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BIZNOTE: Bed Bath & Beyond closing Westwood Village store

December 30, 2021 1:55 pm
|      105 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | Westwood

Thanks for the tips. Bed Beth & Beyond has just sent out promotional emails announcing that its Westwood Village store is closing and that a clearance sale is under way. We went over to the store to confirm the closure. Staff there says there’s no exact date set yet – the closing sale is actually being handled by a contracted firm and the timeline depends on how the clearance sale goes. The chain announced in summer of 2020 that it would close 200 stores within two years, We’re seeking more information from the company as well as from the center’s new management and will add anything more we find out. This is the first major Westwood Village closing since 24 Hour Fitness one year ago.

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105 Replies to "BIZNOTE: Bed Bath & Beyond closing Westwood Village store"

  • Doree Fazio Young December 30, 2021 (2:09 pm)

    I’m so sad about this Another great store gone from Westwood Village 

    • Jim December 30, 2021 (8:46 pm)

      Too much theft unfortunately

      • Neighbor January 2, 2022 (9:57 am)

        They’re closing 200 stores.  Is theft the cause for all of them?  At that point it’s a business model problem.  You either find a way to eat the shrinkage or you pivot.

  • Mel December 30, 2021 (2:09 pm)

    We need something good at Westwood to attract other retailers. Hoping we don’t end up with another discount store (marshalls, Ross, etc)

    • Jeepney December 30, 2021 (5:44 pm)

      What is wrong with stores that sell affordably priced clothing?  This is West Seattle, not Bellevue.

      • Sus December 30, 2021 (6:58 pm)

        Because we already have two.  It would be nice to have some variety.  Like a craft store.

        • Ttt January 1, 2022 (9:48 am)

          Michael’s would be great!

        • FoxieMoxie January 3, 2022 (10:26 pm)

          Yaaaasss!!!! We NEED a craft store!! 100K+ residents and we have to go to Tukwila?! Boo to that! *Chanting* Craft Store! Craft Store!! 

    • Laura December 30, 2021 (8:14 pm)

      Yeah let’s get a Gucci store up in here

      • Lorne December 31, 2021 (1:11 pm)

        No that is a good thing for the area

    • Jim December 30, 2021 (8:47 pm)

      It used to be a very nice shopping center but with increased crime since the rapid ride implementation it’s gone WAY down hill

  • Craig December 30, 2021 (2:10 pm)

    In my opinion, it’s sad to see one of the last anchor stores keeping Westwood from becoming a second rate discount strip mall. Hope Target can stay around!  It’s hard times for any retail stores (online shopping, covid) and the crime around Westwood (parking lot break ins, shoplifting) can’t be helping either. 

    • ZA December 30, 2021 (2:51 pm)

      You should have seen it before the make over lol. Or maybe you remember it? It was a very dated, sad looking place.

      • datamuse December 30, 2021 (4:17 pm)

        I kind of miss Liquidation World to be honest, though. I found all sorts of great stuff there.

        • John December 30, 2021 (8:48 pm)

          I was really little when that closed down but I always remember having fun in that store and picked up a couple things during their final sale before closing

  • Derek December 30, 2021 (2:13 pm)

    Retail is dead. Just order things to your house. Why do we need these places?

    • smallbizowner December 30, 2021 (2:49 pm)

      As someone who owns a local retail business, I’ll tell you why we need these local places. We have a staff of 6, where do you think they would work if we shut down? When local schools ask for donation items or sponsorships for events, where do you think they could go to ask? When you have a specific question about a product that requires an expert answer, where are you going to go, Amazon? Good luck.I find your lack of understanding about how local business improves the local community to be astounding. And frankly, frustrating. I can only assume you have only shopped at large, chain stores and never had a great local business experience. You’re missing out. And so would your neighborhood if all local retail went away.

      • Regular Guy December 30, 2021 (4:30 pm)

        I think their point is that massive, obsolete stores, mostly full of junk (i.e., Bed Bath and Beyond) are dead. Not all retail is dead, but the big box stores take up so much space and are closing at a rapid pace. We don’t need to keep these places simply because they provide jobs, that is not logical at all. If anything, society’s standard of everyone needing one or more full time jobs is also outdated.

    • StopCuttingDownTrees December 30, 2021 (3:16 pm)

      People need JOBS so they can keep their houses and afford to purchase things online. Believe it or not, people actually work at those 200 Bed Bath and Beyond stores that will close soon.

