Got a letter in the mail today from BECU, and its irksome news. The credit union says it’s shutting down its Neighborhood Financial Center at the Madison Safeway on July 31. The letter says the lease at that location is up. BECU says its working with Safeway to at least keep an ATM there, as they “are actively seeking other location opportunities in the area to expand our operations.”
Come the beginning of August, the closest BECU Financial Center will become the Broadway Market site at 401 Broadway East.
Boo.
They’re offering a Starbucks gift card to console us for the inconvenience. Of course the Starbucks is gone too. :(
I am disappointed that BECU is moving out. That is a huge loss for my family.
How do we get the Starbuck’s buyoff?
If you get a letter, take it to the Broadway location ——- and get a $5 gift card to ‘Bucks. Can also take letter to downtown BECU at 1527 2nd Ave.
It sounds like Safeway is the problem. I have had so many bad experiences with the Safeway on Madison/23rd that I will walk the extra distance now to Trader Joe’s or the QFC on Broadway, or even the Safeway on 15th. It is also part of the broader problem with the owner of the building where Safeway is located. How long has that building been finished and why can’t they fill the retail space? It is probably the high rent – I believe that is why Starbucks left.
quite a while back Starbucks were closed a number of their under-performing stores which is probably why that store closed.
We live just a block away from there, but we do the bulk of our shopping at Madison Market and TJ’s. However, on the rare occassions that we’ve been to Safeway for an emergency late night milk run, I’ve always found the employees to be extremely helpful and friendly.
I have found that Safeway to be an excellent place for late night groceries, one of the only options. I never go there during the day, because the Red Apple is so much closer. Of course, after midnight you still have to go down to the QFC on Rainier.
I’m pretty sure BECU is part of the Shared Branching Network – which means you can go into ANY credit union that participates and do much of your normal business at that credit union. For example, I bank with GHCU, and I sometimes use the downtown Seattle Metropolitan Credit Union. Easy-peasy.
So it sucks that they’re closing, but you still have options…