March 30, 2021 3:50 a.m.

In the KQEN Business Spotlight;

WinCo Foods appears headed to Roseburg.

City of Roseburg Community Development Director Stuart Cowie said an application for a site plan review has been submitted which includes demolishing the existing vacant 88,000 square foot Kmart building and constructing a new nearly 73,000 square foot WinCo Foods grocery store. The site is on just under 9.5 acres on Northwest Stewart Parkway. That site also contains the Big 5 Sporting Goods building. A staff report said the applicant and owners have no plans to change the business operations of Big 5.

The application said the store will operate in the same fashion as the neighboring Albertson’s and Sherm’s Thunderbird grocery stores. A number of improvements to the property are planned along with constructing the new building.

The staff report said the City held a pre-application conference with the applicant in November of 2020. The application is being processed as a limited land use decision and is being referred directly to the Planning Commission based on the request of the applicant. The commission will consider the matter at its Monday April 5th meeting.

WinCo’s origin dates back to 1967. It is based in Boise, Idaho and has over 130 locations. It is employee owned with over 20,000 employees.

The property has set vacant since the Kmart store was closed in 2017. It was owned by Sears Holdings Corporation which later filed for bankruptcy. Less than 100 Kmart and Sears stores remain open around the country as of this year.

City staff is recommending that the Planning Commission direct the applicant to prepare findings of fact approving the Site Plan Review for review and adoption at the commission’s meeting in May.