Farm supply storepermit issued

The city of Bend has issued a $3.5 million building permit for a new 33,800 square-foot Wilco farm supply store on the site of the former Regal Pilot Butte 6 on the city’s east side.

Located near U.S. Highway 20 and Southeast 27th Street, the Wilco store will be accompanied by a 4,032-square-foot greenhouse and a 22,000-square-foot fenced area, according to city planning documents. A Walgreens drug store, Bend’s second, is also planned for the former theater site.

Wilco, headquartered in Mt. Angel, is an agricultural cooperative with agribusiness and fuel services divisions, along with about 15 retail stores in Oregon and Washington, according to its website. It sells animal feed, grooming and health supplies along with stock tanks, fencing, gates and other farm supplies. It entered the Central Oregon market about a year ago when it bought the Round Butte Seed Growers farm stores in Bend and Prineville. The company said in February 2013 that it expected a new Bend store to replace the existing one on Nels Anderson Road. A timeline for construction of the new Bend store was not available Wednesday. Wilco representatives could not be reached for comment.

— Bulletin staff report