West Seattle, Washington
22 Monday
(Photo courtesy Tami Lindquist)
Meet Tami and Michael Lindquist. They’re about to open a branch of The UPS Store in the Westwood Village breezeway, their fourth in the region. We first told you back in March that the shipping-and-more business was going to open there; now they’re almost done with construction in the space, and contacted us with an update. They’re expecting to soft-open on January 5. Here are the services they plan to offer:
Domestic and International shipping
USPS shipping Services
Packaging
Notary service
Printing services
Document scanning
Document Shredding
Laminating
Binding
Printing
Faxing
Passport and ID Photos
Amazon Returns
Happy Returns
Other returns
Package Reciving
Personal Mailbox Rental
Office and mailing supplies
We asked about their days and hours too:
We will be open 7 Days a week:
Monday-Friday 8:00-6:30
Saturday 9:00-5:00
Sunday 10:00-3:00
The Lindquists say this will be their fourth UPS Store; their first three are in North Seattle, Lynnwood, and Everett. “We have been store owners since 2020 and we are excited to be opening this center in Westwood Village.” West Seattle had a UPS Store, under different ownership, in Jefferson Square until 2023.
Four reports in West Seattle Crime Watch:
ARBOR HEIGHTS GUNFIRE: Right around the end of the Seahawks game, as usual, some set off fireworks to commemorate the victory, so 911 was dealing with some callers who thought they heard gunfire. In one case, apparently they did. Police reported finding at least one shell casing in the 10700 block of 35th SW. No reports of injuries or property damage.
STOLEN BLACK TACOMA TRUCK: The photo and report are from Christina:
Our 2017 black Toyota Tacoma was stolen overnight from 9000 block of 39th Ave SW near SW Barton between 12:00 AM-7:00 AM on 11/23. Plate: C53336H. VIN: ——-3136. Stickers: Seahawks (rear window) West Seattle Eagle, Teamsters. Broken glass on scene likely smashed rear window. SPD case # 25-343674
Call 911 if you find it.
HOME BURGLARY ATTEMPT: From Richard in Westwood:
Shortly before 400 am I heard noises that I thought were that of a raccoon. I went downstairs to investigate and heard someone trying to break through my high-end security door. I called 911 and the police came and did an area check and found nothing.
Shortly after 700 am I went outside and found extensive damage to the security door. Not only did they break metal parts of the latch, but they used fire to try and melt parts of the door and lock mechanism. I called the police again and the officer said it looked like a very professional job and that he had not seen one like it before. The lock held but the door may need to be replaced. Case number 25-343575.
GARAGE BREAK-IN: This report was sent by Brian:
Our home was also targeted in Seaview on Friday night. Someone broke our car window in the driveway and stole / used garage door remote to gain access to the garage. Nothing apparently stolen other than the remote (maybe intent on coming back? Who knows).
After 2 1/2 months, Westwood Village has a drive-up/ride-up/walk-up mailbox again. It was damaged beyond usability in an early-September break-in; every time we’ve passed through WWV, we’ve been looking for a replacement to appear. Went through the center tonight for the first time in at least a few days, and just noticed the replacement is in place. It’s still a lot quicker than the year and a half the USPS took to replace its counterpart in The Junction,
SPD announced this afternoon that they arrested five people, ages 38 to 65, during an “organized retail theft operation” at the Westwood Village Marshalls store on Wednesday. Here’s their summary:
On the afternoon of Oct. 8, patrol officers and detectives in the General Investigations Unit (GIU) conducted an operation at a retail store in the 2600 block of Southwest Barton Street, which suffers a significant amount of theft.
Detectives teamed up with loss-prevention employees to identify and apprehend suspects they caught stealing. Ultimately, five suspects were arrested for shoplifting.
One of the suspects had an additional misdemeanor theft warrant and a felony warrant for narcotics. Officers placed another suspect, who was with one of the arrestees, into custody for a robbery warrant. Police booked him into SCORE jail.
Police booked three suspects into the King County Jail.
Officers identified and released one of the suspects. He, and all of the suspects, are permanently trespassed from entering into the store.
Police recovered $460 in stolen merchandise.
“This was a team effort and could not have taken place without the hard work by GIU detectives, patrol, and partnership with the loss prevention employees at Marshalls,” said Sergeant Austin Davis. GIU detectives will handle all of the follow-up investigations.
We’re checking with city/county prosecutors to see if any had hearings this afternoon.
