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.

Awaiting redevelopment at the shopping center site

The NE 85th Street Wedgwood Shopping Center, southeast corner of the intersection, awaits major redevelopment which could go ahead in late 2026, depending upon whether the developer receives all the needed construction permits and has funds to proceed.

This redevelopment would be the biggest change since the shopping center began with a Tradewell store in 1959.  The present businesses, including the Wedgwood Hair Studio, the Wedgwood Broiler restaurant and the Van Gogh Coffeehouse, will have to close for the demolition of the entire block.  The owner of the Broiler has stated that he doesn’t plan to re-start the restaurant in another location.  The other businesses are considering new locations.

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.

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.  When the time comes that 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, the NE 75th Street intersection is 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.

Community activism in 2025

The impending redevelopment of the NE 85th Street shopping center has been difficult for everyone, for several reasons.  One is the long timeline; from 2022 to 2025 the developer, Security Properties, went through the arduous process of the City of Seattle Design Review.  Finally, in September 2025, the Security Properties plan came out with approval, supported by a massive number of comments from community members.  (Design Review Board staff commented that Wedgwoodians broke the system.)  However, the next step in the process is the long timeline for receiving construction permits, and the need of investors for the project.

Plans drawn by the developer, Security Properties, for a new complex at the Wedgwood Shopping Center. The front corner shown here is at NE 85th Street and would have a grocer, Town & Country Market.

The timeline of application for construction permits is that the earliest the project would proceed, is September 2026.  The summer of 2026 would be when the present businesses at the site would have to close and vacate.

The uncertainty of when the shopping center project will actually go ahead has left the present Wedgwood businesses themselves, and the neighborhood, feeling in limbo.  No one wants the present businesses to go away (the Wedgwood Hair Studio, a nail salon, the Wedgwood Broiler and Van Gogh Coffeehouse).  The only business in the shopping center which has definite plans to stay in the Wedgwood neighborhood is Mechanics Bank (Homestreet Bank) which will move to 8702 35th Ave NE.

Another difficulty with the redevelopment project is that not everyone agrees with it.  Community input into the design of the new buildings was split between those who hoped to somehow prevent the project from happening, and those who were OK with it and who wanted to have input into the selection of retailers for the site.

The developer presented a plan for a grocery store on the ground floor at the corner of NE 85th Street, with apartments above.  Everyone agreed that a grocery store is much needed.  The store is to be Town & Country Market which is a locally known grocer.

The NE 75th Street intersection in Wedgwood has the advantage of a major retailer as anchor in the shopping district.

Besides the uncertainty of the redevelopment plan, another unresolved problem in the Wedgwood business district at NE 85th Street is the vacant Rite-Aid building on the northeast corner.  Rite-Aid 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?

Mostly positive outlook for the business district in 2025

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 at 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.