For the last few years, one of the most-blighted intersections in Beaverton has been Southwest Hall and Greenway boulevards, where a boarded-up Haggen grocery has sat empty.

That eyesore goes away this summer with the arrival of 99 Ranch Market, the largest Asian supermarket chain in the United States. The market, which is scheduled to open in July, will be the chain's first Oregon location. It currently has 42 stores in California, Washington, Nevada, Texas and New Jersey. The first 99 Ranch Market opened in 1984 in Westminster, California.

As first reported in the Beaverton Valley Times, the 43,000-square-foot building is undergoing renovations to make way for the new supermarket. The building was recently purchased by MAJ Development Corp., which announced last fall that 99 Ranch Market would move in this year.

The building, which is located not far from Washington Square on the west side of Highway 217, was a short-lived Haggen, and before that a long-running Albertson's.

Since Haggen closed, the surrounding area has been under-served, with the nearest full grocery stores located more than two miles away. While 99 Ranch Market won't carry the types of groceries shoppers found at Haggen and Albertson's, it will contain a wide range of Asian canned goods, bulk foods and specialty products. The chain has a reputation for having spectacular selections of produce, meat and seafood.

99 Ranch Market's arrival increases the Asian grocery options in this increasingly diverse area along Beaverton's south side. It will compete directly with other Beaverton Asian Markets, including Uwajimaya and Asian Food Center, which are both about three miles north.

-- Grant Butler

503-221-8566; @grantbutler