SEATTLE — A long-time staple in Seattle's Queen Anne neighborhood is closing its doors. A Safeway is being redeveloped into a new seven-story multi-use building.
"You're either growing or dying when it comes to business, and the development world is the same way. The store is an older building," said Doc Shampine who was shopping at Safeway.
The Safeway located off Queen Anne Avenue and Crockett Street was purchased by a company based out of Atlanta, Georgia, and the company aims to turn it into housing while leaving space for the Safeway on the ground floor.
The project is similar to a proposal at the University Village shopping district, where developers are proposing an eight-story mixed-use building over an existing Safeway.
The proposed building in Queen Anne will contain approximately 324 residential units and 50,000 square feet of space for a new Safeway store on the first floor.
"[It's] for the good of businesses because you have to keep customers coming and paying, and if you don't, they go out of business. Then the customers don't have anywhere to go," said Charley Shore, the executive director of the Queen Anne Chamber of Commerce.
Shore said what to do with the space has been a hot-button topic for a couple of years. She said the chamber has more than 300 members, each with mixed feelings.
"It's never a great time for all, but it's part of the growth thing, and let's just hope that it doesn't disrupt too much of the upper on Queen Anne Avenue," said Shore.
Along with construction, others are concerned about parking and how it will look in the historic neighborhood.
"You put a seven-story building up full of apartments and stuff. Where are these people going to park? Because it sure doesn't seem to be any parking around here already,” said Shampine.
According to the proposed plan, 323 parking stalls will be constructed for the new building. Despite some short-term ramifications for the neighborhood, Shore believes it's all worth it in the end.
"You do things for the good of all, not just a few," said Shore.
KING 5 did reach out to the developers but didn't hear back, so it's unclear on a timeline for construction.
The Safeway manager said the store will close in early June.