The Fred Meyer on East Hill, 10020 SE 240th St., is set to close on Oct. 17. With over 200 jobs impacted, Kroger lists one of the reasons for the closure as theft.
Many residents’ concerns included the area becoming a food desert along with the loss of a one-stop-shop for things such as clothing, groceries and home items, and prescriptions.
In response, the Kent Chamber of Commerce hosted a community roundtable meeting Sept. 9 at the recreation room at the Ovation at Meeker apartment building.
As people walked in, each table featured a paper where they could write out questions and suggestions they may have. Also, a map of small and medium grocery stores, supermarkets, superstores and convenience stores in the area. The roundtable began with Zenovia Harris, the chief executive officer for the Kent Chamber of Commerce, greeting everyone and leaving the floor open for residents to express their thoughts towards the closure.
“I think they saw an opportunity to have their voice heard, and sometimes that’s all people need,” said Harris. “They care about the solution.”
Rose Brack, a resident of the Kent area, said she and her friends are sad to see the store close down.
“I think of Fred Meyer as my supermarket,” said Brack. “We get everything there … they always have fresh food, and I don’t know where I’m going to buy my food because in this area, that is a big supermarket that can supply a lot of people … I’m not happy at all.”
Wubnesh Habtemariam, a longtime Kent resident, also attended the roundtable.
“I buy my gas from Fred Meyer, and I also take my medications from there,” said Habtemariam. “It’s a big loss for me … I mean, we can go to Benson Road, but it’s not as close as this one … If we can save it by making a meeting like this, I would be happy. But it doesn’t look like it. We’ll still try.”
Longtime resident Petlonelle Ifa expressed that the proximity to different grocery stories is an issue for her, along with banking.
“As someone who comes from a different country, this is harder for me. My bank is in Fred Meyer, and it’s easier for me to buy stuff without going elsewhere because I am a seamstress … this also affects my work,” said Ifa.
Hearing the many residents’ concerns, Harris of the Chamber offered some possible solutions.
“Everything you can get at Fred Meyer, you may have to go to one or two different stores,” said Harris. “We have multiple markets and supermarkets, some for example, Grocery Outlet … so that might be a place for you to go to solve pricing issues … we also have Old Navy less than a mile away if you want to get back to school clothes.”
There is one pharmacy near the East Hill Fred Meyer, CVS, at 26301 104th Ave. SE. The Walgreens at 25605 104th Ave. SE, closed in early September. The Rite Aid at 10407 SE 256th St., closed earlier this year.
“Pharmacies, that may be one that threw me for a loop a little bit,” said Harris. “When you need your meds, you may not be able to go far, so that might have been the place for you to go.”
People in the community also had questions about what the city plans to do with the empty space and if the building will be guarded from outside residents.
Once the store is closed, there will be a fence around it, said William Ellis, the chief economic development officer for the city of Kent who attended the meeting. There were also questions about how long the building will be vacant and how long it will take for something else to replace it. According to Ellis, vacancy could take a number of years because commercial real estate moves at a slower pace.
Kent City Council President Satwinder Kaur was also present at the roundtable.
“We are all feeling the impact of Fred Meyer’s closing. That’s actually my pharmacy,” said Kaur. “We’re also trying to figure out what we need to do? Who do we need to talk to to bring some more produce and groceries into our community? I mean, the farmers market we have right now in Kent started because part of that was not having access to fresh produce for communities about seven, eight years ago. Hopefully there will be exciting opportunities for our community to build something better for our future.”
After the open discussion, residents went into breakout sessions where they could have one-on-one conversations with Harris, Kaur and Ellis. During the conversation, some locals brought up proximity concerns for people who may take bus routes or use the county’s Access Transportation program.
“We are still in those early stages of what can be done,” said Kaur. “We’re talking to different neighborhoods and trying to figure out where we’re all going to be. We do have a shuttle and we have Metro Flex that a lot of people don’t know about.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with information about the closure of two pharmacies.
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A snapshot of stores that accept SNAP benefits in Kent city limits. Photo by Mariah Hill/For the Reporter
