It looks like we’ll be temporarily losing an area market starting this weekend, but the long-awaited event is probably one that few people are lamenting.
We bid a fond farewell to the nearly 27,000-square-foot Safeway that has been in Pinehurst since 1965, and say hello to the future with 50,000 square feet and plenty of new items – and don’t forget the Starbuck’s.
The store, located at 12318 15th Ave N.E., will be closed starting at 6 p.m. Saturday, with plans to reopen in early November, followed by a grand opening in early December.
Although the more recently remodeled Safeway at Roosevelt Way and 75th Street is likely the preferred shopping destination for many Maple Leaf residents, that could change – especially for the north-enders — when Safeway reopens its first LEED-certified store in the state just up the street.
In the meantime, Pinehurst Safeway regulars won’t be without their pharmacy, which opens Monday — or as late as Tuesday — in a trailer in the north end of the store’s parking lot.
Worried about your favorite Safeway employee? Their jobs are secure if they’d like to remain with the company. And when they come back in the fall, there’ll be plenty of new faces as well, with plans to employ about 75 more workers, said Safeway real estate manager Michelle Fleharty.
Despite all the controversy over the years, are you excited about the new and improved Safeway?
(Thanks to Lake City Live for the link and its post. Want to learn more about the project? Check out Pinehurst Seattle, which has followed it for years.)