Atlantic City, NJ (AP) — With nearly $ 19 million in public funding and government agencies that the private sector refused to trample, Atlantic City will soon become the first supermarket in 15 years.
The state-owned Casino Reinvestment Development Authority began construction on Thursday at the new ShopRite, which is already owned by the state and is a few blocks away from the casino. The agency retains ownership of the building and all its equipment and is a private company, Village Super Market Inc. Is operated by.
“For 15 years, Atlantic City’s food options were limited to Bodegas and the small corner markets, and there were few healthy options,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “Everything my family needs is here. I’m finally going to water this food desert.”
Matt Doherty, executive director of the reinvestment institution, said large state investments are essential to the realization of the project.
“Without a large public grant, we would be willing to build a grocery store in Atlantic City,” he said. “The numbers don’t work. There are huge poor people in Atlantic City. In some census districts, 60% of people are in poverty. To achieve this, a publicly funded project must be used. I had to. “
“Not everyone was lined up to come here,” added state senator Steve Sweeney.
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After the ceremony, Village Supermarket Chairman Bill Smas did not say whether the project could have been done without public funding. A publicly traded company with annual sales of over $ 1.6 billion, Village operates 30 ShopRite stores in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
Supermarkets will be built on the streets of North Ohio and the Baltic Sea. Construction will start next year and will take 13 to 15 months.
The city’s last supermarket, IGA, was closed 15 years ago in areas where planned redevelopment did not materialize.
As a result, it is especially difficult for families to try to feed themselves and their children a healthy diet, says Aliyah Cherrisse, the mother of Atlantic City, who spoke on behalf of the female-led family.
City residents must drive to a supermarket on the mainland, take a bus, or use commercial transportation. This is a time-consuming and costly proposal.
The new supermarket will be “a burden freed from the chieftains of our community,” Cherrisse said. “Thank you for seeing the opportunity and value here in Atlantic City.”
Follow Wayne Parry on Twitter @WayneParryAC
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New Jersey Launches Atlantic City’s First Supermarket in 15 Years | Lifestyle
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