Media Contact: Lori Willis
Director
of Communications
314-994-4602
Feb. 20, 2008
Schnucks Announces Plans to Build a
Greatly
anticipated new store will cater to downtown residents and commuters
Schnucks
Chairman and CEO Scott Schnuck
said, “As a company, Schnucks has worked toward the growth and revitalization
of downtown for some time now. We have
always looked for opportunities to serve customers in this market area. A growing downtown population, potential for
additional growth and redevelopment around our planned store site along with
our partnership with state and local supporters are all indicators to us that
the time is right for us to bring a new neighborhood store and new jobs to the
City of
Schnuck said the
project is a team effort involving many state and local officials. It started with an agreement crafted with the
help of St. Louis Mayor Francis G.
Slay, Comptroller Darlene
Green and Lieutenant Governor Peter
Kinder of the Missouri Development Finance Board (MDFB) and MDFB
Executive Director Robert (Bob) Miserez.
Under the
agreement, Schnucks will lease the street-level retail portion of the Ninth Street Garage from the MDFB
– the agency that built the garage, owns the property and is spearheading the
entire Old Post Office development. At
this point, the project is contingent upon the Board of Aldermen’s passage of
legislation allowing for reimbursement on a portion of the project costs over time.
Schnuck said, “All
those who have had a hand in getting us to this point are committed to bringing
this new store to the City and have laid some very solid groundwork to help
ensure everything proceeds smoothly.”
Mayor Slay said,
“More and more people are now calling downtown home. One of the most frequent questions we hear
from those considering downtown living is, ‘Where is the grocery store?’ We can now answer that question. Downtown residents will now be able to find
the same great Schnucks quality they have come to expect at a location within a
few blocks from where they live.”
“This store will
be a big draw for others considering downtown living,” Mayor Slay predicted. “We are grateful to the Schnuck family for
making this commitment and grateful to the Missouri Development Finance Board
for developing the garage and making the space available for the Schnucks
grocery.”
Lieutenant
Governor Kinder said, “This development is an exciting step forward into the future of
downtown
Comptroller Green
added, “The City is excited to partner with Schnucks to bring a much needed
grocery store and pharmacy to downtown.
The new and unique store will be a fantastic addition to downtown and
the surrounding neighborhoods.”
Board of Alderman President Lewis
Reed who will help move the new store plan on to the next phase agreed. “It is encouraging for downtown to gain a new
market for current and future residents.
Schnucks has been a long-time partner with the City and their investment
will only improve our beautiful downtown area,” he said. The proposed store is in the city’s 7th
ward represented by Alderwoman Phyllis
Young.
Schnuck said this store will be a uniquely-designed
fresh food market that will
include a pharmacy for
customers’ prescription and over-the-counter medicine needs. “We’re hoping to build a two-level store, and
the configuration of the space will allow for the creation of a cosmopolitan
and urban feel along with amenities you won’t find anywhere else in St. Louis,”
he said.
According to
Schnuck, the store’s lower level will include approximately 20,800 square feet
of fresh and specialty foods including natural and organics. “Our customers will be able to do their
complete food shopping in the new store,” he said.
Additionally, it
will include a floral shop, Kaldi’s Coffee bar, service meat and seafood departments
and several prepared food stations including a salad bar, Asian
hot-food bar, barbecue bar,
pizza station, chef’s grill and a made-to-order sandwich shop. Overhead, a 6,303-square-foot mezzanine will
hold an extensive wine department with
a tapas tasting area and seating
space. All of this will be built beneath
ten stories of parking.
Schnuck leaders
estimate the store could create approximately 60 new jobs in the City. “Schnucks is committed to growing and to serving
more customers in our hometown,” said Schnuck.
“As with any one of our new store projects, we will build this new
downtown, neighborhood market to meet the lifestyles and budgets of all its
customers.”
The downtown store will be the ninth
Schnucks store in the City (65th in metropolitan
Founded in
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