By Eric O'Connor
Buffalo, NY – Not long ago, the East Side's Central Park Plaza was a one-stop-shop for its residents. More recently, it has been in decline.
In an effort to revitalize the shopping center, a new Save-A-Lot grocery store has been invited into the plaza and will open for business in October. The 20,000 square foot building will be built in the space left vacant last year by Quality Markets.
Steve Banko, the regional director of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, says supermarkets are an important component in the redevelopment of urban neighborhoods.
"I don't have to tell the residents how important a supermarket is to a community in terms of the nutritional value, in terms of the economic revitalization, in terms of the moral of a community," Banko said.
Public financing for the project, which includes plans to refurbish the entire plaza, totals $4.2 million. Officials hope more than $10 million in private investment will result from the opening of the Save-A-Lot and the other improvements.