Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Two months after the horrific mass shooting, claiming the lives of 10 innocent Black people in East Buffalo, comes a newly-renovated Tops Friendly Market on Jefferson Avenue.
Company leaders were joined by elected officials and community members for an event Thursday to share details of the new store and respectfully commemorate its opening. Earlier in the day, Tops organized a remembrance ceremony for its store associates and family members as well as families of the victims affected by the May 14 shooting.
“Since we first opened the store at this location in 2003, Tops has remained focused on serving the needs of the community,” said President and COO of Tops Friendly Markets, John Persons in a statement. “Fueled by the outpouring of love that followed the trauma our community experienced on May 14, we open this redesigned and completely renovated store with a sense of resilience and a renewed responsibility to ensure East Buffalo has direct access to a full-service grocer they can rely on. We will never forget that devastating day, but together, as a community that’s Buffalo Strong and a store that’s Jefferson Strong, we can look forward with hope, taking solemn steps to provide a safe place for people to get the food, medicine, and important products they need for their everyday lives."
Tops has updated their security measures, which includes enhanced video monitoring systems, an emergency evacuation and alarm system, many emergency exits above code and LED lighting, lighting the perimeter of the store and the parking lot.
As the community continues to heal from the tragic events that occurred on May 14, a memorial “water wall” created in collaboration with Buffalo Poet Laureate Jillian Hanesworth will be inside the store, a permanent tribute to the lives lost on that day to respect the requests of some of the victims’ loved ones, names are not included on this memorial.
"This certainly was a re-investment into the store, a re-investment into this community," Persons said. "I would tell you it really wasn't about the money, it's about delivering on our commitment that we gave East Buffalo 20 years ago. We're here, we want to serve the community, we're here to serve the community. So we wanted to give the community the right store, with the right offerings and the right feel. We wanted to do it in a very respectful and honorable way, and that was really our driving motivation."
Outside of the store, the urban street art exhibition, titled “An Offering”, will be on display from July 17 through Sept. 9. The exhibit is a sincere response of care and concern by African American artists, arts organizations, and arts patrons to support, enable and empower healing. Offered in love, the exhibit presents original artworks of beauty, creativity, intelligence, knowledge and wisdom inspired by cultural heritage and original artwork created by intergenerational artists ranging in age from 7 to 70-years-old.
The store is set to re-open to the public on Friday.
Members of the media on Thursday got to go inside and check out the newly-renovated grocery store. WBEN's Brayton Wilson was among those inside the new store.
Here are some of the images that he captured on Thursday:
