WinCo Foods submits plans for massive facility in Central Washington

WinCo Foods, Inc., a privately held and majority employee-owned U.S. supermarket chain based out of Boise, Idaho, has submitted an engineering proposal to the City of Ellensburg, Wash. to build a distribution center within the city’s limits, according to reporting from the Daily Record News.

The plans include a five-parcel, 1 million-square-foot grocery distribution center on over 100 acres. The logistical center will also include a roughly 47,000-square-foot truck returns warehouse, a nearly 800-square-foot driver waiting building, and an almost 400-square-foot check-in building, according to a city document. 

On May 11, the City of Ellensburg held an open record public hearing regarding the height variance of the potential structure —  it was approved by the city. Ellensburg Planning Manager Jeremy Johnston said the developers can now proceed and apply for a building permit.

As there are still other steps to be taken before breaking ground, according to Johnston, there is currently no timeline for completion of the facility as of now.

The distribution warehouse will include segregated storage of dry goods, frozen foods, and refrigerated foods for distribution to WinCo Foods stores throughout the Pacific Northwest, and local news outlet SourceOne said that the goods stored within the facility will be sorted and conveyed by a mechanized warehouse automation system.

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