    • ACG December 30, 2021 (4:43 pm)

      Completely disagree with you, Derek. I prefer to shop locally so that the employees and owners (many of them who are neighbors and fellow West Seattleites) can keep their jobs.  Quite sad that you don’t understand that, Derek. 

      • WSB December 30, 2021 (5:10 pm)

        The point made by a commenter above is true. Not only do local independent businesses contribute to local charities, schools, youth-sports programs … they also support other local independent businesses. Like us. We wouldn’t be here without the local independent businesses that comprise the bulk of those who buy the cheap ads that are our sole source of revenue. Chains either don’t advertise at all with anyone or else shovel marketing money into big tech platforms (social media companies, Google) and corporate-owned news-media companies that don’t need it. P.S. Side note to one of Derek’s points, many local retailers DID get into the online-shopping/delivery business because of the pandemic. So even if you don’t want to go to a bricks-and-mortar store, you can shop local/independent businesses and ensure your money supports your community. … TR

        • Welcome to the real world December 30, 2021 (5:31 pm)

          Tracy, thank you for explaining how the real world works for people whose comments make me wonder if they live in an alternate universe.

        • Teri Ensley December 30, 2021 (7:17 pm)

          Well said Tracy/WSB//and other locals. 

        • Graphic Wench December 31, 2021 (12:58 pm)

          Amen

    • Graphic Wench December 31, 2021 (12:17 pm)

      Even Amazon has had a rough time with supply chain issues. And, during this fun fest of ice and snow, I have hardly seen any Amazon trucks, or UPS delivery ones on my street. Not everything is better by sitting on your backside waiting for items to be delivered directly to you. Looking for salt for your sidewalk? Check out True Value. Looking for a great sandwich? Check out Huskies. I can go on but these are great local businesses to support who employ locals. SMH.

      • Sdog January 1, 2022 (7:21 pm)

        True Value ran outnof salt.and shovels on dec 23.

  • H20K9 December 30, 2021 (2:14 pm)

    Can’t blame them. Security and access are a mess at Westwood Village these days.The only shopping center I’ve seen accessible only by single-lane streets with few protected turns.Additionally METRO has turned the area into a de-facto transit hub without facilities, security  or support giving the place a feral, dirty,  unsafe feel.Is this considered progress in Seattle?

    • ZA December 30, 2021 (2:57 pm)

      The parking lot on the east side is a disaster. I’ve had my door dinged so many times because the stalls are too narrow and people just open their doors like their extra wide spaces. The alleys are also too narrow. I’ve almost been backed into so many times by people trying to leave a parking spot and not looking or thinking they have more space than they do. I quit parking over there years ago.I remember when the lane the buses line up at on Barton was all vehicle parking. Someone complained because car ranchers left all their vehicles there so the city made it all 4 hour parking. Then eventually it became a transit hub for some reason. Yes this is progress in Seattle (wink) or as I like to call it Seattle Wisdom.

    • CarolynDee December 30, 2021 (3:21 pm)

      I’m not sure I agree with your entire sentiment here, but I definitely agree that SDOT & KCMetro has failed by not providing the facilities and support needed to make it a thriving transit hub that makes sense for the area. All that space, all those failed businesses… at least put in a park & ride with facilities and maybe even an office? I dunno, I’m not an expert, I’m just the end user…

      • EJ December 30, 2021 (6:27 pm)

        …so raze the shopping center and put in a P&R? How would that help promote a thriving retail center? Not to mention the acquisition costs for something like that; seems like it’d be an utter waste of money to me. The area is already well-served by transit, and will be even more so with the rollout of the H Line.

  • Jim P. December 30, 2021 (2:19 pm)

    Every merchant I have talked to  in trying to boost Westwood and get more stores has told me the rentals are excessive and far higher than other places with more traffic and better facilities.

    I fear the place is dying of self inflicted wounds.

  • Michael Waldo December 30, 2021 (2:25 pm)

    Bummer! And I have all those 20% off coupons they send me every week. :  )seriously, a loss for the community. I get all kinds of stuff there.The nearest place if some of the same stuff I guess would be Fred Myer in Burien.Also, Barnes and Noble was the last big retailer to leave, no?

    • WSB December 30, 2021 (2:34 pm)

      Yes; that was 3 years ago. I mentioned 24 Hour Fitness, 1 year ago, as the last major closing of any kind there – TR

  • Flo B December 30, 2021 (2:26 pm)

    Derek. So it’s better to have someone drive your goods to your house vs getting it yourself??? Why???

