New Seasons dawning in Vancouver?

Update, 10:14 a.m.: New Seasons spokeswoman Helen Neville, who was not available when this story went to print, said the company receives more requests for a store in Vancouver than for any other site. However, the company does not have immediate plans to open a store in Clark County. “Without a question, Vancouver is our most requested new store site,” Neville said Monday. She said New Seasons will open a store in Beaverton, Ore., at the Progress Ridge development this fall. “We are always looking for good sites,” she said.

Original story, posted at 6 a.m.:

Commercial activity, perhaps in the form of a New Seasons Market, could soon return to a vacant grocery store space in the Fisher’s Landing Marketplace in east Vancouver.

But the site’s former anchor store, Albertsons, must first drop its lease on the 50,000-square-foot space.

The long-empty storefront has piqued the interest of several potential tenants, including at least one major contender, said Steve Oliva, who co-owns the retail development on the corner of Southeast 164th Avenue and McGillivray Boulevard. He also owns the Hi-School Pharmacy Inc. chain, which operates about 20 stores in Oregon and Washington.

Oliva would not disclose the names of possible tenants, and would not comment on whether New Seasons had contacted him.

“I can’t confirm anything at this point. We have a tentative situation, but it’s all contingent on us reaching an agreement with Albertsons,” which is under contract to lease the site for seven more years, Oliva said.

“At one time, they (Albertsons) were talking about reopening” at the site, he said.

However, at least one local commercial real estate agent, Deborah Ewing, thinks the location would be excellent for the Portland-based New Seasons chain. According to Ewing, it’s only a matter of time.

“The question you have to ask is, who isn’t in our market? We know that’s New Seasons,” said Ewing, a retail expert and vice president of Eric Fuller & Associates Inc. commercial real estate firm in Vancouver.

She said the store would easily compete in Clark County’s grocery store market, which is home to several “big-box” and midsize grocery stores, including Costco, Walmart, WinCo Foods, Fred Meyer, Safeway, and Albertsons’ remaining locations, including three in Vancouver and one store in Battle Ground.

“New Seasons is the only store that isn’t in our market,” Ewing said, adding that the chain would likely be just as popular in Clark County as in Portland, where it is known for specialty organics, health foods and gourmet take-out items.

Clark County hosts fewer specialty grocers, though it does have Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and newcomer Chuck’s Produce & Street Market.

New Seasons did not respond to phone calls and e-mail inquiries about plans for a Clark County store.

Albertsons officials expect to terminate the lease at some point, but Lilia Rodriguez, a company spokeswoman, would not be specific about when.

“We are working with the landlord to reach a termination agreement,” she said.

The company was purchased in 2006 by Eden Prairie, Minn.-based SuperValu. Officially called New Albertsons Inc., Albertsons operates 463 grocery stores in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Louisiana, Nevada, Southern California, Florida and Utah, according to SuperValu’s website.

The Fisher’s Landing Albertsons store closed in April 2008.

Positive effects

Oliva said he hopes to fill the store’s empty space, which would likely improve business for the other stores located in the Fisher’s Landing Marketplace. That shopping complex also is home to a Big Lots variety store, Blockbuster video, Hallmark, a dental clinic, Godfathers Pizza, Home Street Bank and a Muchas Gracias restaurant, among others.

Oliva said he can’t bring another tenant in as long as Albertsons pays the rent.

Neighboring businesses would benefit from a grocery store in the former Albertsons’ space, said Eric Fuller, president and designated broker of Eric Fuller & Associates Inc.

“Those retail centers are designed under the concept of having an anchor, like a grocery store, that benefits the other tenants,” Fuller said. Neighboring stores typically expect to benefit from the frequency of grocery store visits.

“Those stores will all gain revenue when that (Albertsons) space goes active again,” he said.

But Ewing said the Fisher’s Landing center would attract shoppers with or without a grocery store anchor because the complex is situated directly across the street from a busy Fred Meyer store. The center also sits fairly close to the Southeast 164th Avenue corridor, a route heavily traveled by commuters from the growing neighborhoods of east Vancouver and Camas.

“The demographic of the area is higher income,” Ewing said. “With 45,000 cars a day passing by, that space will do well.”