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Alpine Meijer To Get New Face


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Construction Update:

More drop ceiling is coming down. Workers today have removed the products and shelving from the north east quadrant of the clothing dept. and have lowered the plastic curtains enclosing the space to work on cutting down some the exposed pipe work. Also the drop ceiling over the baby products area is now gone. only the sulfites remain. In addition plastic curtains were in place but rolled up on the section of drop ceiling over the wemen's clothing area, the shoe dept. and the front stretch of the south concourse. So it is expected that this section of drop ceiling will soon be striped away, probably before the weekend. Going back north east, the north sulfite that end capped the slanted ceiling (now completly demolished) over the check out lanes has been removed while a section of drop ceiling of the front prominade above the the former location of the "Pac & Ship" and the Optical center, soon to move, is missing exposing some ductwork. That bit of demolition extends to the entry of the gutted cafeteria up on the mezzinine. Lastly, new metal stud work has appeared over the checkout lanes extending by about 10-12 inches downward the exisiting sulfite dividing the ceiling of the front prominade from the slanted ceiling that was directly above the checkout lanes. The cashier that checked me out told me that a new 14 foot drop ceiling will replace the old ceiling which dashes my hopes for an exposed roof truss look through out like that found at new Meijer stores. However, as ugly as the existing ceiling is, any type of finished ceiling will do wonders to the old store. To cap things off, one will find that the former shoe repair shop as well as the photo studio are currently being gutted to make way for a new grocery enterence.

Outside, little activity has occured since my last visit. However, at the south side of the building in the new garden center, I did see dry wall being unloaded from a truck so it looks like atleast a great portion the addition's interior is already entering the finishing phases of construction.

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As i drove by tonight, I noticed the construction gate was open. Since I was curious what the tent is for I drove in (yes, past the No Trespassing " sign :blush: ) . There was waht turned out to be a plumber unloading "stuff" from his truck. He told me the tent is mostly for meetings although it looked like they had some sprinkler piping stored there. He said there are construction crews working in the store around the clock. He was just starting his shift - 8pm. He said the completion date is May 1, 2007.

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Good Gravy! :blink: That's huge difference from the fall 2007 date the GR Press had when they covered the annoucement back in Sept. of '06. Be that the case the whips must be really cracking to get the renovation done by May 1st unless the fall 2007 time line is a worst case scenerio plan to accamadate unforeseen problems with the renovation.

He said the completion date is May 1, 2007.
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Construction Update:

The drop ceiling in the entire middle section of the store is now gone while the sulfating that supported the old drop ceiling is fast disappearing. In the meantime new sulfating is materializing over the checkout lanes and Jewelry Cabinets most of which are already drywalled. Extensions of the new sulfating now cut across the ceiling of front promenade, one at the south end about twenty or so feet south of the retail concourse and the other at the north end of the checkout lanes. Metal stud work for more sulfating has appeared directly over head of the entrances of the checkout lanes. All together the new sulfating forms two rectangles, one over the front promenade and another over the checkout lanes. These rectangles will contain drop ceilings, with the one over the checkout lanes at a height 14 feet while the other over the promenade at the existing ceiling's height.

In contrast, and much to my happiness are signs that Meijer has opted not to replace the drop ceiling over the rest of the sales floor to make way for the "exposed roof trusses" look throughout as a section of exposed ceiling over the northeast section of the clothing department had ugly duct work and piping removed and then painted a brilliant snow white. Despite the poor lighting conditions provided by temporary construction lanterns at this time, that area where the ceiling was painted is much brighter than the rest of the store. So when the renovation is done, expect to do your shopping wearing these. :shades: I can wait to see what the sales floor will look like once the remaining sections of drop ceiling over sporting goods, toys, and electronics are striped away as one can already since airiness despite the poor lighting conditions and the dark raw colors of the exposed sections of ceiling yet to be painted.

In all, the way things are shaping up I can make a prediction of what the ceiling of the renovated store will look like which will be this. The checkout lanes and the front promenade inside the two rectangles I mentioned above will contain drop ceilings while the rest of the sales floor outside the rectangles will have exposed roof trusses and thus painted white. The result will be a very open and airy look that will give the sales floor a vast but unified appearance, attributes the store severely lacked in it's "before" state.

