SOUTH JERSEY (KYW Newsradio) — For the first time in more than 15 years, Atlantic City will have a full-service supermarket.
The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority is putting up $18.5 million to build the 44,000-square-foot store on Baltic Avenue — leased for only $1 a year, an agreement reached with Village Supermarket, Inc.
Gov. Phil Murphy said the addition of a grocery store — in this case, a ShopRite — is long overdue. Atlantic City’s classification as a food desert will be no more, and people will no longer have to rely on fast food or prepackaged items from a corner store, he said.
“Everything families will need will be right here, in a central in-city location directly accessible by public transportation, ride-sharing applications and even delivery services,” said Murphy.
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“This project represents a major leap forward in the revitalization of the great City we call home,” Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Sr. said in a statement. “More importantly, the supermarket will provide additional opportunities for employment while also improving access to the healthy and affordable food options that our community deserves.”
Village Supermarket currently operates 30 ShopRite stores in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland.
The project is expected to be completed in early 2023.
