PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A new Giant grocery store opens at North Broad and Spring Garden streets on Friday. It’s part of a larger construction project expected to bring more people and businesses to the area.
The new supermarket (801 N. Broad Street) is 50,000 square feet in size and is part of a bigger development plan.
Regional director Paul Madarieta says the store is strategically located at the intersection of several neighborhoods.
“There isn’t a real conventional grocery store in proximity, and they haven’t had one in quite some time.”
After 18 months of development, Madarieta says, he expects the store to bring quite a change to the area.
“No. 1, it provides access to great healthy options for food but also creates the jobs,” he said.
Madarieta said about 160 new jobs have been created to accommodate the grocery store.
“And then, because you're bringing people into this area to shop and to work, the whole community around you becomes thriving.”
Above the store are four floors of new residential apartments. Assistant property manager Tyrell Taylor explains there are now 410 units on a block where, previously, there was no development. Units available are studio, 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom apartments ranging in price from just over $1,500 to just over $2,300.
“The property stretches from Broad and Spring Garden all the way back through to 15th Street,” Taylor said.
“It used to be a parking lot, I used to actually park here years ago.”
Now the parking is underneath the building. There are two parking lots — one for shoppers and one for residents.
And the building has been designed to accommodate people working from home.
“A lot of people are working from home, and they need the space to spread out,” Taylor said.
“We have a floor full of co-working spaces. We also have private offices where you can form study groups. You could do Zoom calls and meetings, conferences.”