Albertsons/Safeway 2018 & 2019: Openings and Closings

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Super S
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by Super S »

rwsandiego wrote: May 2nd, 2018, 6:22 pm
Super S wrote: May 2nd, 2018, 1:54 pm ...This store never did get a Lifestyle remodel that I know of and still has old signage. ...
Based on the pictures provided in the Google Maps listing, it has Lifestyle 1.0, despite never having changed its sign.

Maybe the exterior sign folks are stuck in traffic? :)
I stand corrected. I haven't been inside the Jantzen Beach store in about ten years, and just assumed Safeway wasn't doing anything with the building because of the uncertainty of the I-5 bridge project.
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by storewanderer »

Super S wrote: May 2nd, 2018, 7:14 pm
rwsandiego wrote: May 2nd, 2018, 6:22 pm
Super S wrote: May 2nd, 2018, 1:54 pm ...This store never did get a Lifestyle remodel that I know of and still has old signage. ...
Based on the pictures provided in the Google Maps listing, it has Lifestyle 1.0, despite never having changed its sign.

Maybe the exterior sign folks are stuck in traffic? :)
I stand corrected. I haven't been inside the Jantzen Beach store in about ten years, and just assumed Safeway wasn't doing anything with the building because of the uncertainty of the I-5 bridge project.
I drove by that store many times and saw those old signs and wondered how could a location in such a high traffic area not have a Lifestyle remodel. Finally one time I went in and saw it was indeed a lifestyle store, an early one at that.

I am surprised the store is "underperforming" given it was one of the Lifestyle 1.0 Stores (those were the company's best and most upscale stores at the time).

Given Safeway owns the building, I am guessing this is an upcoming real estate sale and the site will be redeveloped into a more lucrative non-grocery use. Is the store really underperforming, or is it a matter of too good of an offer for the property to pass up?

This is also one of those stores that does not "look good" to close. The store was like a billboard on I-5. People will see those Safeway signs come down.
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by rwsandiego »

storewanderer wrote: May 2nd, 2018, 9:22 pm
Super S wrote: May 2nd, 2018, 7:14 pm
rwsandiego wrote: May 2nd, 2018, 6:22 pm

Based on the pictures provided in the Google Maps listing, it has Lifestyle 1.0, despite never having changed its sign.

Maybe the exterior sign folks are stuck in traffic? :)
I stand corrected. I haven't been inside the Jantzen Beach store in about ten years, and just assumed Safeway wasn't doing anything with the building because of the uncertainty of the I-5 bridge project.
I drove by that store many times and saw those old signs and wondered how could a location in such a high traffic area not have a Lifestyle remodel. Finally one time I went in and saw it was indeed a lifestyle store, an early one at that.

I am surprised the store is "underperforming" given it was one of the Lifestyle 1.0 Stores (those were the company's best and most upscale stores at the time).

Given Safeway owns the building, I am guessing this is an upcoming real estate sale and the site will be redeveloped into a more lucrative non-grocery use. Is the store really underperforming, or is it a matter of too good of an offer for the property to pass up?

This is also one of those stores that does not "look good" to close. The store was like a billboard on I-5. People will see those Safeway signs come down.
I wonder if they will move back into the redeveloped shopping center?
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by storewanderer »

rwsandiego wrote: May 2nd, 2018, 10:07 pm
storewanderer wrote: May 2nd, 2018, 9:22 pm
Super S wrote: May 2nd, 2018, 7:14 pm

I stand corrected. I haven't been inside the Jantzen Beach store in about ten years, and just assumed Safeway wasn't doing anything with the building because of the uncertainty of the I-5 bridge project.
I drove by that store many times and saw those old signs and wondered how could a location in such a high traffic area not have a Lifestyle remodel. Finally one time I went in and saw it was indeed a lifestyle store, an early one at that.

I am surprised the store is "underperforming" given it was one of the Lifestyle 1.0 Stores (those were the company's best and most upscale stores at the time).

Given Safeway owns the building, I am guessing this is an upcoming real estate sale and the site will be redeveloped into a more lucrative non-grocery use. Is the store really underperforming, or is it a matter of too good of an offer for the property to pass up?

This is also one of those stores that does not "look good" to close. The store was like a billboard on I-5. People will see those Safeway signs come down.
I wonder if they will move back into the redeveloped shopping center?
The store was already, in its day, a flagship of sorts for Portland Division... probably the nicest Safeway in OR/WA in its day, including after the Lifestyle remodel. Appears it may have been underperforming as of late for some reason. I can't see why given the lack of competition in the immediate area. Almost as if the people who lived near there started to avoid the place. May be a good spot for a Whole Foods.
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by babs »

storewanderer wrote: May 2nd, 2018, 11:02 pm
rwsandiego wrote: May 2nd, 2018, 10:07 pm
storewanderer wrote: May 2nd, 2018, 9:22 pm

I drove by that store many times and saw those old signs and wondered how could a location in such a high traffic area not have a Lifestyle remodel. Finally one time I went in and saw it was indeed a lifestyle store, an early one at that.

I am surprised the store is "underperforming" given it was one of the Lifestyle 1.0 Stores (those were the company's best and most upscale stores at the time).

Given Safeway owns the building, I am guessing this is an upcoming real estate sale and the site will be redeveloped into a more lucrative non-grocery use. Is the store really underperforming, or is it a matter of too good of an offer for the property to pass up?