    • Derek December 30, 2021 (4:09 pm)

      BBB is a national chain and not some local ma and pa. Take your issue up with them. I don’t like big box retailers..

  • Jort December 30, 2021 (2:50 pm)

    I don’t understand? I haven’t been seeing business closures in the West Seattle Junction, but plenty at Westwood Village. And trust me, I was assured by hundreds of internet comments that the Junction business were doomed because they took away the free parking lots. Westwood Village has more free parking than has ever been fully occupied at any moment in the entirety of its history, yet stores are closing at a regular clip. Is it possible that free parking is not the most important factor in the survival of a business? That certainly would be contrary to the prevailing blog comment wisdom, it seems. 

    • Rhonda December 30, 2021 (4:52 pm)

      This has nothing to do with lack of shoppers at Westwood Village. The center is packed at almost all retail hours each day. But Bed Bath and Beyond has only had a trickle of customers every time I’ve been there for years. They don’t sell anything Target doesn’t sell cheaper.

  • trickycoolj December 30, 2021 (2:50 pm)

    It would be nice to get a retailer like Old Navy or Best Buy but given that  we have a Ross and a Marshall’s I guess people are more into the thrift shop/teenager’s messy bedroom shopping experience. 

    • Jb December 30, 2021 (4:14 pm)

      Welcome Planet Fitness! (I hope)

      • momosmom December 30, 2021 (8:00 pm)

        Plus one for Planet Fitness!

  • Vanessa December 30, 2021 (2:51 pm)

    Talk about rent…ask any business along California Ave, the main “business district” what their rent is.Be ready to have your jaw drop.  It’s a wonder any of them can stay in business. The greed in this world is sickening. Happy Holidays? Sure. For who? Amazon I guess.

    • John December 30, 2021 (8:53 pm)

      Greed maybe a factor but you also have to keep in mind very high property taxes and voters always passing the cost on to property owners. Like library fines for example no longer being a thing and they just put an increase on people’s property taxes to pay for lost or damaged books

  • KT December 30, 2021 (3:42 pm)

    With the bazillion Amazon trucks driving all over West Seattle every day, is it really a surprise another local store is closing?

    • onion December 30, 2021 (6:23 pm)

      BBB is a web retailer with  physical stores, not a physical store with a web presence. Their prices are too high, even with their coupons, and the stores have a fraction of the selection that they offer on the web. Give me a well-curated genuinely local retailer like the late City Kitchens any day over BBB. Otherwise I’ll shop online.

  • TJ December 30, 2021 (3:44 pm)

    “Greed” being thrown around regarding rents or property values is a joke, whether it is commercial or residential property. The market dictates what people will pay. If it is too high then nobody will rent or buy, forcing the owner to drop prices. Nobody is owed anything regarding rent. The truth is Westwood had a reputation of being a dump decades ago, and it has gotten worse with the crime there. Target is suffering rampant, blatant theft on a grand scale. But they also own some blame as they don’t stop people walking right out in plain view with a lot of product. But I can also promise you that large higher end chains know what is going on there, and wherever they may look to open a store, and know it’s not worth it. You want more there? Then the Westwood property owners need to rebrand and change the vibe and experience. University Village had the same exact feel back in the 1990’s, minus the rampant crime. But they rebuilt that into a great location now with high end stores, and is a destination for people from even West Seattle. Westwood needs to do the same, but if not then I don’t have much sympathy 

  • Marko December 30, 2021 (3:59 pm)

    A long time ago I remember Westwood Village had an Ernst hardware and a Keg restaurant (I think?). Will QFC be next?

    • EJ December 30, 2021 (6:08 pm)

      Can confirm it was the Keg! It was where Rite Aid is now. We were so hoping to get another restaurant in there when it closed, but alas.

  • Peter December 30, 2021 (3:59 pm)

    We have almost completely stopped visiting Westwood Village after Eats, Pier 1, & Barnes and Noble closed. Thank goodness for Target. Also, we just don’t feel safe there any more. I had a feeling that this store would soon be closing based on the low amount of inventory the last few times we visited. 

