Downtown residents, workers and visitors will soon have another new grocery store option, when a small square foot convenience-style shop opens inside The Atlas building at 8 East Long Street. Ryan McGahan, National Marketing Director at Homestead America (the leasing management company at The Atlas) confirmed the news today. Full details on the new 2,500 square foot store will be made available next week, but it is expected to focus on a mix of fresh and convenience items.
“Obviously this is great news,” said Marc Conte, Deputy Director at the Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District. “We’ve been on a retail recruitment kick for several years now, and generally we got a lot of interest from bars and restaurants. So to see a non-bar-or-restaurant is wonderful. I hope this bodes well for the other retail spots vacant up and down High Street.”
Located at the corner of High Street and Long Street, the new store is nearly equidistant — around a half mile, or a 10 minute walk— from both The North Market and The Hills Market Downtown, giving those on the north end of Downtown three different options for grocery shopping.
“People have been asking for Downtown grocery stores for a long time, and I think this is what people are talking about,” added Conte. “They want a place they can walk to for a couple of items and not a place to do a full week’s worth of shopping. The challenge for the retailer will be having the right merchandise mix. I imagine there will be some trial and error in first year to find out what works and what doesn’t.”
Conte said that he believes that the location at High and Long will have a mixed clientele that includes office workers in nearby buildings and residents from not only The Atlas, but also other apartments and condos within close proximity.
“Certainly grab-and-go lunch would be good for the Downtown workforce, along with some convenience items like coffee creamer,” he said. “For residents, it’s all about convenience items and the staples — dairy, bakery, fruits and vegetables.”
Two additional retail spaces remain in the ground floor of The Atlas building, though they may not remain empty for long.
“I just spoke with ownership on plans for the remaining retail space available,” said Hillary Hunt, Property Manager for The Atlas. “They are hoping to have more information on remaining spaces next week.”
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