(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an updated version of a story previously published in the North Kitsap Herald.)
The grand opening of the new Rite Aid store in Kingston, at the corner of Miller Bay Road and Highway 104, took place Feb. 21. Corporate managers and Kitsap County Commissioner Steve Bauer were on hand for the ribbon cutting.
Now that the groundwork is laid at Odell’s Corner, other developments there are gaining momentum.
The 18,187-square-foot Rite Aid building is being touted as one of the retail giant’s prototype customer-world stores with a design based entirely off customer feedback and what they’re looking for in a drugstore, according to company spokeswoman Ashley Flowers.
The pharmacy is the core business for Rite Aid, she said, which has more than 5,000 stores nationwide and is the third largest drugstore chain in the U.S. The store features wide, clutter-free aisles and a drive-through pharmacy.
There are about 20 employees and two full-time pharmacists, the majority of whom live in North Kitsap.
Jana Kramberger, president of the Greater Kingston Chamber of Commerce, said with the store opening, she hopes people will choose to stay in town more and do their shopping in Kingston.
“My sense is nobody has any beef about it; it’s just the way things go,” she said. “I don’t think it’s going to have a negative effect on other businesses here. It’s all good. That’s my motto.”
A long haul to the ribbon cutting
It’s been a long haul for the Pennsylvania-based company to reach opening day. Plans for the store and development on the two lots adjoining the Rite Aid site were introduced to the Kingston Citizens’ Advisory Council in July 2005. Groundbreaking took place in March 2007.
From changes in the lead construction firm, to the creation of ingress and egress access points off the major North End intersection, to landscaping and stormwater drainage, those involved in the project were more than ready to wrap it up. There were also delays in getting approval on county permits, according to Kevin Broderick of Seattle-based Broderick Architects, the third contracted consultant, who managed to take the project to completion.
The 2.17-acre site is owned by Gunna Development LLC of St. Louis, Mo. and zoned as neighborhood commercial.
“The landscaping looks great. They did a good job on the building, meeting the intent of design standards on the rural character,” said Kitsap County Department of Community Development Senior Planner Jeff Smith. The building follows the Kingston Design Standards and requirements of the Local Area of More Intensive Rural Development (LAMIRD), a planning tool of the state’s Growth Management Act used in rural development. The Kingston Crossing development across Highway 104, which includes Albertsons, follows these same design requirements. On the Rite Aid store what look like cedar shingles are actually concrete, Smith said.
The only part of the project yet to be completed is bonding for work to improve the traffic signals at the intersection, including new light poles and a little bit of tweaking, Smith said.
Shari’s restaurant considered
Currently, two other lots adjoining the Rite Aid site at Odell’s Corner, also zoned neighborhood commercial, are under contract to be purchased by Mike Brooks, owner of Mike’s Car Wash and Detail of Poulsbo. One lot is 1.31 acres, also owned by Gunna Corporation LLC; the second lot is 1.82 acres, owned by North Sound Bank, according to the County Assessor’s Office.
The lot next to Rite Aid currently has a site development activity permit under review, Smith said.
Craig Steinlicht, certified commercial investment member and associate broker with John L. Scott in Poulsbo, is handling development of retail on the site for Brooks. Steinlicht said tentative plans include two 6,500 square-foot buildings with room for three or four retailers each.
Construction will get underway as soon as possible, and now that Rite Aid has opened, he said he expects the project to pick up speed with tenants occupying buildings by September. He anticipates having a couple of leases signed early this month, but couldn’t yet disclose who those are with. A new car wash, which has been mentioned for the site the last couple of years, was not confirmed either.
The sites are already graded and “full weathered” which means weather conditions shouldn’t prohibit construction from moving ahead.
“We’re figuring out what we have to work with and will juggle them in,” Steinlicht said. Steinlicht confirmed that he’s approached the Shari’s chain to open a restaurant at the site.
“I’ve worked my tail off to get them here,” he said.
So far, Shari’s has held off on making any commitments. “They want to know they’re going to be profitable here,” he said. If Kingston-area residents want a family-oriented restaurant like Shari’s, they should “bombard them with e-mails.”
Shari’s operates 98 restaurants in the western states with three in Silverdale, Port Orchard and Bremerton. Its corporate office is based in Beaverton, Ore.
Residents have long expressed hopes for services such as a car wash, dry cleaner and family-style diner to fill their needs and keep running errands to Poulsbo at a minimum.
The Kingston Historical Society would also like an Odell’s Corner signboard erected there to serve as not only a historical marker, but also to provide a place to announce community events.
Contact the Kingston Rite Aid store at (360)297-5200. Contact Craig Steinlicht at craigs@johnlscott.com or go to www.kitsapproperty.com.