As for the addition, I was able to get a quick peak inside as construction workers had punched a doorway through the temporary wall sealing of the old south east entrance. Though I could not get a good hard look. I can tell that at least the walls enclosing the new pharmacy prescription desk has been drywalled and plastered. In addition I could see through the plastic making up the temporary wall separating the addition from the existing building that the addition's nearest support columns have already been painted white. Added to that, paint is going up on the exterior walls under the new garden center's canopy as seen though an access way cut into the plastic next to the meeting tent. Again it was just a quick glance. However from what I've seen the exterior walls will have a two toned paint job as shown in the architectural renderings displayed at the front of the store. The colors that have been chosen are a moderate to light tan color, similar to espresso on the upper half the walls with a darker chocolate milk brown on the lower half.

Lastly , an excavator was on a flat bed trailer in the parking lot in from the addition's construction site. I'm not certain if it is destined to be offloaded for more excavation work or if it is one of the excavators already there about to be hauled away to its next job. We'll soon see.

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I was there today and saw more ceiling tiles being taken down over by sporting goods area, although I didn't go in that area too much, I could see it from a distance. It sure is quite dark in some of those areas where the ceiling is missing, especially in the checkout lanes. Now does anyone know if they plan to add more lanes or even seperate them like one of the pictures in the total remodel site of meijer? Also, do they plan to put a starbucks coffee in there? I do also wanna let you know that purple cow is now closed and gone, the only business that remains open is the chase bank. The guest service desk and the photo dept and the lottery depts are still there, I don't know if they plan to move lottery and combine it with guest services. Over at the old garden center doors, it says closed due to construction, on the other side of it, what do they plan to do with that? The restrooms are now closed by the temp entrance door. You have to use the restrooms on the mezz floor. There is an elevator available for the handicapped, but I warn you, it's an old elevator and has gotten a little more freakey to be in. I also saw 2 new doors on the mezz floor. When I last got my haircut at the barber when it was still there, the people there told me that they were going to move downstairs and that the mezz floor would be all offices. Now I went to go get a haircut on the 2nd or 3rd of January and they were already gone. When I was in the guest service line, I asked the guy if there would be a barbershop in the store or not? And he said there wouldn't be a barbershop in the store anymore. In fact, does anyone know what businesses would be moving in? I can't wait for the construction to be done!

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Based on Meijer's new corporate format, I'm predicting a new barkery may replace the entry to the old outdoor garden center. Also if Meijer has budgeted enough funds into this renovation project, one may see the deli moved to the front wall where the fish, birds, and pet rodents are currently displayed. Since the renderings displayed show that the grocery entry will be moved southward by about 40 feet to line up with the grocery concourse, a new sit down cafe may replace the location of the purple cow and pizza place. Don't worry about the Purble Cow. It will likely return to be located next to a new deli.

As for the what may be found in the front prominade of the store after the renovation again based on what I seen in Meijer's newer stores, one may find atleast some of the following.

1. Photo studio

2. Nail Salon

3. Barber Shop (I believe called Great Lakes Haircuts)

3. Combined Guest Services and Tobacco / Lotto

4. Starbucks

5. Chase Bank (retained)

6. Bottle Return (may remain in present location next to the current pharmacy as it was recently renovated)

7. Shopping cart warming/drying rooms next to new entries

As for the mezz now that pcdoctor informed that it will be made into all office space one of two things may happen to it. It may remain open to the sales floor below and simply have its railing repainted and the surronding walls visually cleaned up and simplified as what has happen in the Jenison Meijer renovation or since the offices would demand privacy, a curtain wall made of translucent plexiglass panels held in place by acstruded aluminum framing may enclosed the mezz and modern looking custom fabricated metal canapies with in-store tennent singage will be attacted to the curtain wall over each tenent, as found in new Meijer stores, giving the front prominade an edgy flair.

