
Target - SW corner of Sanderson and Florida, next door to the former Market Basket. Originally Payless Drugs. When Target moved in during the late 1990's, the back wall was pushed out and some of the smaller stores were removed from the western portion of the building to expand west to include a Garden dept. Target expanded once again in 2007, and the garden dept was removed as well as a few more retail stores to create a small grocery section. The original facade was also replaced at this time. You can tell where the original Payless was from the layout of the AC units on the roof.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1
Staples/99 cents only - Former Market Basket and former Albertsons. The building sat vacant for most of the 1990's after Albertsons closed down. Staples was there by itself for sometime before the 99 cents store opened.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1
Vons - SE corner of Sanderson and Florida. Former Safeway. Exterior has been remodeled twice in the past ten years.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1
Fresh and Easy/DD's Discounts - SW corner of Lyon and Florida. Former Builders Square, most recently Do-it Center. Closed not too long after Home Depot opened. Also in the same center is a former Thrifty that has been vacant for ten years. Still has the Thrifty interior.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1
Former Albertsons - SE corner of Florida and Palm. Originally Smiths, bought by Lucky then converted to Albertsons. Closed October 2008. Rumored to become new police headquarters.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1
Hospital Record Building NW corner of San Jacinto and Florida - Originally Stater Bros, then a Pic N Save. Most recently McMann's and Helig Myers Furniture. Bought by the nearby hospital to house records.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1
Former Stater Bros - NW corner of San Jacinto and Oakland - Replaced original Stater Bros that was near the corner of San Jacinto and Florida. Remained open when a new Staters opened at Esplanade and San Jacinto in 1995 (just down the street). Closed in 2004. Has since been remodeled into office space for Riverside County welfare offices (as has the former WT Grant/Sears which is in the same center). Sears moved to the Hemet Valley Mall in 1997/98.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1
Cardena's Market - NE corner of San Jacinto and Esplanade (technically in San Jacinto) former Alpha Beta. Was converted to Ralphs for a short period of time when Alpha Beta disappeared in the mid-90's, only to close a few months later. Later became an El Toro Market and then was sold to Cardena's.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1
Big Lots - SW corner of Florida and Yale - Former Alpha Beta. Closed in the late 80's, replaced by Pic N Save which moved from their former location. Across the street is a former Alphies Restaurant, now Millie's.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1
Save-a-lot/Burke's Outlet - Former Vons. SE corner of Florida and Yale - This building was vacant for most of the 90's. Not sure if this was a Safeway or not. Perhaps this was a replacement store for the former location where Grocery Outlet is now located. Same shopping center has a former Millers Outpost (now Joanne Fabrics) and a former Longs (now a local furniture store). The Longs closed when they bought 2 former (and newer) Rite Aide locations in town.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1
Henry's Marketplace - SW corner of Stetson and State - former Stater Bros - Staters moved across the street to a new location in 1991. Same shopping center has a former Boston Store location, as well as a former Sprouse!
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1
98 cent store/Chinese Express - SE corner of Stetson and State - former Alpha Beta. Disappeared with the rest of the chain in the mid-90's. For whatever reason, this location never became Ralphs.
http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&F ... &encType=1
Stater Bros dominates the valley to say the least. There are three locations on Florida Ave alone (Sanderson, Stanford, New Chicago) one on Stetson, and two in San Jacinto.
We're also home to Fresh and Easy #1, their first location in the United States.
I really hope this wasn't too of topic.