  • anonyme December 30, 2021 (4:01 pm)

    WV needs a total rehaul.  When I worked in the area, retailers complained in meetings that the new Metro end-of-line layover brought in the crime that caused shoplifting to soar by 75%.  The place has been getting sleazier and sleazier and losing tenants ever since.  Covid was the nail in the coffin.  They need to just start over with new management, a new vision – and some seriously beefed-up security.  The area seriously needs a quality shopping mall, but WV is not that.  Alternatively: tear it down and build a hospital with nearby housing.

  • Empm December 30, 2021 (4:03 pm)

    I wish Westwood could get something I was interested in going to. How about some more restaurants? West Seattle is losing Lee’s Asian and Kamei, something other than burgers and pizza would be nice to see in Westwood. 

    • WSB December 30, 2021 (4:20 pm)

      They also have teriyaki, Thai, and wings. As we’ve reported, there are several new businesses on the way – all non-food chains – another pet store, optical, Comcast.

      • waikikigirl December 30, 2021 (4:39 pm)

        Really another pet store! Sorry I missed it, which one will it be?

      • Empm December 30, 2021 (6:48 pm)

        This is the best news! I just have missed it somewhere. What food is coming?

        • WSB December 30, 2021 (7:01 pm)

          Not new – I was referring to the existing restaurants (WingStop, Toshi’s, and Vatsana) since you just mentioned “burgers and pizza.” (Some of the leasing terms on WWV vacancies have explicitly said “no food.”)

          • East Coast Cynic December 30, 2021 (8:54 pm)

            I wish the leasing terms would change.  They could get some really neat restaurants other than the usual teriyaki, thai, and McDonalds

      • raywest January 2, 2022 (8:42 am)

        A pet store would be fine, as the one in the WS Junction is a bit inconvenient due to the weird parking set-up. Businesses like Comcast and optical are also okay, but not something that is going to keep people coming back. I see my optometrist once a year. I don’t ever need to go to a Comcast store, and people who do will likely go there once, maybe twice. Westwood Village needs viable retail stores and restaurants that bring customers back. And I totally agree we do not need more pizza, burgers, and Asian, including teriyaki. The tangled layout of WWV is the worst I’ve ever seen. The parking is all over the place, isolated and dangerous in places, and as noted, the narrow spaces make getting your car into one difficult and risky. To get from one store to another, customers have to walk or drive through a traffic maze. I always loved going to BBB, Barnes and Noble, and Pier One when they were there, but it was a pain going from one store to the other, particularly during inclement weather. Also as noted, the entire mall has become a scarier place to go to these days. I don’t know if WWV can be saved. Let’s face it, there simply isn’t an affluent-enough clientele in that area that can support higher-end stores. The discount clothing stores offering lower-end merchandise is what appears to sell. I don’t shop at either Ross or Marshall’s, and more of those types won’t bring me in.  Sorry to see Bed, Bath, and Beyond go. Looks like BBB will now mean “Build Back Better.”

        • WSB January 2, 2022 (10:19 am)

          For the record, there are four other pet stores in West Seattle besides “the one in the WS Junction” (Next to Nature) – Pet Elements in Morgan Junction and Pet Pros by Westwood QFC literally have parking outside their front door. There’s also Mud Bay in Admiral and the newly opened Addy’s in Highland Park. Not to say there’s not a market for yet another one, but since you only mentioned one … TR

    • EJ December 30, 2021 (6:11 pm)

      Did I miss the post about Lee’s closing? Can someone link the info? How sad!

      • WSB December 30, 2021 (8:06 pm)

        Lee’s is in the footprint of a future development, as is Kamei, but we don’t have anything on a formal closing plan so far.

    • Nini December 30, 2021 (7:04 pm)

      Lee’s Asian is closing!? NooooOOOOOOOoooooooo 

  • buttercup December 30, 2021 (4:40 pm)

    Chico’s,  Bed Bath and Beyond, 24 Hour Fitness, Pretty son no reason to go there.

    • East Coast Cynic December 30, 2021 (8:53 pm)

      QFC.  Everybody needs groceries sometimes.

  • Barb Z December 30, 2021 (4:52 pm)

    I, for one, much prefer to support local businesses than Amazon (where I NEVER shop). I like to be able to see what I’m buying in more than a picture.  Just think of all the cardboard, plastic, styrofoam, etc. used to get a package delivered, not to mention Amazon trucks on every block. Go shopping in a physical store & you can bring your own reusable bag, and not have to worry about your purchases being stolen from your porch.  Plus, it’s much nicer to conduct services with a friendly real person than a robot.

