Central Co-Op grocery opening now pushed into next year

Is it possible that the long-awaited McMenamins Elks Lodge will open before Central Co-op grocery?

The co-op, which closed its Sixth Avenue location in July 2016, has faced delays in getting its new site at 4502 N. Pearl St. up and running.

An initial spring opening was pushed into summer to allow for the addition of sprinklers instead of firewalls. In June, things seemed on track, with a hiring fair and informational event.

But the latest update from the co-op’s CEO, Garland McQueen, stated that, “We currently do not expect to have the store open within 2018.”

In an email sent to co-op members Wednesday, McQueen said: “Building our Pearl Street store has not been moving forward as quickly as we had expected, nor as quickly as we told you, our members, that it would.”

“We apologize for being overly optimistic in our timeline at first.”

As for a new opening date, McQueen noted: “We certainly hope that it opens very early in the new year but are hesitant to share solid timelines while we have uncertainty surrounding the duration of critical upcoming stages.”

For those who turned out for the June hiring event, McQueen, via a representative, told The News Tribune: “It is true that our hiring timeline at the Tacoma store will be affected, but all of the information we shared about working for the Co-op will still be true.

“We are continuing to keep in touch with people who have officially expressed interest in working for Central Co-op through our website and they will be considered as we take steps in the hiring process.”

McQueen, in his email to members, said that in addition to the sprinkler design, the refrigeration system needed to be re-engineered.

Those changes affected electrical, plumbing and structural elements in the building, he said.

“I was sorry to have to make these changes as I knew it would cause delays,” McQueen said, “but had to follow through because it was the right thing to do to update the structure to operate within code, efficiently, and ensure the long-time success of the Co-op.”

The next updates, according to the email, will include exterior painting and work on the alarm system updates.

The co-op will continue to host events, including La Paloma Artisans Market every second and fourth Sunday “for the remainder of their season.” La Paloma’s website shows the season running through October.

For more timely updates, the email closes with links to the co-op’s Tacoma Build page, which includes a project checklist and the stages of completion. There are plans to add a webcam so people can see the interior progress.

As for McMenamins Elks Lodge, another slow-going Tacoma project, it is moving along at a steady pace with its opening downtown also set for next year.

We’ll see who opens first.

This story was originally published July 25, 2018 at 5:19 PM.