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| Photo by Steven H. Robinson |
Seward Park PCC property to Ron Sher of Third Place Books
PCC Natural Markets (PCC), the nation's largest natural foods retail cooperative, has announced the sale of the building and property currently occupied by its Seward Park store to Ron Sher of Third Place Books. The sale precedes PCC’s move from the property to a larger site in the nearby Columbia City neighborhood in summer 2015.
Sher is purchasing the Seward Park land and 7,200 sq. ft. building, located at 5041 Wilson Avenue South in Seattle, with the intention of operating a book store, restaurant, and possibly a pub, similar to the project the company developed at the former PCC location in Seattle’s Ravenna neighborhood.
“PCC is delighted to have reached an agreement with a trusted developer that assures the offering of a new gathering place for Seward Park neighbors and visitors,” said Randy Lee, PCC’s Acting CEO.
“Having a community-oriented successor at our property was extremely important to us, and based on our prior experience in working with Third Place Books, we are hopeful that the property’s new purpose will be welcomed by the local community.
“We appreciate that Seward Park residents are reluctant to lose the Seward Park PCC which has served them well since 1985,” said Ron Sher, owner of Third Place Books. “We are committed to creating a new neighborhood asset and are moving towards opening the Seward Park Third Place Books by year-end ."
For many years PCC had tried to remain in its current location but was unable to upgrade the existing building and parking in a way that would adequately meet growing demand. In January 2013, PCC announced it would move from the Seward Park neighborhood to a new 25,000 sq. ft. site in Columbia City, about one mile from the current store. The new store will enable PCC to offer shoppers more product choices as well as triple available parking.
Headquartered in Seattle, Wash., PCC Natural Markets is a certified organic retail cooperative with annual sales of more than $200 million and an active membership of more than 52,000 households. PCC operates ten neighborhood locations; nine in King County including Fremont, Greenlake Aurora, Greenlake Village, Issaquah, Kirkland, Redmond, Seward Park, View Ridge and West Seattle, and its Edmonds store in South Snohomish County.
Founded in 1998 in Lake Forest Park Wash. and in the Ravenna neighborhood of Seattle in 2002, Third Place Books is a general interest bookstore. It is a fun and comfortable place to browse, linger, lounge, relax, read, eat, laugh, play, talk, listen, and just watch the world go by.
Ron Sher sold out of Lake Forest Park years ago, so why is this news? Seward Park is a wonderful place but not any where near to Shoreline or Lake Forest Park. Ron Sher has actually been connected to some failed projects in Kitsap County but I don't recall that being trumpeted in the SAN.
ReplyDeleteAs a matter of fact, I so regret leaving Seward Park and Leschi since they are in the City of Seattle that I am going to relocate to that neighborhood since it is a real city with real amenities as opposed to the aspirations of Shoreline.