Thanks for texting the photo! A crew is at work today on what the texter dubbed the “Starbucks sinkhole,” a spot in the parking-lot street surface by Westwood Village‘s standalone Starbucks that we recently described as “undulating.”
(Added: Photo sent by Chris Frankovich)
Some preliminary work was apparently done sometime in the past week, because a few days ago it had a small asphalt patch and was a little less, well, undulating. The center also had sinkhole troubles toward its southwest end, near the J.Crew Factory store. The entire area – including the park to the south – is on a historic peat bog, and the public street between the center and park (SW Barton) is slated for peat removal and repaving sometime soon, as announced earlier this year.
At the Nino Cantu SW Athletic Complex courts, the Westside Pickleball League is just wrapping up the tournament that kicks off their fourth season, Rally on the Rock. Co-founder Rosina Geary told us more than 130 players were registered to compete!
They spanned a variety of age groups:
Play began around 9 am and was still going strong when we dropped by at mid-afternoon:
As noted in our original 2023 report on the league, they partner with and support high-school athletics – not just pickleball! Proceeds from this tournament are benefiting the swim team at Chief Sealth International High School; Sealth athletes served as volunteers helping out today in various roles too.
Geary says Westside Pickleball League serves more than 300 players every week. You can find out more via their website.
Thanks for the tip and pics! Westwood Village is about to see its second grand opening of the month. Eight months after we first told you a J.Crew Factory store was on the way, it’s opening this Thursday (September 18) at 10 am, according to signage at the store.
The clothing store took over the spaces that formerly held GameStop and Bronz’d. According to the company website, it’ll be open 10 am-8 pm daily except Sundays, when it will close at 7 pm.
After Tuesday’s report on a break-in at the Westwood Village Post Office‘s curbside mailbox, we followed up with the USPS today on its status – and also asked what’s up with the long-promised replacement of the one at the Junction Post Office.
(WSB photo, Tuesday)
USPS regional spokesperson Zachary Laux answered both questions. Regarding WWV, he said, “The damaged Westwood Village box will be removed from the street as it is beyond repair. A replacement box will be ordered and installed as soon as possible.” Eleven months ago, the box was replaced in less than a month. But it’s been more than a year and a half since the box in The Junction was stolen, and no replacement yet, though we noted that a reader said the staff told him it was finally close, which Laux also said: “Maintenance staff is awaiting one more component before the California Ave. collection box can be securely replaced.” (If you happen to be nearby when it arrives for reinstallation, please text us – 206-293-6302 – thanks!)
12 years after Panda Express first considered Westwood Village, and two years after they got serious about it, the fast-American-Chinese-food chain is finally hours away from opening. We heard tonight from their PR team and it seems both this banner …
… and the Thursday grand-opening announcement are correct. The company says the WWV Panda Express is soft-opening tomorrow (Wednesday, September 3) and having the gala grand opening on Thursday (ribbon-cutting, T-shirts for the first 88 in line, music from the Japanese taiko-drum band Inochi Taiko). Ongoing hours will be 10:30 am to 10 pm.
P.S. If you’re not a frequent WWV visitor and don’t know this offhand – PE is just north of the QFC, on the east side of the center, where Pet Pros used to be.
Thanks to the reader who texted that photo. According to a sign on the Westwood Village Post Office drive-up/ride-up/walk-up mailbox, it’s been broken into. That leaves West Seattle without this type of mailbox again, as the West Seattle Junction Post Office mailbox still hasn’t been replaced, two years after it as stolen (though a reader recently told us the Post Office staff there told them replacement was finally imminent). The Westwood box was absent for three weeks last year for unspecified “repairs.” We’ll be checking with USPS regarding the plan for this one.
The facade signage is gone and that hand-lettered sign on the door confirms that the only Rite Aid-owned West Seattle drugstore NOT converting to a CVS is officially closed. We first reported two months ago that the Westwood Village Rite Aid store would be closed as of today; the center’s owners have listed the space as available for lease, but no hint of a new tenant so far.
Of the other three Rite Aid-owned West Seattle drugstores, the former RA on California SW has already converted to a CVS; the two Bartell Drugs stores are set to do so within the next two weeks. Meantime, the South Delridge Walgreens – kitty-corner from the closed-and-sold ex-White Center Bartell store – is set to close September 10, as we first reported earlier this month.
When last we checked in with Panda Express regarding their yet-to-open Westwood Village restaurant, they were hoping for an early August opening, barring construction delays. That’s come and gone, so we asked about their revised timeline. A company spokesperson replied, “Our opening date keeps shifting … The newest Seattle location now has a tentative opening date sometime the week of Sept. 8.” It’s been in the works for almost two years.
