Oliver’s Market is making a big local swing, snapping up Santa Rosa’s Farmer’s Lane Plaza for about $25 million as it lines up a fifth Sonoma County store. The roughly 35,500-square-foot supermarket is slated to fill the long-vacant former Rite Aid space and could bring an estimated 150 to 200 jobs when it opens in 2027, a move that is poised to reshape shopping patterns for Bennett Valley and nearby neighborhoods.
Sale details and permits
The 92,000-square-foot Farmer’s Lane Plaza at 1501–1591 Farmers Lane sold for $25 million, or about $271 per square foot, to Oliver’s Plaza LLC, according to The Press Democrat. The outlet reports that Joseph Murphy Corp. was the seller and that the deal closed last Wednesday. It also notes that local contractor Harkey Construction filed plans in January to gut the former Rite Aid for a new tenant, signaling that interior demolition and build-out work are already in the pipeline.
Oliver’s plan and timeline
Oliver’s said in early March that design and construction will get underway immediately, with an opening targeted for 2027 and departments that include a full-service deli, bakery, meat and seafood and expanded produce, according to Oliver’s Markets. The store is planned to fully occupy the 35,500-square-foot former Rite Aid footprint and is projected to employ about 150 to 200 people once the doors are open. Company leaders are pitching the deal as a hometown growth story for the employee-owned grocer.
About Farmer’s Lane Plaza
Commercial listing documents describe Farmer’s Lane Plaza as a roughly 92,000-square-foot center built in 1979, with a blend of national and local tenants that have long anchored Santa Rosa’s Eastside. The listing highlights tenants such as Starbucks and Coco’s and identifies Joseph Murphy Corporation as the property manager, underscoring the plaza’s role as a long-standing neighborhood hub. On that footprint, the sale pencils out to close to $271 per square foot.
Why the move matters locally
Oliver’s, founded in Cotati in 1988, wrapped up its transition to full employee ownership in 2024, a shift executives say keeps control in Sonoma County and tightens its relationships with local producers, according to industry reporting. Dropping a full-service, independent grocer into Farmer’s Lane Plaza could add competition and more convenient options for nearby residents who currently lean on a small set of anchors. Once open, the store will join Oliver’s other county locations and further cement the chain’s presence in Santa Rosa.
Company comment and next steps
“It is an exciting milestone for our employee owners,” Oliver’s general manager Scott Gross said, per Oliver’s Markets website. With contractor plans already filed and architectural renderings released in March, the grocer and its development team are positioned to move into the tenant improvement and permitting phases next. Representatives for the plaza’s former ownership did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Timeline and what locals can expect
Oliver’s and its contractors say they are still aiming for a 2027 opening, which means nearby residents can expect a steady uptick in construction activity and periodic changes to parking and access around the center over the coming year. The former Rite Aid shut its doors in 2025, and Oliver’s says work inside the space will start once key permits and plans are locked in. More specific construction schedules will hinge on city approvals and contractor timing, according to The Press Democrat. Shoppers interested in job postings or build-out milestones are being steered to company updates and city permitting records as the next round of filings goes public.
