Longtime grocery store on Sixth Avenue is closing its doors
A familiar fixture on Tacoma’s Sixth Avenue is calling it quits.
Safeway, 6201 Sixth Ave., the tenant anchor for Highland Hill Shopping Center in Tacoma, confirmed with The News Tribune on Monday that it is closing the store, and is currently having an inventory closeout sale. It will likely close in the next few weeks.
Tairsa Cate Worman, public affairs-communications manager for the grocer, said via email that the “closure of this store was a difficult decision made after long and careful deliberation.
“For years, we evaluated this store extensively and looked at options to improve its performance,” she wrote. “Ultimately, our business analysis indicated that we needed to cease operations at this location.”
She added that all employees “will be offered positions at nearby stores, in accordance with language in their collective bargaining agreement.”
The shopping center in 2017 was sold for nearly $47.4 million to Retail Opportunity Investments Corp., following more than 30 years of private ownership, according to the sale announcement at the time. The tenant mix was expected to remain unchanged at that point.
In April, pre-application plans were filed with the city of Tacoma for a remodel/addition at the site involving a possible loading dock expansion for one additional loading bay and minor improvements at the site’s entrance areas.
No further information was immediately available.
A representative for ROIC said she could not speak to future plans because of a confidentiality agreement.
This story was originally published August 24, 2020 at 4:19 PM.
