Trader Joe's is Finally Coming to Salem, Oregon

Residents in Oregon's capitol city have been vying for Trader Joe's for some time.

Trader Joe's is a unique grocery store specializing in innovative, hard-to-find foods.

(SALEM, Oregon) - Salem Mayor Janet Taylor announced that Trader Joe's is indeed coming to the city of Salem.

The announcement was coordinated with an announcement by Trader Joe's that they had signed a lease to open a store at 4450 Commercial Street SE. The store is scheduled to open in 2011.

"This is exciting news for Salem and area residents!" said Mayor Taylor. "Shopping at Trader Joe's is unique. Many local residents travel regularly to Lake Oswego or other locations to enjoy the experience. Having Trader Joe's in Salem will be fantastic."

The recruiting of Trader Joe's was a partnership effort. Mayor Taylor joined with Rick Scott and Sheri Wahrgren from the City Urban Development Department in 2004 and 2005 to meet with the company at the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Conference.

The second appointment of 15 minutes turned into a 45 minute conversation about the benefits of locating in Salem. "Since that day, we have been diligent in making regular contact. I could not be happier," said Taylor.

Mayor Taylor also lauded the efforts of others locally.

"None of this would have happened without local people willing to invest in the community. When Trader Joe's expressed that they were ready to commit to Salem, they contacted Alex Rhoten and Tiffany Jones of Coldwell Banker Commercial Real Estate.

"They, in turn, brought Larry and Jason Tokarski of Mountain West Investment Corporation and Alan Roodhouse of RPS Development to the table to make the deal succeed. Thank you to all these community partners."