WinCo Foods is quietly reworking its north metro game plan, scooping up a new piece of land in Thornton that is not the same plot where it first floated plans for a local store. The Boise-based, employee-owned grocer still appears on track for a Colorado debut, but this fresh purchase hints that the company is rethinking which north metro address will host its first opening.
According to the Denver Business Journal, WinCo closed this week on a north metro parcel that differs from the one previously linked to its initial Thornton store concept. The report frames the move as a notable pivot from the grocer’s earlier filings in the area.
What was originally proposed in Thornton
Public planning records show that WinCo’s first swing at Thornton involved an 84,000 square foot store planned for the southeast corner of E. 164th Avenue and Washington Street in the Larkridge retail area. The City of Thornton’s development projects map identified that corner as the spot tied to the company’s early pre-application activity, a signal that WinCo had zeroed in on Larkridge as its initial north metro landing zone.
Other land buys and the state filing
The Thornton shuffle is not happening in isolation. Public records reviewed by BusinessDen show WinCo also bought roughly 10 acres in Firestone, north of Firestone Boulevard along Union Street, in a deal valued at about $3.6 million. That purchase puts another pin on the map along the north I-25 corridor.
On top of the land deals, WinCo has already done the paperwork that signals a serious move into the state. State business records confirm the company is formally registered to operate in Colorado, a step that was reported earlier by BoiseDev.
What the move could mean locally
If and when WinCo plants a flag in the north metro area, it will be stepping straight into a crowded ring. A Larkridge area store would put the chain up against heavyweight neighbors like Costco and King Soopers, with the potential to tighten pricing for bulk and warehouse-style goods across the board…