King Soopers breaks ground in Fountain, sets date for completion

(FOUNTAIN, Colo.) — After eight years in the making, the City of Fountain and King Soopers finally broke ground at the center of the newest store on Thursday, June 20.

The store will be located at 6255 Sawcut Point and will be the 156th location. To add to the fun, it will also be the company’s 16th large-format Marketplace-style store.

“This project has been a long time coming, we’ve been wanting to come to this community and we believe this community wants us as well,” said King Soopers Corporate Affairs Manager Jessica Trowbridge. “It’s been about eight years in the making to bring this project to life, we are really excited to be at this point today where we are scooping dirt and getting started on the project.”

The newest grocery store in town brings a $37.3 million investment to Fountain. When completed, it will offer career opportunities to over 250 individuals and bring over $60 million to the area.

“We love to see this because it’s the fourth big retail that’s come here to town so this is kind of a monumental moment,” said Councilmember Cory Applegate. “They are filing in about a $60 million gap in the retail, we love to see this here. This is a great location, great little corner they got here.”

According to Applegate, this was one of Fountain’s “worst” kept secrets. “It has been a couple of years coming,” he added. “Everybody had talked about it.”

With a set completion date of Summer 2025, the store will feature a variety of amenities including; sushi, Murray’s Cheese Shop, a Starbucks, and expanded home and lifestyle offerings. King Soopers will also offer a drive-thru pharmacy and an onsite fuel center.

As for new traffic demands, Councilmember Deitra Duncan said that part of the development requirements is to make roads nearby safer for the community.

“The development and our contractors have done a great job,” said Applegate. “They will be making improvements to the road in Mesa Ridge Parkway and the intersection over here.”

King Soopers won’t be the only addition community members may expect in the next few years, according to Duncan, UCHealth will be opening a “much-needed” clinic in the area to address the healthcare desert.

“We have more to come,” said Duncan. “I’m so excited about all the economic development that this project alone is bringing to the Fountain area.”

The grocery store will also address the food desert in Fountain.

During the ceremony, King Soopers awarded $5,000 through their Zero Hunger, Zero Waste impact plan to the local food bank Care and Share in support of the Sunny Side Market, which focuses on increasing food access in Fountain.

“Those funds are to help continue to serve that program and the population who are struggling with food insecurity down here,” said Trowbridge.

Once completed, King Soopers will continue to aid Sunny Side Market by donating food. Last year, they donated over 2.9 million pounds of food through their no-waste plan.

“As Fountain continues to responsibly grow to meet the needs of its residents, the value of this project and what King Soopers will bring to our area cannot be understated,” said Mayor Pro Term Gordon Rick. “Bringing additional options for healthy food, a pharmacy, and other products offered by King Soopers, as well as new local jobs, will no doubt improve opportunities and the quality of life of our residents.”

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX21 News Colorado.