What's Happening
WinCo Approved
WinCo Foods filed plans to convert the vacant former Sam's Club at 13550 Aurora Ave N into Seattle's first WinCo location. The city completed its environmental review and approved the project.
Mysterious Appeal Filed
In November 2025, a group calling itself "Lake Washington Working Families" — with no website, no state registration, and no identifiable members — filed a last-minute appeal using a Portland, Oregon attorney.
Hearing Examiner Rules
On April 9, 2026, the Hearing Examiner overturned the environmental clearance on a procedural technicality. The ruling could delay the project 6–8 months or cause WinCo to abandon it entirely.
North Seattle Deserves Affordable Food
The Aurora corridor has lost multiple grocery options in recent years. Residents — many of whom are lower-income — have been forced to drive to Edmonds or pay premium prices at nearby Safeway and QFC locations.
WinCo is 100% employee-owned, meaning workers share in the company's success. It would bring hundreds of jobs and genuinely affordable groceries to a neighborhood that needs both.