The Star - News, views and advertising of the Grand Coulee Dam Area

Retail chain Dollar General is looking to build a store in Grand Coulee. 

During Grand Coulee’s Oct. 18 council meeting, a man named Darryl Hackworth spoke during the public comment period, and said he has been working with Dollar General for the past few months, and said they are interested in acquiring city property on Federal Way behind where it intersects with Midway Avenue.

“I think it would be a good move for the city,” he said, adding that he works for the Bonneville Power Administration, which plans on doing work locally that could bring additional traffic, such as contractors, to the area, and increase the appeal of the store adding a location here.

City Clerk Lorna Pearce said that Dollar General would be a good match with the city’s median income. 

Dollar General sells groceries, clothing, and other goods and has over 18,000 locations in 47 states, according to their website. The company announced last spring it would add another 1,100 stores in 2022.

Their new storesa contain about 8,500 square feet, about a 20th the size of a Walmart, according to Forbes.

A “Family Dollar”opened in Davenport recently, but is not a part of Dollar General.

A visiting consultant in Coulee Dam last week said Dollar General is looking to build in every community in Okanogan County.

The Grand Coulee parcel they are interested in has a view of Crescent Bay and beyond, and some might say is better suited for a restaurant or motel whose patrons could enjoy the view.

Pierce later told The Star that she has tried to recommend other properties to them.

Jesse Fox, who works for Marcus & Millchap, a commercial real estate company, said that he looks for potential locations that Dollar General may be interested in.

He said Dollar General is expanding in Washington, and they have been well received in several communities in the state, which has led to Grand Coulee being seen as a good location for a store.

“Dollar General is always looking for opportunities to grow in a number of different communities around the country,” Dollar General’s public relations department responded to a Star inquiry Oct. 25. “We do not have a signed lease for Grand Coulee, and it is our longstanding policy to not respond to real estate speculation.”