    • nonni January 1, 2022 (11:12 am)

      I avoid Amazon, unless there is an obscure item I absolutely cannot locate elsewhere. Seeing an item in person, at a brick-and-mortar store allows you to examine it and pre-empt the disappointment of a shipped one not meeting up to its description (or arriving broken), and the hassles of shipping it back. As for all that cardboard, plastic and styrofoam, sadly that is an unavoidable evil of our insatiable consumerism. Everything that arrives at every store comes swaddled in that waste, you just don’t see it because the friendly real person retail staff are excavating the products in the back room, surrounded by piles of detritus.

  • Local Resident December 30, 2021 (5:24 pm)

    I will miss this store.  It is my go to home products store.  I learned about many products that have made my life better while at the store.  The people that worked there have always been  friendly to me. i know for a fact that the companies that run the “going out of business” sale, actually raise prices betting that people will react greedily to “cash in” on the stores misfortune.  Don’t take my word for it, you can confirm this easily online.   

    • bargain knower December 30, 2021 (9:32 pm)

      I don’t know man, we made a killing when the Pier 1 went out of business, we got like 50 woodland creatures and fuzzy trees and other stuff we put out every xmas, pennies on the dollar. I’m going to buy every copper pan they have, those things don’t last, but I’ll have to wait for the right moment.

  • Norskgirl December 30, 2021 (5:30 pm)

    Consider University Village in the U District.  University Village seems to be thriving. Destination shopping or just a destination. Clean, lots of green, plenty of parking, and a multitude of interesting shops.

  • Kathy December 30, 2021 (5:44 pm)

    Lee’s is going away? Noooo. They’re our favorite W. Seattle restaurant. Is this true?

  • WestSeattliete December 30, 2021 (6:10 pm)

    In addition to the obvious security issues, I hear rent rates at Westwood Village are pretty high. Seems that would explain why there are already so many empty stores. Maybe the management company needs to understand they might make more money with lower rates as opposed to stores standing empty. God knows we can’t buy everything online – and we’re such a captive audience here on the peninsula. 

  • Kim December 30, 2021 (6:13 pm)

    We have the population to support a University Village concept, if only we could secure the right leadership and the city supporting this type of innovation. I agree regarding the sadness WV invokes now, and the extremely negative Metro influence. Even simple things like re-stripping so the stalls are not so tiny would make a welcoming difference. 

    • 1994 December 30, 2021 (8:04 pm)

      I have long wondered why Westwood is so different from the U Village. I suspect it has to do with the thinking that the Westwood/West Seattle area is a lower economic area.  Years ago where the Safeway is located on Roxbury it was a Fred Meyer. The Fred Meyer closed and the location became a Larry’s Lo Bucks or Lo Bucks Larry’s grocery – a low end version of the fancy high end Larry’s Markets (think Met Market before there was a Met Market) in N Seattle and other locations. The thinking was that the West Seattle population was in a lower economic bracket so they came up with the idea of a low end grocery instead of the high end. Lo Buck Larry’s didn’t survive.  

      • East Coast Cynic December 30, 2021 (8:58 pm)

        There is a higher income demographic in the surrounding University Village area than Westwood.  Check out the prices for homes in the area, and just about everyplace north of the Ship Canal Bridge.  Much higher than the West Seattle Area. 

      • S December 31, 2021 (5:51 am)

        If everything is built for high income people, we “low income” people won’t be able to exist. You know why some areas have fewer of us? Because we keep getting pushed out by snobbery. This contributes to homelessness. Not everyone on the street is who people think they are. 

        • Doodles0823 December 31, 2021 (5:44 pm)

          I totally agree S! We do not need a U Village. Can we please stop trying to push out the lower and middle income folks? If I wanted to live in some ritzy richy richy area I would! West Seattle will not turn into some snooty, rich person’s neighborhood! 

  • aa December 30, 2021 (6:47 pm)

    Its an interesting comparison, why is University Village overrun with quality shops big and small and mountains of customers, and Westwood Village is sad and void of both shops and customers?  It has to start at the top- planning and investment stages.  Success brings more money and more business and WV has the overarching smell of defeat.  It will take money and creative vision to turn it around.  At least places like UV show people still want to shop in person.  WV isn’t failing because everyone is shopping online. 

