The loss of a second Fred Meyer in our community is a gut punch. There’s no other way of describing it. I’ve heard the fear and frustration from Tacoma residents who are scared of worsening food deserts and decreased access to their medications. They are also worried about where our economy is going.
The city cannot fix this overnight. But we are taking immediate steps and have a plan for how to move forward.
Our economic development team will work with the landlord at James Center to fill the void of this commercial vacancy as soon as possible once the store closes.
And over the long term, we will be taking steps to ensure we are doing everything possible to retain our existing grocers and attract new stores over time. I have already started engaging with our grocers and business community to ensure that we are making investments in the services and infrastructure that improve access and long-term viability, especially in our most underserved communities.
We are a resilient, innovative community. I have no doubt that by working together, we can attract, support and retain the businesses crucial to serving our community.