12:43 AM: Police and fire are responding to what’s reported to be a stabbing at or near Westwood Village. The victim is at a bus stop in the area. The attacker is described as a white man, blond hair, dressed all in black, 5’9″, heavy build, last seen running westbound on SW Barton, or possibly into Roxhill Park.
12:47 AM: The victim is reported to have a stab wound to the abdomen. Police are calling in a K9 team to help with the search.
1:11 AM: Based on what the K9 team is finding, the search has expanded southward. No word on the victim’s condition, meantime.
1:50 AM: The track grew cold so the K9 search – with a team borrowed from King County SO, since SPD had none available – has ended.
9:04 AM: SFD says the victim is a ~30-year-old man who was in stable condition when taken to the hospital.
NOON: SPD says the victim – who had “several severe lacerations to his hands, upper chest, and left leg” – told officers he was asleep when the attacker stabbed him. If you have any information, call the SPD tip line at 206-233-5000 and refer to case 25-237023.
Westwood Village‘s End-of-Summer Festival was just getting started when we ran over for some photos a little while ago. Chalk artist Anne had just finished the chalk lettering to welcome people into the festival zone in the northwest corner of the parking lot, west of the Post Office:
Several booths are set up for old-fashioned carnival games:
Players get tickets they can redeem for prizes including backpacks:
Balloon artist Brenna is ready to make custom creations:
And there’s a cotton-candy machine with pink or blue options:
Everything’s free, with a DJ providing the soundtrack, and it’s set to continue until 2 pm.
Families having a tough time affording school supplies can take advantage of a giveaway with 500 backpacks Friday afternoon at Southwest Teen Life Center (2801 SW Thistle).
It’s happening during a 3-6 pm family-fun celebration also offering barbecue, bouncy houses, and more, in partnership with organizations including the nonprofit 1World1Sky. No pre-registration necessary.
That’s a Panda Express-provided image of what the chain calls its “Panda Home” interior concept, and that’s what they say you’ll find when their Westwood Village location opens. The image was part of a reply we received from a company spokesperson today, after our latest inquiry about their opening timeline. It’s going on two years since we first reported Panda Express was going into the former Pet Pros space, and that in turn was 10 years after a different Westwood Village proposal that was ultimately scrapped. The company spokesperson tells us today, regarding when they’ll open, “We’re currently looking at the first week of August (pending any construction delays of course). Once open, this location will employ nearly 40 people and boast the latest Panda Home design. Inside, customers will find a distinctly American Chinese design that bridges the East and the West with red lanterns, a moon gate portal and vibrant Chinatown signs.” The spokesperson notes that this is one of three stores they’re opening in Western Washington in the next few months; the other two are in Silverdale and Lake Stevens. The nearest one to West Seattle is in Burien.
Someone who stopped by our booth at Saturday’s Morgan Junction Community Festival asked when the Westwood Village J. Crew Factory store would be opening. We went to the center later in the afternoon to see if anything had changed physically with the space, and found the window wrap on the west side of the building, promising the clothing shop will open this fall. We first reported back in January that permit applications had revealed the plan for the space formerly occupied by Game Stop and tanning salons.
SDOT says the SW Barton bus-layover zone between Roxhill Park and Westwood Village won’t be repaved this year after all, and that changes the plan for this week’s meeting about it:
Our project is being postponed – rather than starting construction in Fall 2025, we will begin work in March 2026. We need to delay our work because a separate project that will affect SW Trenton St (the street that major bus reroutes will use) conflicts with our timeline. Instead of competing for street space and making buses detour on an active construction zone, our project will start later.
We will still have our public meeting but are changing its format into a drop-in session where you can come learn the most up-to-date information. So come see us at our SDOT table outside the former site of the Bed Bath & Beyond in Westwood Village (2600 SW Barton St, Suite A1, across from the Wingstop) on June 11 (Wednesday) from 5:30 – 7:00 pm. And don’t worry. We will still hold a more comprehensive public meeting before construction begins – and will let you know when that meeting is rescheduled for a date in fall 2025.
We asked about the “separate Trenton project.” The reply: More speed humps.
BACKSTORY: We first reported the Barton repaving plan after spotting the permit application in March. SDOT says the temporary replacement layover zone will be on the southwest corner of 25th/Trenton.