This is also one of those stores that does not "look good" to close. The store was like a billboard on I-5. People will see those Safeway signs come down.
I wonder if they will move back into the redeveloped shopping center?
The store was already, in its day, a flagship of sorts for Portland Division... probably the nicest Safeway in OR/WA in its day, including after the Lifestyle remodel. Appears it may have been underperforming as of late for some reason. I can't see why given the lack of competition in the immediate area. Almost as if the people who lived near there started to avoid the place. May be a good spot for a Whole Foods.
It is sad to see it go. It was the largest Safeway in the chain when it was built. The unique layout with all of the service deparments in the front part of the store under the atrium was revolutionary at the time.

The building will sit vacant until the freeway bridge replacement issue is resolved. It was due to be demolished as part of the project. No one will sink millions into it with that uncertainty.
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Sorry to keep a bit off main topic - Jantzen Beach Safeway, Portland, OR

Post by SamSpade »

babs wrote: May 3rd, 2018, 7:47 amIt is sad to see it go. It was the largest Safeway in the chain when it was built. The unique layout with all of the service deparments in the front part of the store under the atrium was revolutionary at the time.

The building will sit vacant until the freeway bridge replacement issue is resolved. It was due to be demolished as part of the project. No one will sink millions into it with that uncertainty.
Quite likely. The "SuperCenter" only ended up doing their renovations after the Columbia River Crossing project died. However, last I knew there were rumblings of Oregon and Washington starting up discussions again. It is a realistic problem that needs a solution for the island, the cities, the states and the region.

KPTV-TV did a nice flyover of the store yesterday. Beautiful, even from the air:
Image
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by arizonaguy »

The Toys R Us / Babies R Us building in the shopping center across the freeway will soon become available.

Does that site work for any type of typical grocer?
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by babs »

arizonaguy wrote: May 3rd, 2018, 1:22 pm The Toys R Us / Babies R Us building in the shopping center across the freeway will soon become available.

Does that site work for any type of typical grocer?
That building is nearly 100,000 sq ft. The grocery who might take it is Winco. The problem with grocery is that it's not taxed in Washington so there is little reason for people to drive south just for food unless it was some sort of destination. Is Winco that destination? On the flip side, would people drive north from Portland to shop? It's a bit of a gamble.

Costco has poked around the area for years looking for a store site. Could they build something there?
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by Super S »

babs wrote: May 3rd, 2018, 1:54 pm
arizonaguy wrote: May 3rd, 2018, 1:22 pm The Toys R Us / Babies R Us building in the shopping center across the freeway will soon become available.

Does that site work for any type of typical grocer?
That building is nearly 100,000 sq ft. The grocery who might take it is Winco. The problem with grocery is that it's not taxed in Washington so there is little reason for people to drive south just for food unless it was some sort of destination. Is Winco that destination? On the flip side, would people drive north from Portland to shop? It's a bit of a gamble.

Costco has poked around the area for years looking for a store site. Could they build something there?
WinCo has talked about opening at Delta Park in the past, I think they expressed some interest in the old Builder's Square site before it became Lowe's.

The problem Jantzen Beach presents is the fact it only would really serve the residents of Hayden Island. Since I-5 is the only way to get there from other areas, it does present hurdles getting there from North Portland in the afternoons due to the traffic. WinCo isn't really a destination when they already have several stores in Clark County. But they do not have a store in this area of Portland, so it could work.

Jantzen Beach as a whole has been hit or miss in recent years.
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Re: Albertsons/Safeway 2018: Openings and Closings

Post by Super S »

Super S wrote: April 15th, 2018, 10:09 pm
rwsandiego wrote: April 15th, 2018, 7:46 pm
Super S wrote: April 15th, 2018, 1:58 pm

Well, that's definitely the Safeway. There are two major errors in that recent listing though. First, the store has been updated to Lifestyle signage and has had some other remodeling to the front, including a second set of doors, in addition to now also having a gas station. Second, the year built is not correct. It says 1986, but I know for sure this building opened about 1-2 years after I moved to Vancouver in 1994 and was a new build. I think it should say 1996. (The shopping center just to the west, where Safeway used to be, may have been built in 1986, however)

Also interesting is that the even newer standalone JCPenney at 192nd & Mill Plain, which is also still open, is also listed below that....

But now that Albertsons is involved, they do tend to give up on stores rather easily in Vancouver... 164th & Mcgillvray, 4th Plain, and Orchards (which was open about 10 years) which was replaced by Padden Parkway (which replaced the Orchards location and also was open about 10 years) Salmon Creek still has both an Albertsons and Safeway about a mile apart but both remain open for now.
The listing that states the store is off-market lists the store as having been built in 1994. Someone mentioned Safeway took over from another grocer, so perhaps 1986 is when the building was built. It is surprising that they displayed an outdated picture.
A quick Google search found an article from 1996 that mentions the store. It looks like 1994 is correct. I remember seeing it under construction shortly after moving to Vancouver that year. Ironically the shopping center to the west has a Chuck's Produce store in the former G.I. Joe's space at the other end.

https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/st ... tory5.html
The Columbian has an article today hinting at the store's closure:

http://www.columbian.com/news/2018/may/ ... lose-soon/

What I do find interesting though is that Safeway declined to comment for the story, and has yet to make an official closing announcement. Makes me wonder what the real plans are here.
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