Northern Liberties Supermarket To Open August 26th, With A Branding Change
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Three weeks from today, one of Philadelphia's fastest-growing neighborhoods gets its first supermarket.
But for some, it is not entirely a cause for celebration.
Developer Bart Blatstein built the $30-million supermarket at Second and Girard, well aware that Northern Liberties completely lacked a large grocery store (see previous story). He leased it to parent company A&P, which originally planned a Pathmark store.
"Then, after the census tract came out and showed the incredible development in and around Northern Liberties, they rebranded it as a SuperFresh, which is a higher end market," Blatstein recalls.
So, for some longtime residents of Northern Liberties, the opening of the SuperFresh is welcome -- but with reservations about the pricing.
"(I'm) thrilled to have a grocery store, but I feel that it's going to be more expensive than what was proposed, the Pathmark," says Natalie Weiters, who has lived in Northern Liberties for 25 years.
But Blatstein says the new supermarket will be affordable.
"They'll still have their price-valued products," he tells KYW Newsradio. "But in addition to that they'll have prepared foods, organic foods that you'd find in a higher-brand market."
The grand opening of the SuperFresh is set for August 26th.
Reported by Mike Dunn, KYW Newsradio 1060
