Possible New Grocery Store In Town Square
Dec 14, 2010 10:11 - 15 Comments
The lack of a grocery store has not helped Town Square businesses.
Federal Realty shared with the City that they are very close to lease agreement with grocery store for Town Square. However, the agreement will depend on their obtaining a beer and wine license for the store.
At last night’s meeting, Assistant City Manager Jenny Kimball, informed the Mayor and Council that they will be asked to endorse the license request at their next meeting on January 10, 2011. Federal Realty will be providing additional information before that date.
As we know, A&P had signed a 20-year lease for the space but indicated they wanted to end the lease agreement in March 2010 after continuing to pay but failing to open a Superfresh in Town Square. Federal Realty has been seeking a replacement ever since. As a side note, A&P has been in red ink for quite some time and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this past Sunday.
Since A&P had failed to obtain a special exception from the Maryland State legislature when a bill to sell beer and wine at the store never even made it out of a House of Delegates subcommittee, Councilmember John Britton asked if this request would need to go to the legislature again. If so, he wanted to get it on the agenda with the District 17 State Delegation which visiting the Mayor and Council meeting later in the evening. Specifically, he wanted to know if this would be a second beer and wine license for the store which would require State action.
City Manager Scott Ullery responded that this would be the first grocery store of this company in Maryland and no legislation would be required.
Now, all we can do is speculate as to which new grocery store chain would like to move into Maryland and our Town Square. Will the lease agreement be successful? If it is, please Federal Realty, include a date by which the company must open the grocery store. Let’s not make the same mistake twice!
Since it’s the first in MD, I guess it’s neither MOM nor Trader Joe’s. :-\ Or Harris Teeter, come to that.
My guess is that it’ll either be something in the Kroger family or something else small and regional. Or a Piggly Wiggly.
I would love Kroger!
Are there any Wegmans stores in Maryland? I’ve only seen those in Virginia and southward and in various places further north and they seem pretty nice.
I think there’s a Wegman’s under construction at Milestone? Not sure how far along it is, or if it’s even started but I remember seeing plans for one not far from the WalMart, if memory serves.
There’s a Wegman’s in Hunt Valley, and one opening in Germantown. I think the space in Town Square is much too small for a large store such as Wegman’s, anyway.
We might be able to go Krogering! (But perhaps not all the Urban Dictionary definitions.)
The way this state and county handle alcohol sales is so antediluvian it is not funny. One it is almost as if the laws changed right after prohibition and never evolved. Not only should this store be allowed to sell beer and wine, but other grocery stores, including established ones, should be able to apply for alcohol sales permits. Even the more (allegedly) conservative Virginia has more liberal policies on alcohol sales!
Kowalski’s - there’s one in St. Paul MN. Like a little Whole Foods, but lots friendlier. When we first discovered it four years ago, we knew it would be perfect for Town Square. I can’t wait!
I have alway said that if I ever ran for County Office, I would run on a platform of getting the county out of the liquor business. Yes, I know they make lots of money by selling liquor, but if they were worried that smoking cigarettes in a bar was such a danger to everyone’s health (and I do not disagree), then why don’t they realize that alcohol certainly can be detrimental to people as well. Not to mention that it would be sooooo nice to be able to get a bottle of wine at the grocery store, and the selection would be better as well.
Run, Rose, Run!
Regarding the grocery store, Federal Realty seems to tap into their existing tenant base for expansion into new centers. That said, they manage quite a few shopping centers in Pennsylvania where Genuardi’s is an anchor store. If Genuardi’s is a respected brand, could be a good fit given the high % of PA transplants in this area. Even though Genuardi’s is now owned by Safeway, it would be the first in MD. Genuardi’s has expanded into Delaware & NJ. Just a theory.
Won’t be a Wegman’s, as the space is too small. Fresh Market has searched in our area for quite some time and is my best guess.
Rose, if you did run on that platform then you would lose by a landslide, since your opponent would have been inundated with campaign contributions from the alcohol special interest groups that keep our repressive laws in place. Here’s a link that explains some of the economics and how they work in Annapolis:
Marylanders for Better Beer and Wine Laws
It’s not The Fresh Market as they appear to be planning to take over Whole Foods’ space in Congressional once Whole Foods moves down the Pike to White Flint.
http://paracleterealty.com/news.php
wow, tom, thanks for that info! i looked around fresh market’s website. interesting company. just had an IPO in nov. stock now trading around $41 from $30, with a bit of a wacky ride on dec. 23. not sure why. offer organic, which is my primary interest, and grain fed meat and poultry.
http://www.thefreshmarket.com/