Bartell Drugs opens at Gateway Plaza

SHORELINE — Bartell Drugs will open a second Shoreline location today at the redeveloped Gateway Plaza.

Located on 185th Street and Aurora Avenue N., the store will be the first of 14 tenants to open shop at Gateway Plaza, which was formerly home to a QFC, Ostroms Drug &Gift, Gateway Cleaners and Shoreline Bank, which has relocated. The QFC, which was considered the anchor store at the development, closed Jan. 31, 2004.

“We have some last-minute details still to do,” Bartell Drugs manager Tim Thomas said, “but all in all we are ready.”

Thomas said it has taken a month to merchandise the new store, which will employ a staff of 24.

Jim Abbott, president of SGA Corporation, which is redeveloping Gateway Plaza, said 85 percent of the space is leased. There are 10 tenants so far, with four spaces left to fill.

Other tenants to open later this year in the 65,000 square feet of retail shops and office space include John L. Scott Real Estate, Washington State Liquor Store, 24-Hour Fitness, Desert Sun Tanning, Dinners Ready, Health Chiropractic and Massage, Mail Center, Quizno’s and a sit-down teriyaki restaurant.

Gateway Plaza is owned by Abbott, Shoreline resident Harley O’Neil and other investors who either live or work in Shoreline. Redevelopment will cost about $13.5 million, which is more than anticipated, Abbott said.

Abbott declined to say if the project has gone as planned, saying “it has been a very difficult project because of the various entities involved.”

Redevelopment of Gateway Plaza includes coordinating with the city to build a portion of the Interurban Trail, from 183rd to 185th streets, in front of where Monarch Appliance, T &T Seafood Restaurant, TriVenture and several other businesses were previously located. Abbott said the segment of the trail is currently being built.

The trail route has changed, Abbott said, and instead of traveling north from 185th Street in front of Sky Nursery, it has been realigned to veer east at 185th Street and then north across Midvale Avenue, proceeding behind Sky Nursery.

“That whole realignment had to be redesigned,” Abbott said. “We are still working out issues.”

Also included in construction is the rerouting of a 7,650-square-foot portion of Midvale Avenue, between N. 183rd and 185th streets. It will be rerouted around the east side of the renovated Gateway Plaza and will align with the section of Midvale Avenue north of 185th Street.

Abbott said the project has been environmentally conscious, as concrete from the old building and asphalt were crushed on-site and used as the base for the new facility.

“We never transported any concrete or asphalt off site,” Abbott said. “It was very good environmentally.”

He said the beams in the old QFC building were shipped to China, where they will be reused. Abbott expects more construction to be completed by October.