LOCAL

Council paves way for new City Market

Zach Despart
Free Press Staff Writer
City Market officials announced expansion plans for the cooperative. A second store is planned, with a goal to open by spring 2017 in Burlington’s South End.

Burlington City Councilors on Monday helped pave the way for a new City Market location in the city's South End.

Councilors unanimously agreed to send necessary zoning change to the Ordinance Committee. The change, which would allow a grocery store in the South End, could be approved by councilors as early as next month.

The co-op, which has about 10,000 members, opened a store on South Winooski Avenue in 2002. Tashiro said a three-year series of studies led the co-op to choose the South End for a second store.

“State and national trends led us to conclude the South End was best for a second co-op,” Tashiro said. “Our main goal is to maintain fiscal stability and to relieve pressure from our downtown store.”

City Market General Manager John Tashiro presents to the Burlington City Council on January 4, 2016.

City Market General Manager John Tashiro said the co-op plans to open the new store, on the corner of Briggs Street and Flynn Avenue,  in June 2017. The co-op plans to break ground this June, Tashiro said during a brief presentation to councilors Monday evening.

Tashiro said he anticipates 20 percent of City Market’s sales to shift from the downtown store to the new South End location. He said the company projects the South End store to generate $12 million in sales in the first 12 months.

The South End store will be 27,000 square feet, Tashiro said, which is more than one-third larger than the downtown location.

Tashiro said members and the public at large has asked the co-op to consider building additional stores in other city neighborhoods such as the Old North End and New North End. He said he has also heard of interest in Winooski, Colchester, St. Albans and other towns.

“We’re certainly looking for other opportunities,” Tashiro said.

City Market has hired architecture firm Freeman French Freeman to design the store, Tashiro said.

City Market announces South End location

Contact Zach Despart at 651-4826 or zdespart@burlingtonfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ZachDespart.