The Wedgwood neighborhood in northeast Seattle has a linear business district along the arterial 35th Ave NE. Its major cross-streets are NE 95th, 85th and 75th.

In the year 2025 the business environment at the major NE 85th Street shopping district was changed by the closure of the Rite-Aid store.

With the now-closed Rite-Aid on the northeast corner and the previously-closed QFC grocery store (2021) on the southeast corner, the intersection of NE 85th Street seemed quieter in 2025, with less foot traffic.

On the brighter side, well-beloved stores and coffee shops are still present around the NE 85th Street shopping district and a new bookstore, Lovestruck in Seattle, opened at 8507 35th Ave NE in October 2025.

Lovestruck in Seattle, 8507 35th Ave NE, new bookstore in October 2025.

Redevelopment at the shopping center site: CANCELED

For more than three years, 2022-2026, the NE 85th Street Wedgwood Shopping Center, southeast corner of the intersection, has awaited major redevelopment which would only proceed depending upon whether the developer got through the City of Seattle processes.  It seemed that a big hurdle was overcome in the Design Review process.  Then came the applications for construction permits which was in-process as of January 2026.  This redevelopment would have been the biggest change since the shopping center began with a Tradewell store in 1959.

In a shocking announcement on January 5, 2026, the developer stated that their negotiations with the present property owner had broken down.  The reasons were that the developer needed to find an investment partner to get enough money for the project and was unable to do so; and that the present property owner was tired of waiting for the sale to be completed, so he decided to list the property again and try to find another buyer.

The center of the Wedgwood business district is at the intersection of NE 85th Street where there is a closed QFC grocery store. The Wedgwood Broiler restaurant, other stores and Mechanics Bank are still open as of 2025. Photo by Valarie.

As of January 2026, the shopping center property has been put back on the market.  It is possible that another developer could pick up the plan again (the plans are transferable) but the purchase price of the property may be the sticking point.

At this writing the shopping center remains as-is, with all the businesses still open.  The former grocery store building has a discount store.   The other businesses on the site are the Wedgwood Broiler restaurant, a nail salon, hair salon, Van Gogh coffee shop, and Homestreet/Mechanics Bank.

Name change:  from Homestreet to Mechanics Bank

Homestreet Bank which is in the shopping complex next to the Wedgwood Broiler, had a name change in 2025 as they were acquired by Mechanics Bank.

In 2022 when news of possible redevelopment of the shopping center first came out, the bank bought a vacant former US Bank building at 8702 35th Ave NE. If and when the Wedgwood Shopping Center is going to be demolished, the Wedgwood branch of Mechanics Bank will move to 8702 35th Ave NE and continue operating there.

Shopping shifts to the NE 75th Street intersection

Sophie’s Tacos at the intersection of NE 75th Street in Wedgwood.

In contrast with the quieter NE 85th Street intersection with fewer stores, in 2025 the NE 75th Street intersection was lively with a major grocery store, Safeway, and a number of restaurants and small shops.

Food outlets are abundant at the NE 75th Street intersection, including Grand Central Bakery & Cafe, Not Just Fish & Chips, Sophie’s Tacos, Subway Sandwich, and Veraci Pizza.

Two new restaurants were added to the intersection in 2025: Akebono (Japanese cuisine including seafood, sushi and rice dishes) and An Nam Pho (Vietnamese pho soup and rice dishes).

Other shops and resources around the NE 75th Street intersection include a dry cleaner, a dressmaker, hair salon, barber, bike shop, coin shop, gas station, insurance office, home remodeling company office, banks and dental offices. The atmosphere at NE 75th Street is lively with foot traffic as well as the convenience of a major grocery store, Safeway.

Mend Bicycles is behind Sophie’s Tacos, entered from NE 75th Street.

2026 issues in shopping in Wedgwood

Besides the uncertainty of the redevelopment of the Wedgwood Shopping Center, another unresolved problem in the Wedgwood business district at NE 85th Street is the vacant Rite-Aid building on the northeast corner.  Rite-Aid, which closed this store in July 2025, did not own this building.  The property owner currently is offering it for lease and has not responded to any community inquiries about the future of the site. Having such a large building stand empty, is not good for the atmosphere of the business district.

Wedgwood residents nearest to NE 85th Street feel like they are in a shopping desert with no drugstore or grocery close by. If you happen to run out of toothpaste, for example, it requires some thought to figure out where to go to get some more.  Maybe at the Safeway at NE 75th Street?

Safeway at the NE 75th Street intersection in Wedgwood.

Mostly positive outlook for the business district in 2025-2026

Despite the Rite-Aid vacancy and the uncertainty about the Wedgwood Shopping Center, other vacancies in the business district were filled in 2025 by interesting new shops and restaurants. These included two new restaurants near the NE 75th Street intersection, and the Lovestruck in Seattle bookstore at 8507 35th Ave NE.

The building on the corner of NE 82nd Street was originally the office of Albert Balch, developer of Wedgwood.

It was especially heartening to see that the Mioposto restaurant at 3426 NE 55th Street which had been damaged by a speeding car on July 4, was repaired and able to re-open on December 10, 2025.

On January 25, 2025, came the closure of the longtime Seattle Audubon Society Office & Nature Shop at the corner of NE 82nd Street. The organization changed its name to Birds Connect Seattle and moved to a downtown Seattle storefront.

This building at 8050 35th Ave NE Street was built in 1948 as the original office of Albert Balch, the developer of Wedgwood. After his death in 1976, another real estate company occupied the office, then it was acquired by the former Seattle Audubon Society in 1996. In January 2025 this building was bought by Blosm, a yoga and health practices studio. After some remodeling of the building, Blosm Studio opened on December 24, 2025.

Will Wedgwood get a pocket park in 2026?

Cafe Javasti at 8617 35th Ave NE

A longtime goal of the Wedgwood community has been to have a pocket park where people can sit to chat and enjoy their coffee from the nearby Cafe Javasti (8617 35th Ave NE).

The projected-future pocket park space is at the northwest corner of NE 86th Street. The history of this corner is that it had been owned by City Light, with an electrical substation on the site. There once was a gas station on this corner, too.

This designated pocket park space at 8605 35th Ave NE was officially acquired by the Seattle Parks Department in 2013 but to date, as of 2025, the space has not yet been developed. Will the year 2026 bring completion of the project?

The Wedgwood neighborhood has created an informal gathering space at 8605 35th Ave NE while waiting for development of this pocket park.