    • Jethro Marx December 30, 2021 (8:50 pm)

      I feel it important to note that for the average Seattle dad, or non-activist consumer of hype and privilege, University Village is the pits. Westwood had better try something new and partially destroy the parking lot to daylight the creek and/or expand the bog. A focus on  restoration rather than Restoration Hardwares may actually make it better for both. EATS was absolutely amazing and we knew not what we had. I think the strip mall architecture did them in.

      • kim December 30, 2021 (9:04 pm)

        Agree Jethro Marx

      • Dustin December 30, 2021 (9:59 pm)

        I wouldn’t entirely be opposed if the whole area were razed and converted into swampy walking trails around Longfellow Creek as an extension of Roxhill Park. Although assuming that Staples is still in business I’d have to find a new place to do my printing.

        • East Coast Cynic December 31, 2021 (3:55 pm)

          The homeless would camp out en masse along those trails, not to mention that it would also turn into a shooting gallery for the drug addicts. Couldn’t see it happening anyway: Real estate is at too much of premium in this city to be turned into something with free access like walking trails.If the WV mall management could work with the city to minimize the crime problem then use its imagination to bring some interesting shopping and dining options other than thai and teriyaki, then the potential for this mall could be truly realized.

      • S December 31, 2021 (5:53 am)

        Well said. 

  • John Cole December 30, 2021 (7:05 pm)

    I miss Video Encounters and The Red Baron at Westwood. And Winchell’s donut’s. 

  • KB December 30, 2021 (10:44 pm)

    It is worth mentioning that WestWood Village was recently sold. I emailed the old owners several times about creating opportunity for better stores and a shopping experience but no one ever responded. Maybe I’ll have better luck with these folks. I can dream. 

  • ANDERS December 31, 2021 (1:42 am)

    Some background and history on the development of Westwood Village and University Village:

    Westwood Village Shopping Center opened in 1965, under Skinner Corp. ownership and patterned after (1960s) University Village and Aurora Village.  (Historylink.org)

    Wesbild Holdings Group (Vancouver, BC)  acquired Westwood Village in 1990 and subsequently redeveloped the center which after 35 years, had fallen into severe decline and disrepair.

    University Village in 1990 was a relic of the 1960s 1970s and was also experiencing decline. In 1993, Stuart Sloan (then chairman of QFC)  along with a developer partner bought it. They set out to redevelop with a vision for a shopping ‘experience’ that included interconnected outdoor corridors with a wide array of high-quality shopping and eating choices in an aesthetically beautiful, tree-lined village feeling that insulated shoppers and screened out ugly views of large parking lots. They largely succeeded in creating their vision by successfully integrating locally-owned boutiques, eateries, and signature national retailers. U Village is supported by a large, upscale area demographic with corresponding upscale tenants. “U Village has become synonymous with upscale and pedestrian-friendly,” said Susan Zimmerman, a retail broker for Kidder Mathews & Segner.  That comes from wide walkways, open-air seating, courtyards, coordinated colors and neo-classical building design. It attract young and mature patrons which provides an experience vastly superior to the traditional mall  or strip mall. 

    To illustrate one of the differences between the to shopping centers; corporations often rate their stores A thru D as per how they are stocked and marketed.  U-Village has “A” rated stores while Westwood has  “B”-“C” rated stores. (Not rated by corporate on store quality per se, but in large part based on area income levels within X miles of the store  – which then affects the quality and price point of merchandise).  

    Westwood Village had enough land and retail sq footage to create another University Village.  However, by 2000 it was clear that unlike Sloan, Wesbild had no such vision. While They were able to build a much-improved WV anchor tenant roster by 2010 including Pier 1, Barnes & Noble, Starbuck’s, Chico’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, QFC, Wyatt’s Jewelers, Big 5, Staples, Rite-Aid, Target etc., WV was also known for high rent as well as requirements /restrictions on tenants that were so numerous that only deep-pocket chain stores could meet them. This eliminated the desirable counterpart of small biz at WV.  Parking was given priority over shopping experience, and while parking isn’t always easy at U-Village; apparently the ambiance is well worth the trade-off.  At Westwood Village, the shopper “experience” consists of crossing long stretches of car-studded asphalt between what essentially is a series of disconnected strip-malls surrounded by vast, treeless, shadeless parking lots, 2 banks and a McDonald’s – all of which offer zero aesthetic value.