I was there today and saw more ceiling tiles being taken down over by sporting goods area, although I didn't go in that area too much, I could see it from a distance. It sure is quite dark in some of those areas where the ceiling is missing, especially in the checkout lanes. Now does anyone know if they plan to add more lanes or even seperate them like one of the pictures in the total remodel site of meijer? Also, do they plan to put a starbucks coffee in there? I do also wanna let you know that purple cow is now closed and gone, the only business that remains open is the chase bank. The guest service desk and the photo dept and the lottery depts are still there, I don't know if they plan to move lottery and combine it with guest services. Over at the old garden center doors, it says closed due to construction, on the other side of it, what do they plan to do with that? The restrooms are now closed by the temp entrance door. You have to use the restrooms on the mezz floor. There is an elevator available for the handicapped, but I warn you, it's an old elevator and has gotten a little more freakey to be in. I also saw 2 new doors on the mezz floor. When I last got my haircut at the barber when it was still there, the people there told me that they were going to move downstairs and that the mezz floor would be all offices. Now I went to go get a haircut on the 2nd or 3rd of January and they were already gone. When I was in the guest service line, I asked the guy if there would be a barbershop in the store or not? And he said there wouldn't be a barbershop in the store anymore. In fact, does anyone know what businesses would be moving in? I can't wait for the construction to be done!
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i was just hinking.... if i were to design a meijer i would make a large entrance "hallway" flanked with a bakery and floral shop.... the great smells of fresh baked goods would get people hungry and in turn get them to buy more; and the flowers (some calming scent) would relax people after shopping and dropping hundies.... what do you think?

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i was just hinking.... if i were to design a meijer i would make a large entrance "hallway" flanked with a bakery and floral shop.... the great smells of fresh baked goods would get people hungry and in turn get them to buy more; and the flowers (some calming scent) would relax people after shopping and dropping hundies.... what do you think?
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The Sara Lee plant on 28th St. just east of Division Ave. emits the oh-so-good smell of baking bread. Yum! Trouble is bread never tastes as good as it smells. As for Meijer, the Standale store on Lake Michigan Drive and Wilson welcomes shoppers with the smell of donuts baking in the morning then the smell of fried chicken later in the day. Of course that can be logically explained by the fact that both the bakery and deli are located at the front of the grocery end of the store. I don't know if its intentional to get people to buy more. But one way to save money is always try to do your grocery shopping on a full stomach to reduce the likelihood of impulse buying.

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Construction Update:

Now that the old drop ceiling except for the last remainder if it over the toy dept. domestics, and some of the consumer electronic dept. is now gone, one can now see that the Alpine store was not such a small store after all. With the true structural ceiling exposed nearly through out the sales floor, the interior is fast acquiring an atmosphere of vastness and airiness which will be more so when the exposed ceiling is painted to its finish color of snow white and the temporary wall separating the addition finally comes down. Speaking of paint the paint work of the ceiling which began in the north east section of the clothing dept has now expanded westward to where the children's clothing was located. With the area where the baby and toddler supplies where located now sectioned off from the public and plastic sheets in place to enclosed that section, it too will soon be painted as well.

Meanwhile in the south east corner of the store, the inner part of the old retail entry has indeed been demolished. As a result shopping carts that were stored in the old entry are now kept in the promenade in front of the camera supplies which makes for a bit of an obstruction. Moving northward, one will find that up in the mezzanine two windows have been punched into the wall defining the staff break room. Also one will find new doors to what are assumed to be new office spaces up there has well. These changes may be an indication that the promenade will be left open to the sales floor below as was done in the Jenison Meijer renovation. Focusing attention over the checkout lanes, the new sulfating directly above has now received track work for a new drop ceiling which is suspended at a height of about 16 ft above the floor while one can assume that the remaining drop ceiling directly above the promenade will be retained and may be refreshed with new tiles. Moving northward again one will find that the optical center, the pizza place, the purple cow, along with the barber shop and the walk-in medical center up on the mezzanine have been vacated as these spaces have now joined the vacated shoe repair shop in undergoing demolition to make way for the new grocery entry. These affected spaces are now enclosed by a temporary wall which abruptly juts out three feet into the promenade. The existing grocery entry is still open to the public though. Lastly, the side wall separating the bakery from the seasonal goods area has received a new opening to which therein are located some of the equipment from the pizza place and the purple cow to enable those services to continue unabated by the on going renovation. Next to them along the remaining wall are some of the tables from the pizza place to allow patrons to sit down and eat. However, this modification was hastily executed and thus is an indicator that the location of these services are only temporary.

To wrap things up, we shift our attention outside to see that the plastic sheeting enclosing the new garden center's canopy is coming down to reveal at least some of the colors the Alpine store will take on after the completion of the renovation as illustrated by the following photographs I took during today's visit to the store.

dsc00569xt2.jpg

dsc00570ys1.jpg

dsc00571oo5.jpg

As shown, the wall has a two tone paint job which, according to the renderings displayed inside the store, shall cover this side of the store along with the west and north sides as well. In addition (no pun intended) the underside of the canopy is painted to a snow white just as how the exposed ceiling inside is being done. Also as shown in the renderings, there are to be metal trim pieces of a cobalt blue color applied along the edges of the canopy for a finished look.

