Safeway to return to Gig Harbor after successful Albertsons purchase

After a whirlwind year of changes for the Gig Harbor grocery scene — spanning new construction, building remodels and company bankruptcy — a familiar face is set to return.

Albertsons announced last week it plans to return the Safeway brand to Gig Harbor at the store’s original location at 4831 Point Fosdick Drive.

This announcement followed the news that Albertsons had successfully bid on 12 other former Haggen locations in Washington state in the bankruptcy auction for Haggen. Six of the locations will be reopened as Albertsons stores and the other six will be Safeway stores, according to a story published Friday in The News Tribune.

The news of the returning Safeway store has been met with joy from many in the Gig Harbor community, echoed by Mayor Jill Guernsey in a release issued Friday:

“The City of Gig Harbor is thrilled to hear that Safeway will be returning to Gig Harbor. We are confident that this store will once again be a tremendous success for the entire community and we look forward to helping them reopen as Safeway as soon as possible.”

Former employees who worked at the Gig Harbor Safeway and through the Haggen transformation — many who had to leave their community for new jobs once Haggen declared bankruptcy — are also excited by the news of Safeway’s return.

“We are all praying we can come back,” Julie Snook, a 31-year Safeway employee, said in an email.

Lisa Middlebrook, also a longtime Safeway employee, echoed Snook’s sentiment.

“We all want to go home!” she wrote.

While the return of Safeway is anticipated by many in Gig Harbor, the city’s Planning Department has not yet been contacted by an Albertsons representative concerning any changes to the Pt. Fosdick location, according to Planning Director Jennifer Kester.

The official opening date for the Point Fosdick Drive Safeway has not been announced yet by Albertsons.

Haggen opened on Point Fosdick in March after purchasing the location from Safeway. Haggen declared bankruptcy in September and announced that the Gig Harbor location would be included in the stores listed for closure.

The results of the auction will be submitted for final approval to the bankruptcy court on Nov. 24.

This story was originally published November 18, 2015 at 9:58 AM with the headline "Safeway to return to Gig Harbor after successful Albertsons purchase."