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BALTIMORE, MD. (MAY 7, 2013) – Today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake joined Baltimore City Council President Bernard “Jack” Young, Maryland State Senator Lisa Gladden, other elected officials, and business leaders, representatives of Klein’s ShopRite of Maryland, and residents of the Northwest Baltimore community of Howard Park for the long-awaited groundbreaking of the ShopRite of Howard Park supermarket. This event marks the start of construction for the project.
“Fulfilling our vision of growing Baltimore by 10,000 familes depends greatly on our ability to strengthen communities by bringing new economic activity to places like Howard Park,” said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. “We are grateful to Klein’s ShopRite for helping us eliminate a food desert in Northwest Baltimore, and for their commitment to hiring city residents.”
Located on Liberty Heights Avenue between Gwynn Oak Avenue and Hillsdale Road, the 68,000 square foot, full-service supermarket will include a pharmacy, a health suite staffed by a nurse practitioner, a bakery, an extensive seafood section, and a separate halal meat section. A wide selection of international foods, including produce, meat, and grocery items from around the world will also be available. The brand new ShopRite of Howard Park, a $20 million project, will feature over 200 parking spaces, and is expected to be completed by April 2014.
“Our family is looking forward to starting the construction phase of this project and to bringing a neighborhood ShopRite to the Howard Park community,” said Marshall Klein, chief operating officer of Klein’s Family Markets. “The new ShopRite of Howard Park will bring more than 200 jobs when it opens next year.”
The development of the grocery store by Klein’s ShopRite of Maryland will be assisted by UpLift Solutions, a nonprofit created to help supermarkets open in locations that lack access to healthy and affordable food. This project was recognized by First Lady, Michele Obama, as part of her Let’s Move initiative.
“We are very excited that our collaboration between Mayor Rawlings-Blake, the Baltimore City Council, the State of Maryland, Baltimore Development Corporation, and the Howard Park Civic Association has made this significant project a reality. The city has worked diligently to help reach this milestone and we are grateful for their support,” said Jeffrey Brown, chairman of UpLift Solutions.
Shop Rite of Howard Park, the first grocery store for Klein’s Family Markets in Baltimore City (Klein’s operates eight ShopRite supermarkets in the state), will be the company’s largest, employing more than 200 people. Klein’s ShopRite of Maryland has established an agreement with the Baltimore City Department of Social Services and the Mayor’s Office of Employment Development to provide a nationally recognized training program with a focus on Baltimore residents—especially those in the Howard Park community. Hiring for management positions is expected to occur this summer. ShopRite plans to be an active participant in the Howard Park community and will assist with the culinary arts program at Calvin Rodwell Elementary School, which is located across the street from the supermarket.
Baltimore Development Corporation President Brenda McKenzie, whose agency is managing the project on behalf of the city, said “I am pleased that by working collaboratively with multiple partners BDC was able to bring this project to life; and in doing so, addressed a vital community concern, while eliminating what had become a food desert in the city. ShopRite of Howard Park is a much-needed asset for this wonderful community.”
Since 1999 when the Super Pride market at Liberty Heights Avenue and Hillsdale Road closed, residents of Howard Park and the surrounding communities have been without a viable grocery store option. Over the past seven years, the city has taken steps to assemble this site for the development of a full-service supermarket.
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