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Construction Update:

Now that the old drop ceiling except for the last remainder if it over the toy dept. domestics, and some of the consumer electronic dept. is now gone, one can now see that the Alpine store was not such a small store after all. With the true structural ceiling exposed nearly through out the sales floor, the interior is fast acquiring an atmosphere of vastness and airiness which will be more so when the exposed ceiling is painted to its finish color of snow white and the temporary wall separating the addition finally comes down. Speaking of paint the paint work of the ceiling which began in the north east section of the clothing dept has now expanded westward to where the children's clothing was located. With the area where the baby and toddler supplies where located now sectioned off from the public and plastic sheets in place to enclosed that section, it too will soon be painted as well.

Meanwhile in the south east corner of the store, the inner part of the old retail entry has indeed been demolished. As a result shopping carts that were stored in the old entry are now kept in the promenade in front of the camera supplies which makes for a bit of an obstruction. Moving northward, one will find that up in the mezzanine two windows have been punched into the wall defining the staff break room. Also one will find new doors to what are assumed to be new office spaces up there has well. These changes may be an indication that the promenade will be left open to the sales floor below as was done in the Jenison Meijer renovation. Focusing attention over the checkout lanes, the new sulfating directly above has now received track work for a new drop ceiling which is suspended at a height of about 16 ft above the floor while one can assume that the remaining drop ceiling directly above the promenade will be retained and may be refreshed with new tiles. Moving northward again one will find that the optical center, the pizza place, the purple cow, along with the barber shop and the walk-in medical center up on the mezzanine have been vacated as these spaces have now joined the vacated shoe repair shop in undergoing demolition to make way for the new grocery entry. These affected spaces are now enclosed by a temporary wall which abruptly juts out three feet into the promenade. The existing grocery entry is still open to the public though. Lastly, the side wall separating the bakery from the seasonal goods area has received a new opening to which therein are located some of the equipment from the pizza place and the purple cow to enable those services to continue unabated by the on going renovation. Next to them along the remaining wall are some of the tables from the pizza place to allow patrons to sit down and eat. However, this modification was hastily executed and thus is an indicator that the location of these services are only temporary.

To wrap things up, we shift our attention outside to see that the plastic sheeting enclosing the new garden center's canopy is coming down to reveal at least some of the colors the Alpine store will take on after the completion of the renovation as illustrated by the following photographs I took during today's visit to the store.

dsc00569xt2.jpg

dsc00570ys1.jpg

dsc00571oo5.jpg

As shown, the wall has a two tone paint job which, according to the renderings displayed inside the store, shall cover this side of the store along with the west and north sides as well. In addition (no pun intended) the underside of the canopy is painted to a snow white just as how the exposed ceiling inside is being done. Also as shown in the renderings, there are to be metal trim pieces of a cobalt blue color applied along the edges of the canopy for a finished look.

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Unfortunately there are no interior renderings on display other than photographs of a new Meijer store's produce and clothing departments shown on the "We're building a better Meijer" signs posted at the entries of the Alpine store. So there is no available information as to what is planned for the interior other than that construction workers are upgrading the store to Meijer's latest chainwide format. Visit the Lake Michigan Drive and Wilson Ave. Meijer to see a text book example of Meijer's latest store format. But as for the check out lanes, if one takes a look at the new drop ceiling directly above them, one will notice that it extends beyond the south end of the check out lanes by a distance of about 35 to 40 ft which means that the south concourse will be pushed further southward by that same distance to make room for more check out lanes or for all the lanes to be reconfigured back to a single row format.

To answer your question about the entrances, there will be three of them. One will be a new retail entrance probably located in the area between the tobacco and lotto sales and the existing photo processing lab. Secondly, there will be a new Grocery entrance, located right about where the shoe repair shop used to be. This will replace the existing grocery entrance thirty feet to the north, and will align itself with the north concourse which is between the groceries and clothing. Interior demolition work is currently underway to make room for that new entrance. The third entrance is the existing center entry next to guest services. Once the renovation is complete the store's new sign will emblazon new facade work directly above the center entrance while the new grocery and retail entrances will be glass structures with angled roofs, two and a half stories high similar to the entrances of the new Ionia Meijer store.

