What’s Up With the New King Soopers Marketplace We Were Told About?
In May of 2016, we blogged about Fort Collins getting a second King Soopers Marketplace - as in, it had been confirmed. Well over a year later, some are wondering if that's still in the works.
That old K-Mart (and Payless Shoes, once upon a time) building continues to sit there empty, looking sad and ghostly, at the corner of College and Drake. Are we still getting the big, new King Soopers?
The answer is yes. A call to City of Fort Collins Building Services this week assures us so. I, for one, am becoming educated on just how long it takes to make a major project like this even begin, let alone come to fruition, once it's decided upon.
I was told there is a standard, legal review process underway on the land, the razing of the old K-Mart building, and building of the new shopping center. There will then be a hearing with the public zoning board. Finally, an official plan will be drafted and agreed upon. This is all estimated to conclude about four months from now.
Then, work begins developing the land: Demolition, grading, utility setup, and construction. That's estimated to take 8-10 months.
So, I would plan on a good two years, and if it happens sooner, then great!
The store sounds as if to be a mirror of the King Soopers Marketplace on North College, complete with a drive-through pharmacy.
I am looking forward to this new store, as even though I live in Fort Collins, I still revert back to my days of living in Wellington, and do most of my grocery shopping at the giant King Soopers. It's usually less crowded, and I've even been known to leave there not needing a drink.
Otherwise, I go to the old one that's on College, just north of where the new location will be, as it gives me cool nostalgia from when I was a singleton living down the street from there. And, it's usually less busy than the other stores.