The long time vacant and previous Kmart location on 148th Ave SE and Main Street is being speculated by the Bellevue Reporter that Costco is showing interest in occupying the retail space.
The space available is smaller than a typical Costco Warehouse store, but Costco is still interested in building a downsized store. The preliminary plans show the building occupying 137,698 square feet.
Anybody familiar with the current shopping strip is clearly aware that it is in desperate need of an upgrade. The empty Kmart building has sat in shambles for years, adding Costco would catapult the area into a regular Bellevue hot spot.
This is the second time Costco has been interested in this property. Years ago, Costco was speculated to open a “Costco Fresh” that would’ve offer customers a high end grocery experience. Though the chain never opened this experimental store, the guess would be that they would have rivaled Whole Foods. It would’ve been interesting to see what would have transpired if these “Costco Fresh” stores had opened.
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UPDATE
Here is the article from 2002 reporting Costco’s previous plans for a gourmet store, also known as “Costco Fresh”.
