The long-vacant Safeway at 1653 S. Colorado Blvd. is finally getting a new life. Floor & Decor is slated to move into the 50,048-square-foot retail shell, flipping the onetime neighborhood supermarket into a warehouse-format flooring store. The space has sat empty since the grocery shut down, and the retailer has not set an opening date.
Permits Hint At Full Gut Job Inside Former Grocery
According to Naked Denver, city permit records and project plans describe a tenant buildout that keeps the existing footprint while stripping the interior to the bones. The work calls for removing a rear equipment mezzanine, cutting out portions of the concrete slab, taking down interior partitions, and pulling plumbing fixtures and electrical distribution. Outside, the plans include tweaks to the main entrance and the customer pickup area. Project documents list SBLM Architects, JR Engineering, A.V. Schwan & Associates, KLH Engineers, Code Consultants Inc., and Langan on the design and engineering team.
How The Big Box Opened Up
WhatNow reports the unit became available after Safeway closed the store, leaving behind roughly 50,048 square feet of retail space waiting for a new tenant. The outlet also notes that Floor & Decor has not yet announced when it plans to open the Denver location.
Who Floor & Decor Is Targeting
Floor & Decor was founded in 2000 and is based in Atlanta. The company’s own description says it focuses on hard-surface flooring and operates warehouse-style stores alongside smaller design studios. The chain leans on a heavy in-stock selection aimed at both professional contractors and DIY shoppers, which helps explain the appetite for a large-format site like the Colorado Boulevard box.
Safeway Exit Tied To Statewide Cuts
BusinessDen previously reported that the Colorado Boulevard Safeway was one of 10 Colorado locations the chain decided to close in fall 2025. That move freed up the Boulevard Center property for reuse and was part of a broader regional restructuring that Safeway said followed a review of store performance.
What Neighbors Should Watch For Next
For now, the paper trail outlines the tenant improvements but stays quiet on when work will wrap or how many people the new store might employ. Project records do not spell out a construction schedule. Actual buildout should kick into gear once tenant improvements formally begin, according to project filings cited by Naked Denver.
