A national grocery chain is eyeing a new store along Tucsonβs Sunshine Mile.
Developers plan to reconfigure the southwest corner of Broadway and Plumer Avenue for the grocer, at the site of a vacant Dollar Store and tabernacle.
βThe grocer is very selective and they grow conservatively,β developer Marcel Dabdoub told the Rio Nuevo board. βItβs one of the reasons theyβre so successful.β
The Rio Nuevo board voted to give the project $1.5 million upon opening of the store, not upfront.
βProjects like this attract residential development and other projects,β said board chairman Fletcher McCusker.
Dabdoub said the chain is expected to make a final decision on the new Tucson site in the coming weeks after its real estate committee meets and a liquor license is approved.
βThis is a chance for us to bring in a grocery store and redefine Broadway and the Sunshine Mile,β board member Edmund Marquez said.
Because not all of the grocerβs sales are taxed, the return to the Rio Nuevo district is expected to be about $230,000 a year.
If all goes accordingly, the new grocery store is expected to open in 2025.
In other action at the monthly Rio Nuevo board meeting Tuesday, La Estrella Bakery proposed to open an 800-square-foot shop across the street from the St. Augustine cathedral, on the corner of Stone Avenue and Ochoa Street.
The store would also have a small outdoor seating area.
La Estrella wants to open a new bakery across the street from St. Augustine cathedral downtown.
Rio Nuevo agreed to pitch in $200,000 toward the project, assuming the bakery is not exempt from paying sales tax under the groceries exemption or be willing to pay taxes voluntarily.
Rio Nuevo generates its revenue from sales taxes.
The matter was referred to the boardβs executive staff to determine the bakeryβs eligibility.
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