Construction crews work on the site of the future Rosauers grocery store in Ridgefield July 18.
Those looking forward to having a grocery store in Ridgefield will have to wait a little longer than initially projected as weather and coordination with state agencies has held up the anticipated opening of Rosauers off of Pioneer Street until November.
Dean Maldonado, principal developer for the Rosauers project on property known as Discovery Ridge, gave an update on the project during the monthly meeting of Ridgefield Main Street at Sportsman’s Public House July 18. The project, officially announced by the Port of Ridgefield in February 2018, will bring a 53,000 square-foot grocery store as part of the first phase of development at Discovery Ridge. Rosauers is a part of a Spokane-based chain.
Though initially planned to open next month, several things have held up the project, according to Maldonado. The delay is due to issues across the board, not the least of which was wet weather that held up construction of stormwater facilities for the site.
Maldonado added that given Pioneer Street is State Route 501 and thus under the purview of the Washington State Department of Transportation, they had to work with the department to get things moving, resulting in lots of paperwork that also added to the delay.
After the Ridgefield Main Street meeting Maldonado gave The Reflector a timeframe, saying that the developers would turn over the building to Rosauers “substantially complete” in September, after which the grocer would furnish and equip the facility to be ready to operate. He said the first phase of the overall Discovery Ridge project cost about $24 million.
Rosauers isn’t the only company coming in through the first phase, as Maldonado said Oasis Dental, Rebound Medical, Edward Jones, Ichi Teriyaki, U.S. Nails and Tapped Brewhouse would be moving into additional buildings at the site. He expected those businesses to be up and running by January.
To the south of Phase 1, Maldonado said there will be a fueling station leased by Rosauers which will have a Brewed Awakenings next to it. He said it was the developer’s goal to have it opened around the same time as the grocery.
Though he has developed projects across the state Maldonado said he had a sentimental connection to Ridgefield, having lived in the city for more than 30 years while raising his family. His personal investment made bringing Rosauers to the city important to him as he wanted to make sure Ridgefield would thrive in the coming years.
“It’s tough for small towns in this day and age,” Maldonado remarked. “(For) me, I want to make sure that Ridgefield is still here when I’m dead and gone and my kids are here.”