    In the Spring of 2011, Wesbild sold Westwood Village to a company in Delaware: Multi-Employer Property Trust (MEPT).  In contrast to U Village, when WV was sold to MEPT, it was described in the listing as “(serving) the daily and necessity shopping needs of value-conscious consumers”( i.e. not Range Rover-driving, Coach-toting consumers with loads of disposable income).  The decisions Wesbild made combined with the sale to east-coast based MEPT appears to have contributed to the beginning of a second slow decline for the shopper of which we are now  experiencing. Gone are Barnes & Noble, Pier 1, The Eatery  and now Bed Bath & Beyond – all of which can draw audiences  distinct from GameStop, Target or Marshall’s. No judgement – just different and variety is good for shopping. 
    Speaking of rent, the bankruptcy docs for 24 Hour Fitness show the monthly rent at $49,900 (!) in 2020.

    Westwood Village can learn a lot from University Village – but it’s also a different animal entirely and needs to innovate accordingly in order to grow up and thrive. And yes, it takes both vision and big $$$ to reinvent. 

    • RW January 4, 2022 (4:16 am)

      As mentioned, the U-Village is located in an affluent area. Another factor to its success is that it is surrounded by an already large, prosperous, and busy business district. It also sits below the University of Washington, providing an additional customer base. I worked at the UW for years, and I, and my co-workers, often zipped down for lunches, sometimes combined with shopping. I’d even go after getting off work, with Crate & Barrel and Barnes & Noble being big destinations, along with the other higher-end stores. Mostly it was to be immersed in the environment and unwind after work, not just shop. The multiple busy avenues running by U-Village funnels in customers while Westwood Village is off the beaten track, isolated, and has a completely different footprint. People usually shop there for something specific, then leave. There are really no other businesses surrounding it that brings in customers. At least when Barnes & Noble was there, there was a place to lounge a bit, read, and sip coffee. Now there’s nothing. WWV needs to find its own unique identity to attract people who want to come back for multiple reasons.

  • anonyme December 31, 2021 (7:23 am)

    I’ve long thought that it would be an awesome draw if WV daylighted the creek and incorporated it into a new green design.  One thing that makes UV more appealing than WV is the prevalence of boutique shops rather than discount big box stores.  The mini play area is always full of kids, all areas are pedestrian-friendly, and they even have nice clean public restrooms.  As for mindsets, a poverty mindset can be just as damaging and/or limiting as one of privilege.  It’s like referring to Whole Foods as “Whole Paycheck”.  I actually shop there because many staples are much cheaper than elsewhere.  When it comes to case goods and many other items, it’s less expensive (and far more sustainable) to buy the best you can afford and only what you need.  This is also an important concept in slowing global warming.  Too many people in the poverty mindset buy cheap crap – often, and lots of it, with the end result of not only having spent a greater net amount but with far more waste.  As for snobbery, there’s plenty of that around.  But sanctimony is its own form of snobbery.

  • Brian December 31, 2021 (12:36 pm)

    I am interested in hearing folks’ thoughts on building a hospital in WV. We don’t have a serious hospital in West Seattle, and WV just seems to fit. It has space, accessibility, and infrastructure. Who’s a better employer, a discount big box retailer, or a hospital? And small businesses like restaurants, bars and cafés would thrive in that environment. Who knows, maybe it would even attract a limb of the light rail to stretch its way down and plant a station right in the middle of this derelict transit hub. Someone tell me I’m crazy!

    • anonyme December 31, 2021 (2:49 pm)

      In my first response posted yesterday, I proposed the same thing – so, no, I don’t think you’re crazy!  This would be the perfect location for a hospital, which WS desperately needs.  Add housing and retail, and you not only have a vital addition to the community but a boon to the south end.

      • Brian January 1, 2022 (9:26 pm)

        You’re right, anonyme. I missed your earlier comment!

    • WS December 31, 2021 (3:54 pm)

      I would love a regular hospital in West Seattle! That and a good car wash. :) 

    • Ice December 31, 2021 (3:56 pm)

      You’re not crazy. I agree that West Seattle needs more extensive medical services, and putting those services at a transit hub is a good idea. However, given the context of covid and the current state of the healthcare system, your idea does come off as a little uninformed. Nation-wide, we were seeing a rash of hospital closures for years before covid, and now that trend has accelerated quite a bit. While we have more or less dodged the phenomenon of hospital closure in the greater Seattle area, nearly every clinic, hospital and ER in our area are suffering from being understaffed. The hiring of MAs, nurses and front office staff was desperate before the pandemic, and now we’ve come to a new level of desperation. The cherry on top of this s—-cake is that many people working in medical are burnt-out and feel like they are on a sinking ship, just waiting for the right moment to exit to a less stressful job. While something like a small clinic might be possible in Westwood Village, it would be an uphill battle that would not likely pencil out for a corporation or a non-profit. Getting enough staff would be a for a couple of doctors would be hard enough, But a hospital would be completely out of the question as the amount of resources that they require is far beyond what is possible at this time.

