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:
More from South Seattle Slew:
Tagged as:
othello,
Safeway Saga,
South Seattle Slew
Related:
Who to know, where to eat & what to do in one of America’s most diverse zip codes!