As for the due date of this renovation, some say that it will be May of this year. However the Grand Rapids Press article that covered Meijer's announcements of their intent to renovate the Alpine store indicated that completion will take place fall of this year. Remember, the Alpine store is increasing from 209,000 sq ft. to about 229,000 square ft. That's a whole lot of building to work with not to mention how drastically reconfigured this store will be when finished. All of this work is being done while the store remains in full operation and open to the public 24 hours a day. Its like doing heart transplant surgery while the patient is running the Boston Marathon. Thus despite all the work that has taken place so far there is an awful lot of work yet to be done. Therefore I tend to believe the fall time line as it gives a full year's worth of construction time from start to finish, the same amount of time it took to renovate the Jenison Meijer as opposed to the six month construction time posed by the May 1st due date.

Tamia:

Thanks for giving us the updates. I didn't get to go to meijer this week, so I really do appreaciate it when you share the updates to those who don't always get to go to meijer. One thing I want to know, do you know if meijer plans to go back to single checkout lines rather than the duel checkout lines where there is a lane in front and a lane in the back? One other thing I want to know. Why do they say that it could be May that the construction would be done when it looks like they got quite a bit to do? Now I know they are planning on building the two new entrances, but I do know that the one will be built where the shop repair shop/olan mills used to be, would the other one be built there the tobacco/lottery area is currently at? Also in the pictures, it shows that the middle entrance is still there. Would that be in the same place? Before the barber moved, I was told that the city of walker has a law that states a building the size of meijer must have at least three entrances and that is why they build the temp entrance there. I really can't wait until the construction is done.

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...

As for the due date of this renovation, some say that it will be May of this year. However the Grand Rapids Press article that covered Meijer's announcements of their intent to renovate the Alpine store indicated that completion will take place fall of this year. Remember, the Alpine store is increasing from 209,000 sq ft. to about 229,000 square ft. That's a whole lot of building to work with not to mention how drastically reconfigured this store will be when finished. All of this work is being done while the store remains in full operation and open to the public 24 hours a day. Its like doing heart transplant surgery while the patient is running the Boston Marathon. Thus despite all the work that has taken place so far there is an awful lot of work yet to be done. Therefore I tend to believe the fall time line as it gives a full year's worth of construction time from start to finish, the same amount of time it took to renovate the Jenison Meijer as opposed to the six month construction time posed by the May 1st due date.

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On the hother hand, it's not a construction site that has to close down every day at 5 pm. I was in there last night about 10 pm, and got real envious of the riding floor tile stipper machine (one operator, and three guys with brooms and dustpans.)

Go check out the new addition (visible from the clearance section in the way back. It's huuuge.

[yeah, that's what she said]

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I stuck my head through a hole in the plastic over the now demolished southeast entry a few days ago and saw that the pharmacy was studded in. As for the addition being visible from the clearance section, thanks for relying this tidbit. If it is still visible as by the time I get to the store tomorrow I will check that out and of course relay the details back to UP.

On the hother hand, it's not a construction site that has to close down every day at 5 pm. I was in there last night about 10 pm, and got real envious of the riding floor tile stipper machine (one operator, and three guys with brooms and dustpans.)

Go check out the new addition (visible from the clearance section in the way back. It's huuuge.

[yeah, that's what she said]

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I do have another update that my mom told me about and she said that 1/2 of the checkout lanes were gone when she went shopping. Made for some long waiting times. So if your someone who wants to get in and out quickly, I would suggest visiting another meijer store for the time being. She went through the U-scan and was like 8th person in line there.

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Construction Update:

What a difference one day can make. Already there are enough changes to justify another update. Anyway, The biggest change are the checkout lanes as they are being reconfigured to a single row of lanes as opposed to the confusing double row setup that was there before. This new configuration will consist of a total of 31 lanes including the U-Scan lanes. However the existing loading conveyors, registers, and bagging carousels are being reused in this new configuration. But each lane will be emblazon with new brightly illuminated lane number signs about 10" square by 48" tall and feature lane numbers in a bold fire engine red san-serifed font applied to all four sides of each number sign. The new lane numbers are held in place by a white colored vertical bar affixed to the register cabinet at the bottom and at the top to a horizontal track that will be hidden by the new drop ceiling taking shape directly above the checkout lanes. The vertical bars holding the number signs and the horizontal track will also discreetly and cleverly hide Ethernet cables and power cables interfacing the registers to the corporate network resulting a clean uncluttered look. The next change is a peculiar one. The space between the new lanes labeled 24 and 25 will accommodate the tobacco sales desk. This could be a temporary location. But a new predominate sign, fabricated in Meijer's latest graphics program format and installed directly overhead seems to suggest otherwise. Anyway, about half of the floor of the checkout lane area has received new white tiles while the track work of the new drop ceiling over head is complete and already have flush mounted florescent lights installed. However only four of these lights are in working order. So the the space is still dependent upon temporary light sources for illumination.

