Additionally, PCC announced that the Kirkland PCC will move to a new, larger location in 2021. Kirkland PCC was the co-op’s second store, opening in 1978. The new location will be 30% larger with approximately 19,000 square feet and will include a seafood-focused restaurant. PCC said the new store joins Bellevue, Ballard and West Seattle in its goal to meetLiving Building Challenge (LBC) Petal Certification, a rigorous green building standard.
In pursuit of LBC Petal Certification, the Bellevue store will feature unique elements, including sustainably sourced, nontoxic building materials and reclaimed materials — shelving and deli fixtures — from other PCC stores. The new store also uses energy-efficient systems that lower climate impacts, including the use of carbon dioxide refrigeration — a greenhouse gas that is three thousand times less potent than the synthetic refrigerants used in most grocery stores.
As part of the Beauty Petal Certification for LBC, PCC shared, the new store features an art installation by local artist Shogo Ota called “Murmuration,” which showcases a group of birds that are small individually, but become mightier when they fly together, forming a Southern Resident Killer Whale. Ota explained in the press release: “I saw such a parallel between the way the birds come together to make an impact with the way that PCC supports local communities: caring about people on an individual level and believing in the impact this can have on a grander scale."
PCC also announced that the co-op will expand the PCC Food Bank Program by extending its partnership with Hopelink to include Bellevue Hopelink. “PCC has been working with Hopelink for decades through our partnerships in Redmond and Kirkland," said Lindsey Robinson, Bellevue Hopelink Food Bank Manager, in the release. "We appreciate being able to extend the relationship to help provide for our local community here in Bellevue.”
