The new Admiral Safeway is set to open at noon on Thursday, August 11 and brings with it high expectations for the neighborhood and the promise of greater economic vitality in the future as the residential component, Element 42, is built and occupied. But first the store must get re-established as a destination shopping experience. Given what the store will feature, that's looking more likely.

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The West Seattle Herald will bring you a more comprehensive look just prior to opening after a media tour this week but here's what you can expect at a minimum.

Safeway introduced a new format, called the Lifestyle Store several years ago that includes earth-toned décor, subdued lighting, custom flooring and unique display features to a warm ambiance designed to enhance the shopping experience.

The store features:

• A very large produce department with a wide variety of specialty and organic produce
• Fresh bakery with hearth oven for baking bread
• An expanded wine and beer department with wine cellar
• A Starbucks with expanded seating area
• A fresh sushi bar
• An expanded deli and food service area
• A service meat and seafood department.
• A gelato bar, salad bar, and sandwich bar

The project will include a separate small retail building on California Avenue, as well as an apartment and flex office building. The building on 42nd Avenue not only provides more housing and offices for the neighborhood, but it also is designed to screen the back wall and loading dock of the store.

There are two levels of free parking. There is surface parking on the ground floor, north of the store and a second level of parking on the roof of the store. Store entrances are located at both corners and a mid-block location on California Avenue, as well as on the rooftop parking deck. There is a Seating area at corner of California and Lander.

There is a BECU drop box on the California Av. side.

There is a large, covered outdoor seating area at the corner of California Avenue and Lander Street, which is open to the public. There is also a two-level indoor seating area adjacent to the Starbucks kiosk and a fireplace on each level.

Admiral Safeway was built and they intend to maintain it under LEED specifications, a national standard for sustainability. Safeway plans to seek LEED certification for the store which will make it one of the first LEED certified supermarkets in the Seattle Metro area.