According to the Associated Press, after a government agency intervened in nearly $19 million in public funds, Atlantic City will soon have its first supermarket in 15 years due to the decline of the private sector.
The state-run Casino Reinvestment Development Agency broke ground on Thursday on land already owned by the state for the new supermarket ShopRite, which is only a few blocks away from the casino. The agency will retain the ownership of the building and all its fixtures, and a private company, Village Super Market Inc., will be responsible for the operation.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said: “For 15 years, Atlantic City’s food choices have been limited to wine cellars and small corner markets that offer few healthy options.” “Everything the family needs is here. We finally have to give this piece of food. The desert is watered.”
The last supermarket, IGA, closed 15 years ago, and the area’s reconstruction plan has never been started.
Atlantic City mother Aliyah Cherrisse, speaking on behalf of women-led families, said the closure makes it particularly difficult for families trying to provide healthy food for themselves and their children.
She said that city residents would either drive, take a bus or commercial transportation to get to supermarkets on the mainland, which is a time-consuming and often expensive proposal.
Construction is expected to start next year and will take 13 to 15 months.
Matt Doherty, executive director of the reinvestment agency, said that huge state investment is critical to the realization of the project.
For more reports from the Associated Press, please see below.
Wayne Parry/Associated Press Photo
“Without large-scale public subsidies, no grocery store would be willing to build in Atlantic City,” he said. “These numbers simply don’t work. Atlantic City has a large number of poor areas; some census tracts have 60% of people living in poverty. This must be a publicly funded project to happen.”
“Not everyone is queuing here,” added Senate President Steve Sweeney.
Country Supermarket chairman Bill Sumas declined to say whether the project can be completed without public financing after the ceremony. Village is a public company with annual sales of more than $1.6 billion and operates 30 ShopRite stores in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.
Cherrisse said that the new supermarket will become “a burden for female parents in our community.” “I thank you for the opportunity to see Atlantic City and our value here.”
The supermarket will be built on northern Ohio and Baltic Avenue.
Wayne Parry/Associated Press Photo
