An anonymous tipster dropped us a link to news of this Saturday's Supermarket groundbreaking at Madison & Western. Denizens of the Near West Side will undoubtedly be pleased to welcome Pete's Fresh Market to the neighborhood, a stubborn food desert with plentiful vacant land. Pete's was poised to close on the 55,000-square-foot property in March of last year, but it didn't go all that swimmingly, as Ald. Bob Fioretti reinforced by recent comments that the process was "a disaster...everything that could go wrong did go wrong."
Fortunately, that's all in the rearview. An email from Ald. Fioretti to The Chicago Journal confirmed tomorrow's groundbreaking. Originally, work was expected to begin this past summer, with an opening date in Spring 2012. Now, we'd be impressed to witness opening by year's end. The development will include an attached retail plaza, but businesses have been slow to sign on. According to Ald. Fioretti, the project will create 250 construction jobs and another 250 permanent retail jobs. While Pete's has a considerable South Side presence, this will be its first city store North of Cermak. Overdue, but quite welcome.
·Pete's Fresh Market groundbreaking scheduled for Saturday [Chicago Journal]
·Fioretti's Groundbreaking Announcement [Everyblock]
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