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New Seasons Market to open first Vancouver store

By Cami Joner
Published: March 29, 2011, 12:00am

UPDATED 3:33 P.M. MARCH 29:

After controlling the Portland grocery scene for 12 years, New Seasons Market will open its first Vancouver store in the former Albertsons space on the corner of Southeast 164th Avenue and McGillivray Boulevard.

The 40,000-square-foot store will open in October and employ about 175 workers, according to the Portland-based chain. New Seasons’ first Portland store was launched in 1999 by friends who dreamed grocery shopping could be easy and support local farmers, its website claims. New Seasons’ 10-store chain features natural foods in settings where patrons can still buy frosted-flake cereal, said Barry Cain, president of Tualatin, Ore.-based Gramor Development, which will renovate and lease the Vancouver space to New Seasons.

“We have heard so many requests from (Vancouver) to bring New Seasons Market north,” Cain said.

His company and Vancouver’s Oliva family co-own the retail development called Fisher’s Landing Marketplace, slated for between $4.5 million and $5 million worth of remodeling, Cain said.

“They (New Seasons) were interested in it a while back, but the economy put things on hold,” he said.

Although Albertsons moved out of the 124,000-square-foot complex in 2008, the company has continued to lease the store up until this month, putting New Seasons on hold until landlords reached an agreement with Albertsons.

“Everything was contingent on Albertsons giving up their lease and that had to go all the way up the ladder,” said Steve Oliva, a Vancouver businessman, landowner and owner of the Hi-School Pharmacy Inc. chain, which sold 11 of its Vancouver-based stores to Walgreens in 2003, but still operates about 20 stores in Oregon and Washington.

The formerly Boise-based Albertsons was purchased in 2006 by Eden Prairie, Minn.-based SuperValu. The chain is now officially called New Albertsons Inc.

The company did not respond to phone calls and e-mail inquiries about relinquishing the Fisher’s Landing store.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED 1:11 P.M. MARCH 29:

The following is the text of a press release issued today by New Seasons Market, which will be opening its first Clark County store at Fishers Landing Marketplace. A note: Although it will be near Big Al’s, Target and other businesses mentioned in the press release, it will not be in the same shopping center. More to come from The Columbian.

Portland — Locally owned and operated grocer New Seasons Market announced today that it will open a store in the Vancouver, Washington, community of Fisher’s Landing. The opening of the store will create approximately 175 new jobs, provide grocery services to area residents and support local community organizations, vendors and farmers. The 40,000-square-foot-store is scheduled to open in late 2011.

“Over the years we have received more requests for a store in Vancouver than any other area. We are very happy to bring the Friendliest Store in Town to the Fisher’s Landing neighborhood and the surrounding Vancouver community,” said Lisa Sedlar, CEO of New Seasons Market. “Soon we will be scheduling meetings with our new neighbors to brainstorm what features they’d like to see in the store as we work through the design process. We look forward to hearing everyone’s ideas on how we can make the store easy and fun to shop,” said Sedlar.

The New Seasons Market store will be part of the Fisher’s Landing Marketplace shopping center at the intersection of 164th Avenue and McGillivray Boulevard. Gramor Development is conducting an extensive makeover of the shopping center. New Seasons Market will join Big Al’s, Target, HomeStreet Bank and Walgreens, among other businesses.

New Seasons Market is an active supporter of the regional food economy and is dedicated to purchasing from small Northwest family farms, ranches, dairies and fisheries. The Fisher’s Landing location will carry essential groceries for everyday eating and will feature local and organic produce, natural meats, wild-caught seafood, a huge variety of local and international cheeses, handmade organic breads, an extensive wine and beer selection and homemade, chef-prepared deli foods. The store will also have a large nutritional supplement department and will offer free wellness classes. For specialized customer nutritional needs, a staff nutritionist will be available for store tours and nutritional guidance.

As a locally owned and operated company, New Seasons Market enthusiastically supports the community. In 2010 the company gave 10 percent of its after-tax profits to more than 650 nonprofits and community groups. Additionally, the company’s grant program distributed funds to local organizations dedicated to supporting local family farms. Nearly $70,000 was distributed to various farming groups including 18 neighborhood farmers markets. In addition, 50 cents from the sale of each loaf of New Seasons Market’s organic sourdough bread is donated to the Loaves & Fishes Meals-on-Wheels program. The Fisher’s Landing store will make similar contributions to Southwest Washington community organizations.

“New Seasons Market’s fresh and locally sourced products along with their unique, community-focused business model has a large and very loyal customer base, they are unlike any other grocer currently in Vancouver, ” said Barry Cain, president of Gramor Development. “We are excited that this cooperative partnership is bringing the first New Seasons Market in Washington to this growing community.”

Since 1985, Gramor has produced more than 60 developments totaling three million square feet of mixed-use retail and office space, valued at nearly $1 billion. Gramor Development is a privately held company headquartered in Tualatin, Oregon.

Founded by three Portland families, New Seasons Market is proud to be locally owned and operated and has deep roots in the community. With ten locations across the Portland Metro Area, each New Seasons Market is a neighborhood grocery offering everyday values on a large mix of products from frosted flakes to free-range chicken. New Seasons Market stores are located in the neighborhoods of Raleigh Hills, Hawthorne, Sellwood, Arbor Lodge, Happy Valley, Cedar Hills, Concordia, Orenco Station, Mountain Park and Seven Corners. The company will open its eleventh store in the Beaverton neighborhood of Progress Ridge in October. For store locations, hours and general information, please visit www.newseasonsmarket.com.

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