South Seattle Slew offers up a dose of snarky satire, southeast-style. He suggests you take it with a grain of salt, at least one glass of water after a meal, and avoid operating heavy machinery after reading:
Neighbors are expressing concern in the wake of recent news that the Safeway Corporation put the beloved UnSafeway at the corner of MLK and Othello up for sale a year ago before recently pulling it off the market.
“That building is a landmark,” said Othello Historical Society president Mitchell Schwartz. “Generations of residents of Rainier Valley have shopped there, and the building has remained unchanged over all those years. Not a single improvement has been made to it. It remains a testament to the brilliant architecture of the 1950s. And much of the produce has been here since the building’s construction.”
While other grocery stores in the region have adopted trendy modernizations, such as large, well-lit fruit and vegetable aisles, extensive delis and ample organic food selections, the UnSafeway has eschewed such gimmicks in favor of popular amenities such as pre-wilted greens, a malt liquor selection that rivals any local convenience store and the assurance that you will never find an artichoke on the premises.
Safeway’s plan to sell the property includes a deed restriction that would prevent the construction of another grocery store, pharmacy or gas station on the land.
Myra Robinson, 73, who has walked to the store for her groceries for almost 50 years, thinks Safeway would be making a big mistake closing down the UnSafeway.
“Safeway seems to think that if they close down this store then I’ll be forced to go to the Safeway in Rainier Beach or the Safeway in Columbia City, just because there aren’t any other stores around here… I guess they’re right, actually. I will have to shop at Safeway.”
“What are they going to do, shop at PCC?” snickered Safeway spokesperson Stephen Wiltagreen. “Hey, we own the valley. What are you gonna do about it, drive to QFC?”
Others, like OHS president Schwartz, hope that the building’s historical significance is enough to keep it in business.
“Remember, this was a state-of-the-art building in 1953,” said Schwartz. “There were only two brands of potato chips back then, regular and ruffles. Just look at how many brands of chips there are in the UnSafeway today; salt and vinegar, jalapeño, Maui sweet onion… And people say the UnSafeway hasn’t kept up with the times? I don’t think anyone down here wants to see this old beauty torn down and replaced with a deluxe ‘green’ store with a community gathering space and an outdoor coffee shop with a fireplace like that monstrosity they’re building in Pinehurst. We won’t stand for it!”
Safeway made the curious decision to sell the store right before the opening of a light rail station just steps from its front door. And with plans underway to construct more than 700 residences in the immediate vicinity of the store and no other supermarkets in the area, business seems certain to increase.
“We don’t think the facility can handle that much business,” said Wiltagreen. “With that many customers we’d have to deliver fresh fruits and vegetables all the time. Frankly, we’d rather keep that high-grade produce at our ‘real’ stores in places like Pinehurst.”
“And let’s face it,” he continued. “If more people go in there it’s just going to be more people who think the place sucks and complain about it. That’s not good for the Safeway brand.”
Othello’s only comprehensive grocery store (above) has gone up for sale, and the seller – Safeway – is trying to restrict the future buyer from bringing in a grocer, pharmacy or gas station. Photo/do communications, inc.
Related:
- How Walkable Is a Neighborhood Without a Grocery Store? (3/21/09)
- ONA Takes on TOD, Residential Parking Zones & Safeway (1/27/09)
More from South Seattle Slew:
- South Seattle Slew: Snopocolypse ‘08 Slowed Rising Crime Numbers (1/16/09)
- RVP Debuts New Column: South Seattle Slew Offers Snarky Satire, Southeast-Style (11/23/08)
Who to know, where to eat & what to do in one of America’s most diverse zip codes!
{ 21 comments }
When is the next meeting of the Othello Historical Society?
Stephen Wiltagreen is right on the money, that is what sticks in my mind about that store is the horrible produce section.
oof, that piece cuts to the bone.
You should forward this to Safeway. Maybe they would appreciate the humor.
That was brilliant.
You are very good! Keep it up.
Tom
Yes, this is a very funny joke. Right on.
I laughed because I almost never shop here.
But Safeway is history. Please welcome the new owners.
Nice work.
This is funny! But know that the Pinehurst Safeway and the neighborhood are very similar to Othello. There are a lot of fruit flies in the produce and the people are not as white as the wealthy neighborhoods that you may think of when you think north of the ship canal.
Seattle has some of the nicest supermarkets in the country. The Safeway is most definitely the worst supermarket in Seattle. The produce section is scary. But I must say, I have been there twice in the past 2 days. Where else do people shop around here?
Great piece. The bottom line is: whether Safeway upgrades significantly or we have another comprehensive grocery, preferably with a pharmacy – sorely lacking in the neighborhood – we deserve a decent grocery store. And for Safeway or other grocers reading this: think of all the money you could make if all that empty airspace above the building was residential, like at the store on 23rd and Madison? They know how to do this – let’s get them to do it here!
Well, well…our fussiness is getting more noticed…King 5 was out there yesterday and did a TV bit about the unSafeway. Did anyone see Daphne get interviewed on last night’s local news?
Work kicked my a$* last week and I haven’t been able to call Safeway yet, however a certain councilmember is on board to be involved in discussions and we’ll get this ball rolling.
Mike, stayed tuned.
Just to prepare yourself, this will be a long process and we’re all little worker bees during the day but we’ll keep at it. We just need to be persistent and tenacious.
I have two key questions for Safeway: can regional gain control of the decision-making process for this property (rather than national)? And if so, can redevelopment pencil or not?
Answer that, Safeway and know what to do we will.
Ok, that was my poor attempt at Yoda. Ahow, you’re much better at that!
Actually, I think it would be fun if Safeway (or someone else) came in and cleaned the existing building up and started offering real food. I kind of like the retro look of that store.
I’m all for a decent grocery store, but I don’t want a clone of every other Safeway.
Maybe we should “get Jesse” to contact Safeway corporate headquarters to find out what is really going on.
A little late, but I sent a letter to the Safeway CEO per Mike’s suggestion, and asked for the moon. That didn’t seem like enough, so I sent a copy to the RVCDF and to a couple of different people at the Office of Economic Development. If you need another body to go to the local office, let me know and I’ll try to make it happen.
Everyone, keep the contacts and ideas coming. They’re very helpful for those of us with a little time and inclination to write letters.
I’m with Sam. Let’s “Get Jesse!”
Hey Amber,
Thanks for keeping this conversation going on RVP!
Here’s some additional advice for those people who might venture into this store. Do not, I repeat do NOT ask for pickled herring. Not only do they not stock it on their shelves, they do not know what it is.
Unsafeway; better than a minimart!
Joe, a lot of us drive the extra 4 miles and go to QFC or the PCC in Seward Park.
Another scary store is Saar’s. But at least they pipe classical music into their parking lot.
Something to keep in mind when light rail service begins in July. The Othello Station is a block away from this Safeway store, and the light rail stops at the Beacon Hill Station, which just happens to be right across the street from one of the best Red Apple Markets in town. For those New Holly residents without convenient access to an automobile, this could be a workable solution, especially if they have a transit pass already.
Yes, it can be a pain grocery shopping on transit, but it’s much easier to schlep those grocery bags on a train than on a bus. It’s about a 10-minute train ride from Othello Station to the Beacon Hill Station.
Good point. I love that Red Apple.
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