Directing one's attention to the promenade one will find the drop ceilings over the north and south ends have been stripped away. In fact, the old drop ceiling in its entirety save a section over the promenade directly in front of the checkout lanes is now gone leaving the structural ceiling throughout the entire sales floor exposed. The result is a fabulously open and airy space and the ability to see from one end of the store to the other. This airiness will be further enhanced when the temporary wall closing off the addition finally comes down.

Speaking of addition, last night, Veloise pointed out that the addition is viewable from an opening in the temporary wall in the clearance section where the back checkouts use to be. Not hesitating to seize upon that opportunity, I weaseled my way back there to see for myself. Veloise you are indeed right. Vastness is the key word when describing the shear size of that new space. In addition to that, floor tile has been laid and a great portion of the walls are well into the painting phase. The rear of the addition base upon what I've seen will accommodate Meijer's "E4" which features consumer electronics, computer accessories, DVD's and CD's, magazines and books, and a new photo lab equipped to handle film based and digital photos, all wrapped up into a single department. Like the E4's in other Meijer stores, its color scheme consists of navy blue walls with a continuation of a lighter blue frieze that will circumnavigate without interruption the entire sales floor at a level of about 10' high. The dark navy blue walls will serve as back drops for E4's bright green vinyl graphics. As well developed as the new E4 is, I'm predicting that it will be the first space of the addition to be fully completed and opened to the public which I'm predicting will be within a matter of mere weeks.

Capping off the interior updates, a 40 foot by 60 foot area of the sales floor where the baby and toddlers supplies where located and closed to the public by temporary knee walls is now serving as a holding pen for about 10 or so check out lanes orphaned by the ongoing reconfiguration of the checkout lane area. One is used to seeing checkout lanes lined up a neat row, like a platoon of soldiers standing at attention, in the front of the store. But seeing lanes and parts of lanes strewn every which way in the middle of the the sales floor is a very bazaar sight indeed.

The last bit to this update is outside. One will find the area of the store front where the new grocery entrance is to be located has been cleaned up. Also more temporary knee wall panels are leaned up against the building awaiting to be set up. This developments and ongoing demolition work inside is an indicator that this portion of the store's facade may soon come down leaving a gapping chasm into which the new grocery entrance shall be built. Having my camera at the ready every time I visit the Alpine store, I will post photos as soon as I see that demolition for the new entrance breaks through to the outside.

Who knew that a mere 24 hours could make such a huge difference.

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Construction Update:

What a difference one day can make. Already there are enough changes to justify another update. Anyway, The biggest change are the checkout lanes as they are being reconfigured to a single row of lanes as opposed to the confusing double row setup that was there before. This new configuration will consist of a total of 31 lanes including the U-Scan lanes. However the existing loading conveyors, registers, and bagging carousels are being reused in this new configuration. But each lane will be emblazon with new brightly illuminated lane number signs about 10" square by 48" tall and feature lane numbers in a bold fire engine red san-serifed font applied to all four sides of each number sign. The new lane numbers are held in place by a white colored vertical bar affixed to the register cabinet at the bottom and at the top to a horizontal track that will be hidden by the new drop ceiling taking shape directly above the checkout lanes. The vertical bars holding the number signs and the horizontal track will also discreetly and cleverly hide Ethernet cables and power cables interfacing the registers to the corporate network resulting a clean uncluttered look. The next change is a peculiar one. The space between the new lanes labeled 24 and 25 will accommodate the tobacco sales desk. This could be a temporary location. But a new predominate sign, fabricated in Meijer's latest graphics program format and installed directly overhead seems to suggest otherwise. Anyway, about half of the floor of the checkout lane area has received new white tiles while the track work of the new drop ceiling over head is complete and already have flush mounted florescent lights installed. However only four of these lights are in working order. So the the space is still dependent upon temporary light sources for illumination.

