The Southeast Community’s nearly two-year wait for a full-service grocery store ends Tuesday, with the opening of Jim’s Local Market.
A grand opening ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. for the store, located at 3101 Jefferson Ave. Afterward, it will be open for business.
Crews were working all weekend to get the store ready, but things were running smoothly, said Jim Scanlon, the store’s owner.
“We’re still installing stuff, pushing right to the end,” said Scanlon, who was testing a batch of the store’s fried chicken Friday afternoon. “We’ll be here all weekend stocking, but the store is 90 percent filled already with non-perishable items.”
Scanlon has hired nearly 60 people, mostly from the Southeast Community, and said he plans to hire more after opening day.
“Quite a few people can walk to work,” Scanlon said.
The Southeast Community, home to nearly 19,000 people, suffers from high rates of unemployment. Many residents do not have their own vehicles to get to work or the nearest grocery store, up to 5 miles away.
Scanlon has nearly 40 years of experience working in grocery stores, most recently as regional vice president for Martin’s Food Markets.
The Newport News store is his first, though he plans to open more stores in food deserts around the state, starting with Richmond, then Hampton.
He plans to have more details to share on the Richmond store next month, he said.
“Once we get this one up and running, we’ll have some announcements in the next month,” Scanlon said.
A day care facility, workforce development center and other retail is planned to open on either side of the grocery store, but will not open Tuesday.
Newport News is spending about $4.5 million on the store, and up to $18.3 million on Brooks Crossing total in the hopes of revitalizing the Southeast.
Developers Armada Hoffler and Aaron Brooks, a former NFL player who grew up in the area, will provide the remaining funding for the development, where about 11 additional buildings are planned.
Armada Hoffler has not yet announced other tenants, but in February, the company’s CEO Lou Haddad said negotiations are underway with a Fortune 500 company to be an office tenant.
Clift can be reached by phone at 757-247-7870.