Another city project is out with an update just before the holiday weekend. We first reported March 31 about the Barton repaving plan in the bus-layover zone alongside the north edge of Roxhill Park, after spotting a mention in a land-use bulletin; now SDOT is ready to have a community meeting about it – here’s the update they sent today:
We have completed designing the SW Barton St Layover Repaving project and plan to begin construction in Fall 2025!
Before then, join us for a public meeting on Wednesday, June 11, 2025 from 5:30 – 7:00 pm, at the former site of the Bed Bath & Beyond in Westwood Village (2600 SW Barton St, Suite A1).
We will be discussing:
-Bus detours
-Bus stop relocations
-Construction impacts to area businesses
-Answers to your questionsYou can also sign up for email updates or visit the project website where we will regularly share news of the project.
Why are we doing this work?
We’re partnering with King County Metro to repave the bus layover zone and street on SW Barton St.
The street’s concrete is old, cracked, and damaged from the heavy buses. Here’s what we’ll do:
-Replace the underlying soil with lightweight concrete
-Repave the road with stronger concreteThese improvements will:
-Reduce repair costs for SW Barton St
-Lower bus maintenance costs
-Make driving smootherDuring repaving, bus routes and layover zones will change. We’ll work with Metro to find the best new locations for bus stops and the layover area. We aim to minimize inconvenience and will provide updates on alternate arrangements. To contact our project team, email SWBartonLayover@seattle.gov.
If you live in the area, SDOT says to watch your mailbox for an information postcard next week.
Four months have passed since we told you a J. Crew Factory store was penciled in for the former GameStop and Desert Sun spaces in Westwood Village. The company has yet to make a formal announcement, but that’s not unusual (for example, Total Wine & More has yet to “announce” its Westwood store, but it’s posted May 30 as the opening date). We have word of two developments with the space – the tanningsalon that followed Desert Sun, Bronz’d, now has a note on the door saying it had closed immediately and permanently. We went by to check (top photo) after Wyatt sent the photo below of the note:
Meantime, Huy found a link providing new confirmation of the future J. Crew Factory store – this job listing for the store director.
11:46 PM SUNDAY: Police have just gone to the QFC parking lot at Westwood Village to talk with a woman who says she was carjacked while loading groceries into her car. Two people approached and took her car, she reported, a gold Nissan Maxima with plates starting in CAP. The two “unknown-race males in ski masks” were last seen driving the car south on 26th. Call 911 if you think you see it.
ADDED MONDAY: We’ve obtained the police-report narrative, with names redacted (X’d out):
XXXX stated that she was at 26XX SW Barton St QFC loading groceries into her vehicle. She stated that two unknown male or female suspects wearing ski masks approached her. XXXX stated that she was pushed to the ground causing pain to her forearms and her vehicle was stolen. XXXX did not see any weapons on the suspects.
XXXX stated that one suspect wore a light-colored sweatsuit and the other wore “tight” clothing and had brown hair in a ponytail. XXXX could not tell the sex of the suspects. She stated that the suspects were carrying several re-usable shopping bags with them. XXXX advised that the suspects left southbound on 26 Av SW in her vehicle, WA XXXXXXX from SW Barton St. XXXX refused any medical attention at the scene.
XXXX stated that her vehicle has tinted windows and a donut sticker in the back window. She advised that her license plate frame is glittered and shiny. XXXX stated that her purse, wallet and baby clothes were in the car.
QFC has security cameras at the main entrance, but the manager could not access the video footage tonight. He was not sure if the cameras covered the parking lot area of the store front.
Thanks for the tip! We’ve just gone over to Westwood Village to confirm it and get a photo – Total Wine & More, in the northeast corner of the center, has posted its opening date and time: 9 am Friday, May 30. We have been tracking the development of the store, in the former Staples space, since first discovering the plan in city permit files 13 months ago. More info to come …
A property company working with Rite Aid has released a new list of properties and leases for sale/assignment in its new bankruptcy filing, and the list includes the Westwood Village Rite Aid location. The company’s new filing comes just eight months after it emerged from Chapter 11. After seeing this, we went over for a photo of the WWV Rite Aid, and discovered this posted at the entrance:
We’re checking to see if local Bartell Drugs have similar postings. (Update: We found one at the Jefferson Square store.) As for the WWV Rite Aid, one of the property company’s documents says the current lease is up in a year but there are 10 years worth of options; current base rent is $21/square foot (the building is just under 17,000 sf). We don’t yet know the plan for the California SW Rite Aid location – also leased – and the two West Seattle Bartell Drugs stores (Admiral and Jefferson Square), also leased. Rite Aid says it has financing to help it continue operations while it seeks a buyer for the company.
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