Grocery store project moving along

WinCo Foods, a national grocer, is planning to build a new store at the site of the former Target store near Midwest Blvd. and Reno Ave. (Staff photo by Jeff Harrison)

An abandoned Target store’s days are numbered.

A national grocer is moving forward with plans to build a new store and redevelop the site of the Target store near Reno Avenue and Midwest Boulevard. WinCo Foods, based in Boise, Idaho, plans to build a new 85,000-square-foot grocery store and separate commercial buildings.

The company is moving forward with the demolition of the old Target building. Crews are currently removing asbestos from the building and will begin demolition next week. Construction of the grocery store is scheduled to start in late December or early January. The store is expected to be completed by August and open in fall 2017. WinCo has not released a timetable for the additional commercial buildings.

According to building plans, the grocery store will be built in the northwest corner of the property. The additional commercial buildings will be located along Reno Avenue.

The project has been slowed by development of a distribution center and acquisition of a fourth property in the Oklahoma City metro, according to Dave Butler, WinCo chief financial officer.

In March, Butler told the Beacon that company is building an 800,000-square-foot distribution center in Denton, Texas, which will service both the north Texas and Oklahoma City metros. The new facility is expected to be completed by late 2016 or early 2017. WinCo originally planned to use its current distributor, which has a facility in Oklahoma City, but the company was at capacity.

Butler said the company is also in the process of acquiring property in north Oklahoma City. The company has already purchased property and have plans approved for the three other metro locations in Midwest City, Moore and northwest Oklahoma City. Construction is already underway for the Moore location.

WinCo Foods bought the Midwest City property for $1.875 million in October 2014.
Midwest Wrecking has been contracted to demolish the building. Engineered Structures, Inc., of Idaho,  is overseeing the project.
The Target building is about 111,000-square-feet and was constructed in 1961, according to the Oklahoma County Assessor’s online records.
According to their website, WinCo Food stores are larger than traditional grocery stores and offer several bulk products.
They feature a wide selection of groceries, a fresh bakery, large bulk foods department, deli, fresh meat and seafood, and large produce departments.