County buys former Safeway building
Atkins Harvest Foods when it was still operating in downtown Bonners Ferry.
(Courtesy Photo)
BONNERS FERRY — The Boundary County commissioners have approved a $700,000 purchase of the former Safeway building, located on First Street.
Located at 7168 First St., the old Safeway building became Akins Harvest foods in July 2010. In 2017, the grocery store closed and the building has remained vacant ever since. Safeway, the building's owner, did not want to sell the building to a competing grocery store.
The county is looking to renovate the building to house courtrooms, the Treasurer's Office, and the Clerk’s Office, Boundary County Commissioner Chair Tim Bertling said, noting the location will have better security and will provide more room for growth.
The relocation of county offices will not happen overnight, as the county has a list of renovations, including fixing the roof, remodeling the interior and removing the refrigeration units.
“We are in the very beginning stages at this time and will need architect planning and more before renovation begins,” Bertling said.