Everett grad students propose vacancy tax for large retailers

EVERETT — A group of master’s students proposed a vacancy tax to prevent shuttered big box stores from sitting empty for years, the students said in a community meeting Friday.

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The proposal is largely in response to Kroger’s October 2025 closure of a Fred Meyer store in the Casino Road neighborhood in south Everett. The grocer cited “a steady rise in theft and a challenging regulatory environment” as reasons for the closure, though Everett police stated that reports of shoplifting at the store declined significantly in recent years.

The closure impacted a diverse, lower-income neighborhood that has lower rates of car ownership, leaving it without a crucial grocery option that had been in the community since the mid 1970’s. It drew a formal rebuke from the Everett City Council, which called the closure “an act of corporate neglect.”

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A real estate firm is currently looking to sublease the property to another tenant, according to a listing posted by Bellevue-based Leibshon & Company. Fred Meyer’s existing lease lasts until 2046, according to a document published by the real estate company. A representative from Leibshon & Company did not respond to an email seeking comment.

https://www.heraldnet.com/2026/05/14/everett-grad-students-propose-vacancy-tax-for-large-retailers/