Safeway is a national grocery retailer with an 80-year history in Seattle.

Situation

• To expand its Pinehurst store, Safeway needed to overhaul the property, which would require a complex rezone of the land, which included tearing down a row of homes it currently owned.
• Many neighbors opposed this move, as they felt Safeway had not been a trustworthy neighbor over the years.

Solution

• Developed an in-depth public affairs and communications strategy that included messaging, neighborhood outreach and negotiations with city council members.
• Worked closely with neighborhood leadership to help build trust and seek honest input on how the remodeled store could reflect the values of the community.
• Developed a community outreach program that included a “design charette” wherein nearly 100 neighbors contributed their design ideas for the new store, as well as an ongoing “design team” that worked with both Safeway and its architects to help steer the store design and priorities.

Results

• Neighborhood support for the project became overwhelming.
• The craftsman-style store will feature many amenties that will help increase street-level activity for Pinehust. It will also be Safeway’s first LEED-certified store in Washingotn State. Both elements were a result of neighborhood involvement.
• There is no opposition to re-zoning and the new store is currently set to open in fall 2010.