Cleveland’s Tremont neighborhood has been awarded a $742,000 federal grant to help create a grocery store on West 14th Street and Fairfield Avenue.
The grant, secured by the non-profit Tremont West Development Corporation, will go toward remodeling a vacant mansion that, according to plans, will house a Constantino’s Market, a Cleveland-based chain.
Additional funding for the $2.5 million project has been identified and the plan is to open the store within two years, said Cory Riordan, executive director of Tremont West.
The federal grant was issued by the Department of Health and Human Services which is committed to funding fresh-food grocery stores in poor urban areas that have little or no access to freshly grown produce. A weekly farmers’ market in Tremont’s Lincoln Park has the highest food stamps sales among all farmers’ markets in the region. It operates from April through September.
“We are grateful for this federal grant,” said Councilman Joe Cimperman who represents the Tremont neighborhood. “This project will provide fresh fruit and vegetables to hundreds of needy people unable to get to grocery stores.”
Councilman Cimperman noted that poor people living in areas without grocery stores have to rely on corner convenience stores and fast-food restaurants that offer few healthy and affordable foods. “Poor diets contribute to obesity, diabetes and heart disease,” said Councilman Cimperman.
The federal government defines areas without grocery stores as “food deserts.” The United States Department of Agriculture estimates that 2.35 million people live in food deserts. More than half of them are low income.
Constantino’s Market has three Cleveland locations – downtown, University Circle and the city’s far West Side – and a store in Rochester, N.Y.
The future Tremont store will employ 30 full-time workers.
For more information call: Cory Riordan at 216-575-0920 x101, or Councilman Joe Cimperman at 216-664-2691 or at 216-215-6765.
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