Fred Meyer Stores, of Portland, hopes to start a $3.3 million remodeling project at its 28-year-old supercenter in Spokane Valley.


The Valley store is located near the northeast corner of Sprague Avenue and Sullivan Road and is one of four Fred Meyer stores in the Spokane area.


Fred Meyer has received a building permit from the city of Spokane Valley for the project. Bob Lindsay, the companys Portland-based senior project manager, says Vandervert Construction Inc., of Spokane, is the apparent low bidder on the project and is waiting for final approval on the project from Fred Meyers parent company, The Kroger Co., of Cincinnati.


Assuming Kroger gives the project approval to move forward, Lindsay says, the work would start in August and likely would be completed in January.


The project involves a complete interior remodel, including renovating grocery service departments, such as its deli, meat counter, and bakery, and installing new fixtures and displays throughout the 188,000-square-foot store. As part of the project, a 5,000-square-foot covered section of the stores outdoor garden center will be enclosed and converted into interior store space.


Also, a Starbucks Corp. kiosk will be installed in the store.


With the project, the Spokane Valley supercenter will receive its first substantial upgrade since it was built in 1977 and will be the first Fred Meyer in the Spokane area to be remodeled with the new design, Lindsay says.


The company hopes to perform a similar remodel in the near future at the companys store at 525 E. Francis, on Spokanes North Side, he says, but the Valley store is the only one here scheduled to be redone this year. A list of stores scheduled to be remodeled in 2006 currently doesnt include the Francis supercenter either, he says.


The other two Fred Meyer supercenters here are located at 400 S. Thor, in East Spokane, and at 12120 N. Division, north of Spokane.