    • anonymous January 1, 2022 (1:59 am)

      Hospitals across the country are extremely crippled right now due to Covid, short staffing, supply chain, etc. many are running mass casualty triage which is as bad as it sounds. Unfortunately I highly doubt WS gets a hospital with one in Burien. 

  • Lorne December 31, 2021 (1:13 pm)

    How about a used bookstore

  • R. Fasso December 31, 2021 (1:51 pm)

    Bring back a bookstore.

  • Marie December 31, 2021 (3:52 pm)

    Shopping centers like this are being redeveloped across the country with innovative mixed use designs that have brought them back to life. WV is overdue for a makeover like that. This Forbes article explains more about what other cities are doing. https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanderark/2020/11/04/turning-dead-malls-into-community-assets/?sh=73efbf366693 Instead of Westwood being retail only, how about the anchors being satellite offices for big local companies like Amazon or Microsoft, so people don’t have to leave West Seattle to work? Add a 24-hour Emergency room facility, which is desperately needed in West Seattle, and  employ WS residents who would commute to First Hill otherwise. Add a vibrant mix of retail (not big box) and build housing above retail buildings. Provide room for community gathering, pop-up entertainment, and art exhibits. Tie it altogether with a pedestrian friendly court yard, like U Village has done.  WV has a lot of advantages that other sites don’t, like lots of parking and easy access to transit. With a bit of imagination and good design, it could be Seattle’s newest urban village. 

    • Brian December 31, 2021 (4:55 pm)

      This!

  • Juan January 1, 2022 (10:00 pm)

    Nooooooo Ahahahah seriously! No more bookstore suggestions. I went to a bookstore in Bellevue 4 years ago that’s closed now (historically, I used to go to local bookstores all the time including B. Daltons, Waldon’s, etc.), and the first thing I noticed – nobody there – more employees than shoppers. Three minutes later, what did I notice? My neck hurting bending over sideways to read the titles – after ten minutes of browsing, it was like I was exercising or somfing (that can’t be good for the heart). Maybe if the bookstore had books lying horizontally, stacked high, sold beer, had karaoke, some pool tables, hamburgers, a covered smoking patio with heating, then maybe…that bookstore would succeed… .

  • rw January 2, 2022 (9:49 am)

    I’m impressed by the many excellent ideas that people have proposed on ways to reimagine West Wood Village. I hope the current owners take notice in how they can redevelop this depressed mall and consider the needs and also the wants of the people who actually live here. In addition to those ideas, I would include having a regular outdoor farmers/vendor’s market (like the Sunday one in the West Seattle Junction), a food truck court with covered and heated seating, outdoor seasonal entertainment and holiday festivals, as well as developing a nature reserve with walking trails, picnic areas, nature and art centers, etc.

  • RCL January 2, 2022 (10:33 am)

    This shopping center needs a giant electric car charging hub with solar energy – I like the food truck hub – eating area – weekend parking lot farmers markets – flea markets – swap meets 

  • mark mulligan January 4, 2022 (2:16 pm)

    WestWood should house shops the High Point to White Center ridge line is short of.  A) A good American diner and all-day breakfast place (Mom and Pop, please, not another Dennys). B) A  brick and mortar book store, new and used. C) A real, adult restaurant, bar and or casino. D) A craft place like Michaels or smaller. E) A pet place, pet hotel, (veterinary)? A coop like Delridge’s. Any other specialty shop with the guts to open for business.Spas, salons, breweries, SE Asian and C American cuisine, mechanics and hardware, fast fuud, not so much and nevermore so many, thank you very much.It would be nice to resculpt the hardscape for less parking, more trees and pedestrian-friendly oases. Decent bus junction services and infrastructure.Then again, W Seattle should automatically have been promoted to the top of the light rail access totem pole when those genuises shut down our perfectly good bridge, destroyed the viaduct and replaced it with a gold-lined tunnel to nowhere and a perpetual construction waste dump. What else to you expect from such idiot savants?

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