Boise-based discount grocery chain WinCo Foods LLC has bought 9 acres of vacant land in Coeur d'Alene and plans to build its third Spokane-Coeur d'Alene-area supermarket there, says the commercial real estate company that handled the transaction.

The real estate company, Spokane-based Kiemle & Hagood Co., says WinCo has purchased a parcel at the northeast corner of Ramsey Road and Appleway Avenue, a few blocks north of Interstate 90, from Zanetti Bros. Inc., an Osburn, Idaho-based materials supplier to the road-building industry.

Kiemle & Hagood's Chad Carper, who represented both parties in the real estate transaction, says he believes WinCo plans to start construction there next year. He declines to disclose the terms of the property sale.

Steve Johnson, building permit coordinator for the city of Coeur d'Alene, says WinCo contacted his department a few months ago with preliminary plans to erect a commercial structure with floor space "in the ballpark" of 95,000 square feet at the site, but he hasn't heard from the company more recently.

Ty Morrison, a WinCo project manager who had been in contact with the city, says he "can't confirm or deny" the company's plans.

Until recently, the property, at 1601 W. Appleway, had been a longtime sand- and gravel-mining and storage site.

WinCo stores usually have more than 90,000 square feet of floor space, the company's Web site says. The stores, which are open 24 hours a day, carry a large selection of groceries, fresh meat and produce, a bakery, a deli, and bulk foods.

WinCo opened an $8.2 million, 93,000-square-foot outlet in February, at 9257 N. Nevada, on Spokane's North Side, and a 105,000-square-foot store in April at the former HomeBase site, at 9718 E. Sprague, in Spokane Valley, which it renovated at a cost of $6.2 million, not including the purchase price of the property. The stores each employ nearly 200 workers, WinCo has said.

Engineered Structures Inc., of Boise, was the contractor on those projects.

WinCo, which stands for "winning company," operates a total of 66 outlets in Washington, Idaho, Nevada, California, and Oregon and plans to open more outlets this year, its Web site says. The company has two stores in the Tri-Cities area and eight in Western Washington. Its closest Idaho outlet is in Moscow.

WinCo also operates three large distribution centers, two of them in Oregon and one in California.