Amazon Fresh opened at 23rd Avenue and Jackson Street in August 2021, replacing the Red Apple grocery store. The new store offered another place to shop, but it also raised questions about labor, neighborhood change and what the loss of a familiar local grocery meant. It is no longer open: South Seattle Emerald reported that it closed in February 2026.
What happened at 23rd and Jackson?
The Central District Amazon Fresh occupied the former Red Apple site at 23rd Avenue and Jackson Street. When it opened in August 2021, GeekWire described it as Amazon Fresh’s 18th U.S. supermarket. Its arrival followed the departure of a grocery store residents already knew, making the change more than a new retailer opening its doors.
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Amazon Fresh offered grocery shopping alongside technology-led checkout options. GeekWire reported that the location used Dash Carts and checkout involving QR codes or palm recognition; it did not use Just Walk Out technology at the time. The store’s features were part of the 2021 opening, not a description of a current location.
Why did residents have different reactions?
GeekWire’s 2021 reporting captured contrasting views, not a single neighborhood verdict. Some residents welcomed another grocery option or saw the store as a reflection of changes already underway. James, a 50-year-old Central District resident, put that view this way: “This neighborhood has changed and this store reflects that change.”
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Other concerns centered on the replacement of Red Apple, Amazon’s labor practices and the company’s role in neighborhood change. Those concerns do not establish that every resident opposed the store, just as one resident’s welcome does not represent the whole Central District. The debate involved both practical questions about grocery access and broader questions about continuity and who benefits as a neighborhood changes.
Grocery access and continuity
A new supermarket can add a shopping option, but its arrival can also mark the loss of a familiar business. In this case, the site’s history mattered: Amazon Fresh took over the location where Red Apple had operated. The reporting documents residents’ differing responses; it does not establish a neighborhood-wide consensus about which store better served the community.
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Labor and corporate presence
Labor representatives quoted in GeekWire’s 2021 feature criticized Amazon’s wages, benefits and labor relations. Amazon, in that same historical coverage, cited an hourly wage of $17.75; representatives contrasted grocery pay reaching $25 per hour. These were statements and figures reported in 2021, not current wage rates. The disagreement reflected a wider question in the opening debate: whether a large company’s investment should be judged only by the shopping option it brings, or also by its labor practices and place in local change.
Is the Amazon Fresh at 23rd and Jackson still open?
No. Amazon announced on January 27, 2026, that it would close its Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go physical stores. The company said it had not yet created a distinctive customer experience with the economics needed for large-scale expansion. South Seattle Emerald later reported that the Central District location closed in February 2026.
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The company’s announcement described the decision across its Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go physical-store formats; the local closure date comes from South Seattle Emerald’s reporting. The closure makes this a story about the store’s past presence rather than a current grocery destination. South Seattle Emerald also situated the closure amid concerns about nearby business losses and grocery access, though the reporting cited here does not establish a successor tenant at the site.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was Amazon Fresh a welcome addition?
There is no single answer supported by the reporting. Some residents saw a useful grocery option or a visible sign of neighborhood change; others focused on Red Apple’s replacement, labor concerns and the influence of a national company. The store’s opening and eventual closure are documented events. Whether its arrival was welcome depends on which of those experiences and priorities a resident weighed most heavily.
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