Center City Grocery to target urban loft dwellers

Another piece has been added to the downtown redevelopment puzzle. Center City Grocery is set to open the week of June 9 at 212 W. McDaniel St.

Entrepreneur Donna O'Connell plans to cater to urban dwellers and employees in need of everyday household items, she said.

Store hours have not be finalized, but the store will be open from roughly 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Center city residents have lacked the convenience of a downtown grocer since Nonna's Mediterranean Market closed seven years ago.

But the steady increase in downtown residents in this new era of redevelopment has created new demand. A grocery store should fit in with the ever-growing hustle and bustle downtown, said Vern Morgan, center city coordinator for the city of Springfield.

"It definitely indicates a confidence in downtown that there is a residential base to support a market now," Morgan said. "It also brings more variety and life to the street."

O'Connell is glad to fulfill the need, she said.

"We saw the need downtown," O'Connell said. "Look at all the money people are putting into downtown. People are taking risks."

Her landlord is among them. Craig Wagoner, real estate developer and investor for Brentwood Management, spent $300,000 to make over the grocery store building, which includes three lofts upstairs. The grocery store occupies 1,600 square feet on the first floor.

Wagoner said there is not a great risk in this case.

"That's what everybody says downtown needs is a grocery store," Wagoner said. "There's just so many more people living and working (there)."

According to a city of Springfield market analysis, there are as many as 300 residents in center city among 150 living units.

"Although that's not huge, it's a lot more than there used to be," Morgan said.

He said another approximately 50 living units are in the works.

Wagoner said the building's three lofts are occupied.

"We'll have a captive audience there," O'Connell said of the upstairs tenants.

Timing is everything

Mary Faucett had the vision for a center city grocery store more than eight years ago when she opened Nonna's Mediterranean Market. Downtown could not support it then, and she closed the store after only a year.

"There wasn't any residential to speak of at the time," Faucett said. "There are a lot more apartments than there were then, and a lot more activity. It's changed tremendously since then."

Faucett's market specialized in Italian cooking goods. She closed it when her restaurant, Nonna's Italian American Caf, moved into the space at 306 South Ave.

Faucett believes the new grocery has a significant place downtown.

"I'm just absolutely thrilled about it," she said. "This is precisely the sort of thing we need downtown, a retail destination like that."

O'Connell squelched any fears Faucett may have of losing business at her bakery next door. Center City Grocery is not carrying baked goods, O'Connell said, leaving the door open for business at Nonna's Bakery.

Faucett said the two shops could complement each other.

"I think it will be really good for the bakery," Faucett said. "What you want downtown is businesses that complement each other. I think that is a really good complement not only for the bakery, but also for the restaurants."

As a restaurant owner, Faucett said she will encourage her staff to shop there for miscellaneous items.

O'Connell said the grocery will carry produce, milk, eggs, canned goods, beer and cleaning supplies. She hopes to have a deli as well, however those plans have been shelved for now, she said.

She is partnering with local artist Kathy Domenico for murals featuring fresh produce, vegetables and fruit.

Downtown variety

Unlike many of the retail businesses downtown destinations that draw from all over the city Center City Grocery is counting on nearby residents.

"This market is counting on the draw of the downtown itself for their business," Morgan said.

"A lot of the retail and businesses down there now are destinations. It's good to start getting a mix of the convenience retail and destination retail."

Loft apartment developer Jason Murray is thrilled to see a market come to the area. His 35 lofts are within blocks of the grocery store.

Murray said seven new lofts are entering the market next month.

"I've got more people moving into my lofts June 1, and I'll be directing them to the new grocery store," he said. "That will probably be one of the first things they ask."

Murray thinks the convenience of the grocery store will help attract more residents downtown.

"I live downtown," Murray said, "and when I need to run and get some eggs or some milk, it's a real pain to go all the way over to National or somewhere," he said. "It will be nice to walk a block and pick up what I need."

O'Connell is hoping others agree.