Uwajimaya, an Asian specialty supermarket with deep roots in the Seattle area, has applied for a building permit to remodel the interior of the current Thriftway store at Renton Village.

The Thriftway store at the Grady Way shopping center has been a stalwart of the retail scene in Renton for years. It has become fairly common knowledge that Thriftway would close sometime this month, after employees were informed of the decision the morning of Feb. 27.

Thriftway officials have declined to comment on the closure. There are signs on store’s front windows announcing a 20 percent off inventory reduction.

Uwajimaya officials also declined to comment. The flagship store is in downtown Seattle and there are also stores in Bellevue and Beaverton, Ore.

Apparently, the final agreement has yet to be signed. When the store will open isn’t being announced yet, either.

Alex Pietsch, the City of Renton administrator of the Department of Community and Economic Development, said Friday the city has been speaking with officials from Uwajimaya for three or four months. This week, the store applied for the interior-remodel building permit, he said.

“We are disappointed to see Thriftway go,” he said. “It was a strong brand in the community.”

“At the same time we are excited to have such a well-respected and regionally recognized brand such as Uwajimaya in our community,” Pietsch said, similar to such destination stores as IKEA.

“It continues to prove that Renton is the place that high-quality retailers choose,” he said.

Thriftway is the third grocery store to close in the Renton area in the last few months. The others are QFC in the Fairwood Shopping Center and the Greenfresh Market on Rainier Avenue.