City Funds To Help Bronx Receive Two New Supermarkets
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Bronx officials and residents say they need more greens in their grocery stores and the city is now providing funds to open high-quality supermarkets that sell fresh produce in the area. Borough reporter Dean Meminger filed the following report.City officials say several Bronx neighborhoods are in desperate need of stores that sell fresh fruits and vegetables. So now, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration is putting money where its month is and giving businesses subsidies to open supermarkets in the borough.
"The real estate taxes are reduced for the new stores. The sales taxes the companies would have to pay for the construction materials for their new buildings are also reduced," said President Seth Pinsky of the New York City Economic Development Corporation.
The first two stores to take advantage of these incentives are in the Bronx. Foodtown on East 204th Street burned down in December, and its owners will take part in the city's Food Retail Expansion to Support Health (FRESH) Program and save $3 million while rebuilding a bigger store.
Local shoppers support the plan.
"It was the only supermarket around the block that everyone was always commuting to," said a local.
"Any moneys and help that he can get to help him get it started again would be absolutely necessary for this neighborhood," said another," said another.
"With the obesity affecting our community, our kids in the Bronx, I think we need top quality food here," said Community Board 7 Chairman Paul Foster.
Another supermarket chain has tapped into the FRESH program as well to replace one of its older stores. Western Beef plans to take a vacant building on Webster Avenue and 180th Street and turn it into a 35,000-square-feet supermarket."
The company said it will have larger produce and meat areas as well as a bakery, and that without the city's help the new store would be cost prohibitive
The sales-tax exemptions should save us about $200,000 on the purchase of equipment," said Western Beef Chief Financial Officer Tom Moranzoni. "The real estate deferral should save us in the neighborhood of $5 million over 25 years."
Western Beef and Foodtown hope to open their new locations within a year.