Lakewood is getting its Grocery Outlet back, this time in the vacant Big Lots spot on 100th Street, while the long-quiet Tacoma Discount World property on Pacific Highway is being steered toward industrial use. If both moves land as planned, two highly visible empty parcels near I-5 would flip back to active use, bringing construction work, permanent jobs and a bump in truck traffic for nearby neighborhoods. City staff and property managers say the timelines are still very much in pencil as leases and permits get sorted out.
Grocery Outlet Returns To Former Big Lots Site
The discount grocer is slated to open at 5401 100th St. SW, the onetime Big Lots store, with a tentative January 2027 opening, according to the City of Lakewood. Big Lots shut down its Lakewood location in 2024 as part of the chain's bankruptcy and broad liquidation of many stores, per AP News.
What's Next For The Tacoma Discount World Site
The property at 11013 Pacific Highway SW, which housed Tacoma Discount World until it closed in 2023 and later saw demolition work, was purchased in 2022 by an LLC tied to Sterling Consumer Logistics Properties for about $17.7 million, according to The News Tribune. A March filing with the city seeks approval to retool the site for "building contractor" uses and identifies Milton-based Cannon Construction as a potential tenant that would operate offices, a warehouse, an equipment maintenance shop and secured outdoor storage, The News Tribune reports. The owner and brokers are pitching the property as flexible industrial and fulfillment space, highlighting its quick I-5 access and large open floor plate, while the Sterling Organization listing specifically targets logistics and fulfillment users.
Permits, Zoning And What Neighbors Can Expect
City records show officials have weighed several reuse ideas for the Pacific Highway property, including an earlier neighborhood-fulfillment concept tied to SCLP I Lakewood LLC. The City of Lakewood Q3 2024 permit report lists an SCLP I Lakewood LLC entry described as a "TI - Neighborhood fulfillment center." Commercial listings and brokers' materials emphasize the site's yard area, multiple drive-in doors and visibility from I-5, features that also line up with contractor equipment storage and maintenance needs. Those marketing details are echoed in the property's listing on LoopNet.
The Bigger Picture For Lakewood Retail
Slotting Grocery Outlet into an existing retail shell follows a broader pattern of discount grocers moving into spaces vacated by large chains, even as Grocery Outlet itself trims its own footprint during a restructuring. National trade coverage notes that Grocery Outlet has closed dozens of locations in a recent optimization, a backdrop that local planners and residents say they are keeping an eye on. See coverage by Grocery Dive and the Los Angeles Times for more on the chain's national moves. For Lakewood shoppers, a new Grocery Outlet could bring easier access to lower-cost pantry basics, even as neighbors brace for construction noise and more vehicles in the mix.
Both projects still hinge on final leases and permits. The clearest early sign of movement is likely to show up first in the city's permit portal and in fresh marketing materials from the property manager. We will be watching for those filings and lease announcements as they arrive and will track any public hearings or permit reviews that could shape what the neighborhood ultimately sees on the ground.
