Puyallup chef Danielle Kartes is trying to breathe life back into the 155‑year‑old Alderton General Store on State Route 162, pitching a market‑style grocery with restaurant‑quality prepared food and an in‑house bakery. Kartes and a group of investors have sketched preliminary plans and hired an architect, and she says she hopes to open a restored, working general store by spring 2027 if permits and engineering work fall into place. The building has been boarded and tagged for years after being damaged in a crash, and neighbors say the corner is overdue for a new civic anchor.
Kartes’ plan and price tag
Kartes told The News Tribune she intends to purchase the property for $450,000, has invested roughly $10,000 so far with partners on early design and outreach, and estimates the full remodel could top $2.5 million. She said she paid about $2,500 to submit a detailed pre‑application to the county and has hired an architectural firm to draw construction plans. “I want this little building so bad,” Kartes told the paper, describing a market that would emphasize local farms, daily bread and a small prepared‑foods program rather than a full sit‑down restaurant.
County review, timeline and a meeting
Pierce County staff completed a Level 3 pre‑application report for Kartes’ proposal on April 9, and a follow‑up meeting between the applicant and county reviewers is scheduled for May 6, according to The News Tribune. The Level 3 service is the county’s most detailed paid option and typically includes redlined comments and an in‑person meeting with multiple review disciplines. Christina Rohila, a Pierce County planning spokesperson, wrote in an April 10 email that “the report addresses the applicant’s questions and outlines what permits and approvals may be needed if they decide to move forward.”
Engineering and parking hurdles
County reviewers flagged two practical barriers that could reshape Kartes’ concept: fitting modern on‑site stormwater treatment into the small parcel and bringing the angled parking up to current off‑street standards. Pierce County’s site‑development and stormwater rules require new commercial projects to manage runoff on‑site through detention, infiltration or other facilities, requirements that can be difficult to satisfy on compact lots (PCC Title 17A). The county’s off‑street parking chapter spells out minimums and paths for reductions or shared parking, but meeting those standards often triggers engineering work or legal agreements that add cost and time (PCC 18A.35.040).
Historic building and crash history
The building at 9602 State Route 162 E has sat empty since a dump truck crashed into the storefront in July 2018, leaving broken windows and boarded walls that residents say have attracted graffiti. Property and commercial listings identify the corner as 9602 SR‑162 E in Puyallup and show the site marketed as the Alderton General Store (LoopNet). A 2018 report from FOX 13 Seattle described the crash that sent the truck through the storefront and hospitalized the driver. Kartes says her aim is to restore the site’s original general‑store character while adding a modern market and daily food program.
What’s next: Kartes and her team will take the county’s feedback from the May meeting and decide whether to move to a formal permit application; if they do, engineers will need to resolve stormwater and parking issues before construction can begin. If permitting and funding align, Kartes hopes construction can proceed in time for a spring 2027 opening, though timelines could slip. For now the project is in early review and the neighborhood will be watching whether a local chef can bring a long‑neglected landmark back to life.
