Denny McDaniel, who operates Dennys Foods stores in Medical Lake and Odessa, Wash., plans to develop a larger grocery store in Medical Lake on a site with room for two other possible retail tenants, documents show.


McDaniel couldnt be reached immediately for comment. However, Medical Lake building inspector Dave Weisbeck says McDaniel has submitted to the city a preliminary set of plans for the project. McDaniels son, Zane, who manages the Dennys Foods store in Medical Lake, says his father hopes to begin construction of the new store shortly and to open it by September.


Weisbeck says the plans call for a 23,000-square-foot grocery store that would include a bakery, deli, and some customer seating. He says the store is to be developed on a triangular, 18-acre piece of land that McDaniel owns at the northeast corner of state Route 902 and Lefevre Street, north of the downtown area.


State Route 902 bends south at that intersection to pass through downtown Medical Lake, and is the main route from the small community to and from Spokane.


Weisbeck says the grocery store is to be located near the center of the big site. The preliminary plans show an area on the west side of the grocery store that could be used either for a future expansion of the store or for another retail tenant, he says.


There also is room for a retail pad at the southwest corner of the property, he says.


URM Stores Inc., of Spokane, is doing store-planning work on the project, and Russell Page and Baker Construction & Development Inc., both of Spokane, are the listed architect and general contractor, Weisbeck says.


He says McDaniel hasnt submitted a building permit application yet, but the citys review of plans for the project should be completed shortly. He says the proposed development site already is zoned for commercial use.


Zane McDaniel says his father has operated the 10,000-square-foot Dennys Foods store at 210 S. Broad in Medical Lake for eight and a half years, and the 7,000-square-foot store in Odessa for about 12 years.


The Medical Lake store employs about 20 people, including a mix of full- and part-time workers, and the Odessa store employs about 12 people, he says.


He adds that another 10 employees or so will be needed to staff the new Medical Lake store, which he will manage.


He says his father probably wont close the current Dennys Foods store in Medical Lake immediately because it has a lease there that runs through August of next year.


That space formerly was occupied by Lake City Thrift for many years.


Denny McDaniel formerly had managed Food Mart and Owens IGA grocery stores in the Spokane area.