Admiral Safeway: Old store set to close August 21st

| Development | West Seattle news

(Photo by Christopher Boffoli, taken during 2009 Admiral power outage)
Just in from Sara Corn at Safeway: The official closing date for Admiral Safeway is set for midnight Saturday night, August 21st. She adds, “The existing store is expected to be demolished in mid-September, and the new store is estimated to be open late summer 2011.” Corn also says they’ll have a website up “soon” to provide updates on the construction schedule and even a construction webcam, as well as providing information on promotions at the Jefferson Square Safeway, for those who choose to shop there while the Admiral store is closed. (update) The pharmacy will open in its temporary HQ (parking-lot trailer) on Aug. 22nd. (back to original report) The last City Council vote related to the project will be Monday, when final approval is expected for the “alley vacation” giving Safeway the right to build over what is technically an alley on the south side of the site (though you wouldn’t recognize it as one).

Justin July 30, 2010 (2:57 pm)

Can we assume the Safeway Gas Station on Admiral will remain?

WSB July 30, 2010 (2:58 pm)

That site is not involved in the project at all.

kittylove July 30, 2010 (3:06 pm)

late summer 2011? it really takes that long? ugh.

Diane July 30, 2010 (3:09 pm)

and will the BECU atm stay open through 8/21?

hopey July 30, 2010 (3:51 pm)

Boy, I wish they could do the demo before school starts instead of after. I worry about how all the construction is going to distract the kids at Lafayette.

WSB July 30, 2010 (4:02 pm)

FWIW Hopey … Safeway did hope to start earlier but they say (which we reported two or three stories ago) that the city scheduled the alley-vacation hearing a lot later than they’d expected …

AletaW July 30, 2010 (4:18 pm)

It’s a good thing they have Safeway.com! It’s a convenient alternative – one I’ve used often.

Laf Parent July 30, 2010 (5:03 pm)

What about parking for drop-off pick-up at Lafayette??….could be an interesting start to the new school year.

FabulousEm July 30, 2010 (6:12 pm)

That Sara Corn at Safeway has been so great! ;)

Gina July 30, 2010 (7:48 pm)

Looks like the Lafayette parents will need to put their heads together and brainstorm about how 450+kids will be dropped off and picked up at Lafayette.

Hard to believe that it has been 30 years since that alley was a real alley!

mightymo July 30, 2010 (9:09 pm)

I’m also concerned about the BECU ATM, which is the only reason I usually go into that store. I can get cash back when going to the store, and I do leave the peninsula regularly, but it would be nice if that ATM were moved somewhere nearby.

Pam July 30, 2010 (9:16 pm)

Will miss Chris, Barb and Cheryl…..

Hope you come back when the store reopens.

dsa July 30, 2010 (9:35 pm)

Lafayette parents won’t be able to use the public alley for dropoff because the city will give it to Safeway.

old timer July 30, 2010 (11:15 pm)

If they do not relocate your usual ATM,
there is a freestanding BECU ATM that is useable 24/7
in the parking lot of the micro-mall just south of the Morgan
Thriftway on California.
Maybe not the best location, but maybe better than none.

Dano July 30, 2010 (11:23 pm)

Ditto the “No parking for Lafayette” comment… Folks should start thinking about how they will be dropping off their kids for school… There will no longer be parking at Safeway for school events…. It really was never there to begin with…. Safeway was just gracious enough to not enforce their parking lot rules.

gtothen July 30, 2010 (11:56 pm)

Will there still be Holy Rosary Christmas trees??

Lorelee July 31, 2010 (1:20 am)

Hey parents- consider walking or biking to school with your kids. You can’t live that far away!

Noelle July 31, 2010 (1:52 am)

Out with the old . . . in with the NEW! That new Safeway will be wonderful!

N.A. Neighbor July 31, 2010 (8:24 am)

I wondered how long it would take for someone to make a snarky comment about how Lafayette parents should walk or bike to school….

WSB July 31, 2010 (8:34 am)

To that point, our son went to Lafayette for three years. We live about three miles south. The program he was in wasn’t offered at any other West Seattle elementary school at the time. Certainly some who could walk/bike don’t – but I’m sure for many (and this school has the largest enrollment of any WS elementary) it’s just not feasible. Anyway, we will work on a followup with some of the points raised – how Lafayette traffic will be affected/handled, as well as some other interesting points like “what about Holy Rosary trees?” One reminder, this project does NOT have an underground garage, so there will not be excavation – parking remains on the surface, plus more than 100 spaces on the new store’s roof! – TR

Sue July 31, 2010 (8:56 am)

Just a reminder to the BECU users, in addition to the ATM near Thriftway, you can get money for free from 7-11 ATMs too, and if you have a scanner, most check deposits can be made online at becu.org now. I say “most” because occasionally the program can’t read my scanned copy enough to work and I’ve had to actually go into a branch to do it.

AnotherIdiotInWS July 31, 2010 (9:47 am)

It’s unbelievable what things people are concerned with… the ATM machine? How will I drop my precious child off with all “this” going on? The gas station? the alley? Ugh!
.
I did love the comment where someone wished 3 of the employees well… and by name! How cool is that?

Gina July 31, 2010 (9:55 am)

Holy Rosary Trees might go back to the spot they used to use. Oh. That is the hole foods hole now.

mightymo July 31, 2010 (12:58 pm)

I’m less concerned about the employees because an earlier report stated that they would all be able to get jobs at other store (and may be back when it reopens).

For some reason, the BECU ATM in the Morgan Junction didn’t come up a search on their website. It’s good to know that it’s there.

Leroniusmonkfish August 1, 2010 (1:07 am)

As Michael Stipe once sang “It’s The End Of The World As We Know It And I feel Fine”.

ChrisH August 2, 2010 (6:05 pm)

what will happen to the employees during the closure?

WS native August 4, 2010 (10:18 am)

I am going to miss the friendly employees at the Admiral Safeway- Barb, Cheryl and Chris are like family. And also Lisa, that darling girl whose smile was the first thing I looked for when I came in. I hope she is hired for Jefferson Square. She has been high-fiving my kids since they were babies- and even though they are in school when I come in now, she always asks about them.That matters.

Chris August 18, 2010 (3:07 pm)

I’m not surprised parents are on here insinuating that Safeway has some kind of obligation to provide parking for a government run institution, after all this is the ME generation.

I used BECU’s ATM as well, but its BECU’s obligation to find a new home until the new Safeway is built, not Safeway’s.

Sorry, comment time is over.