Directing one's attention to the promenade one will find the drop ceilings over the north and south ends have been stripped away. In fact, the old drop ceiling in its entirety save a section over the promenade directly in front of the checkout lanes is now gone leaving the structural ceiling throughout the entire sales floor exposed. The result is a fabulously open and airy space and the ability to see from one end of the store to the other. This airiness will be further enhanced when the temporary wall closing off the addition finally comes down.

Speaking of addition, last night, Veloise pointed out that the addition is viewable from an opening in the temporary wall in the clearance section where the back checkouts use to be. Not hesitating to seize upon that opportunity, I weaseled my way back there to see for myself. Veloise you are indeed right. Vastness is the key word when describing the shear size of that new space. In addition to that, floor tile has been laid and a great portion of the walls are well into the painting phase. The rear of the addition base upon what I've seen will accommodate Meijer's "E4" which features consumer electronics, computer accessories, DVD's and CD's, magazines and books, and a new photo lab equipped to handle film based and digital photos, all wrapped up into a single department. Like the E4's in other Meijer stores, its color scheme consists of navy blue walls with a continuation of a lighter blue frieze that will circumnavigate without interruption the entire sales floor at a level of about 10' high. The dark navy blue walls will serve as back drops for E4's bright green vinyl graphics. As well developed as the new E4 is, I'm predicting that it will be the first space of the addition to be fully completed and opened to the public which I'm predicting will be within a matter of mere weeks.

Capping off the interior updates, a 40 foot by 60 foot area of the sales floor where the baby and toddlers supplies where located and closed to the public by temporary knee walls is now serving as a holding pen for about 10 or so check out lanes orphaned by the ongoing reconfiguration of the checkout lane area. One is used to seeing checkout lanes lined up a neat row, like a platoon of soldiers standing at attention, in the front of the store. But seeing lanes and parts of lanes strewn every which way in the middle of the the sales floor is a very bazaar sight indeed.

The last bit to this update is outside. One will find the area of the store front where the new grocery entrance is to be located has been cleaned up. Also more temporary knee wall panels are leaned up against the building awaiting to be set up. This developments and ongoing demolition work inside is an indicator that this portion of the store's facade may soon come down leaving a gapping chasm into which the new grocery entrance shall be built. Having my camera at the ready every time I visit the Alpine store, I will post photos as soon as I see that demolition for the new entrance breaks through to the outside.

Who knew that a mere 24 hours could make such a huge difference.

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I'm happy Meijer is opting for the single row configuration for the checkout lanes. But this transition is a bit painful through. I stood in line for about 15 minutes at new lane 23 which is kind of funny because old lanes 13 and 14 wher just to my right. Thats quite a few lanes missing. But as fast as the interior work is going, I'm sure the reconfiguration of the checkout lanes will be done in less than a week. As for the drop ceiling directly above the checkout lanes, they will be tiled. In fact, I forgot to mention that about twenty or so tracks along the east edge of the drop ceiling has been tiled but I don't think tiling won't be done until all the checkout lanes have been reconfigured. Focusing attention to the remaining drop ceiling above the promenade directly between the check out lanes and the tenant fronts, I figured it was going to be retained. However the rough and tumble world of construction has taken a heavy toll on it as many of the tiles are missing, tracks bent beyond repair or missing, and some of the florescent lights mangled. Thus it is very likely that this section of ceiling will be replaced with a new drop ceiling.

In the mean time until the reconfiguring of the checkout lanes are done, I suggest not doing any shopping at the Alpine store late Thursdays and during Fridays as Westside folks time their shopping to payroll cycles and thus the store gets really busy at those times.

Good! Good! Good! Back to single checkout lanes!! I hated the duel ones to begin with. Although kind of a bad time to work up there since we are in the shopping weekend and the store gets busy. I do however want to know how long you had to wait in line at the store to checkout? Maybe by this weekend, they will have most/if not all the lights working on that new drop ceiling. Do you know if that new drop ceiling will actually have ceiling tiles as well? Do they even plan to put down a new drop ceiling where that old one was in the main aisle where all the shopfronts were? Also, you didn't mention if they tore down the rest of the drop ceiling on the sales floor by the electronics and areas around there. Well that's about all I can think of.
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