West Seattle Trader Joe’s: Permit issued, construction to start

STILL skeptical about the West Seattle Trader Joe’s that was first announced almost a year ago (after years of rumors, speculation, discussion, etc.)? If nothing will cure your skepticism but the sight of construction work at the site, get ready to see it.

On the heels of the land-use approvals first reported here earlier this month, the first construction permit was granted yesterday – for interior “soft demolition” work, and a source tells WSB that construction work is expected to start next week. The exterior construction permit is still pending (here’s its page on the city website).

If you are just catching up on all this – Trader Joe’s plans to open a store at 4545 Fauntleroy Way SW, the old Huling Brothers Buick showroom. They are not tearing down the showroom building, but instead, converting it, and adding a facade (the rendering above was distributed when the store plan was formally announced last June). So when will it be open, you ask? When we reviewed hard-copy plans at city offices downtown in February, we found a projection of a six-month construction schedule.

17 Replies to "West Seattle Trader Joe's: Permit issued, construction to start"

  • Diane May 21, 2011 (12:10 pm)

    god, it really has been a year; no wonder it feels like forever; then another 6 mos…….so at least if it snows big time next winter, I can walk to get my TJ’s fix

  • johnnyblegs May 21, 2011 (12:53 pm)

    AWESOME! ’bout time!

  • Nulu May 21, 2011 (12:55 pm)

    Just Great!

    The very day before the world is ending

    is the very day Trader Joe’s gets its permit.

  • Lola May 21, 2011 (1:07 pm)

    Well… I appreciate having yet one more option. That makes 4 within a half-mile of my house. And I guess that’s a *little* bit closer for the folks east of 35th. At what point will a grocer actually think of serving that half of our isthmus (or are we a peninsula)? And at what point will we demand it! I love TJ’s and am glad they’re closer, but there’s a big issue of justice/fairness here that needs to be addressed. City should impose a fee on any grocers that want to build west of 35th to fund a shoppers’ shuttle bus serving the east Westies. Just sayin’.

  • Mike May 21, 2011 (2:29 pm)

    Can’t wait to get TJ’s in West Seattle. We head to Burien or Queen Anne to go to Trader Joe’s, but this will be much better!

    Thanks WSB!!!

  • LyndaB May 21, 2011 (4:19 pm)

    I miss the old food giant.

  • April May 21, 2011 (5:45 pm)

    Yay! We LOVE Trader Joe’s! Can’t wait!

  • Brontosaurus May 21, 2011 (6:47 pm)

    Yeah, well construction started on “Hole Foods” too… I’ll believe it when I’m actually buying my dark chocolate covered pretzels in WS rather than Burien.

  • Marcia May 21, 2011 (6:57 pm)

    I don’t understand how they expect us to turn left, going north, off of Fauntleroy, with the real busy traffic coming at us? It’s not very safe!It’s always been a pretty busy avenue. I don’t think it was the best choice of Huling’s buildings, as far as safety and convenience. Maybe, they have some good plans for this issue; I hope so!

  • dawsonct May 21, 2011 (7:57 pm)

    Go around the block.

  • My two cents ... May 21, 2011 (9:06 pm)

    @Lola, I certainly hope you were joking with you comment about “… there’s a big issue of justice/fairness here that needs to be addressed. City should impose a fee on any grocers that want to build west of 35th to fund a shoppers’ shuttle bus serving the east Westies. Just sayin’.”

    If serious, just sayin’ that you are a bit delusional with respect to where a business decides
    to open and how the want run their operations.

  • I. Ponder May 21, 2011 (9:25 pm)

    I also have trouble turning left. I much prefer turning right.

  • West Seattle Wanderer May 21, 2011 (9:38 pm)

    Ecstatic that I won’t have to drive to go to a TJ’s. Absolutely ecstatic!

  • sun*e May 21, 2011 (10:47 pm)

    @Marcia – You appear to be directionally challenged… where there’s a will there’s a way.

  • TallGuy May 21, 2011 (11:41 pm)

    HUNGRY

  • ellenater May 22, 2011 (4:09 pm)

    I can walk to it. And will. Can’t wait!

  • S May 25, 2011 (5:57 am)

    I think Lola has a good point. The comment by ‘My Two Cents’ seems to come from an arrogant and self-centered perspective.

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