Safeway Update

It's seemed like the whole Safeway project is taking for-ev-er.  Why don't they just tear the old building down already!?!?!  Well, I've recently heard an update about the status of the project.  Plans are still moving forward, and the developer has a hearing on October 28th with the planning board (I'll post more info when I have it) for their final site approval. Once that approval is reached, their site plan will be approved, which I *think* means that they can begin demolition and prepare the site for the new building.  All the rest of the building permits will still have to be approved, but it will be great to see some progress.  I didn't get any information about when the demo work might actually start, but it's encouraging to know that things are moving forward.

I also got some info about the planned design of the project.  The Safeway store itself will be more than twice as big as the existing store and will have either a Starbucks or some sort of coffee stand inside of  it.  On my recent vacation to Washington, there were Safeways all over the place, and they all seemed newly renovated.  If we get anything close to the new stores I saw in Washington, I'll be happy.  There will be about 150 spaces for shoppers in the parking garage on site.  This isn't alot of parking, but I think that the store will get alot of foot traffic from people leaving the metro, apartment dwellers, and local homeowners (like me).  The apartment building will have just under 500 units, and it sounds like there will about an even mix between studios, 1 bedrooms, and 2 bedrooms.  It also sounds like they are planning lots of nice amenities for their residents, like a roof deck pool, outdoor space on the top floor, fitness center, washer/dryers in units, etc.  This could all change as project moves forward, but it's good to see that they're aiming high. 


Rendering from a Gazette article about the project