CLEVELAND — Downtown Cleveland’s first full-service grocery store opened Wednesday morning, and many believe the new Heinen’s location holds the key fit to unlock future development opportunities.
Back in January, Heinen’s announced it would be opening its 18th location downtown in “The Rotunda” on the corner of East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue. The store will give people living downtown a place unlike any other and instead of driving miles to prepare a home cooked meal the first step is only feet away.
“Next to sleep and work it is the most important thing that you do is eat,” says Keith Halfmann, Geis Hospitality Group Principal and Chief Operating Officer.
On any given day, a few thousand people with appetites, pass through Heinen’s next door neighbor, “The Metropolitan at the 9.”
Halfmann says this grocery store is the next step in the re-urbanization of Cleveland.
“Downtown is just going to thrive,” Halfmann adds.
“We also now have become the fastest growing neighborhood in Cuyahoga County,” said Downtown Cleveland Alliance President and CEO Joe Marinucci.
Marinucci says 13,000 people live downtown. He says projects in the works will take that number to 18,000 by 2017. And for the past three years, occupancy has exceeded 95 percent.
“We are creating the type of experience that millennials and young professionals want to live in,” said Marinucci. “And we are also seeing empty nesters and aging baby boomers who are making up a new segment of the market.”
Marinucci says Heinen’s is also creating a renewed interest in retail.
Marinucci adds, “National retailers are beginning to relook at downtown Cleveland as an investment location.”
Turning the city into the place people want to be.
“The future for Cleveland is really bright,” Halfmann adds.
“There is a lot of momentum right now in Downtown Cleveland,” Marinucci says.
Other projects going on in the area of East 9th Street and Euclid Avenue are the Kimpton Hotel, which is expected to open within the next year. There are also development plans for the Huntington Building.
The grand opening of the downtown Heinen’s location kickeds off at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Besides groceries, there is a sushi bar, a deli, prepared foods and a coffee bar. This Heinen’s will also have more than 40 craft beers with eight beers on tap and more than 1,000 varieties of wine. Great Lakes Brewing Company is also celebrating the opening with a “Rotunda Pale Ale.” Employees will tap the beer at Heinen’s at 2:30 p.m. It will also be served at Great Lakes Brewing Company in Ohio City.
Heinen’s Grocery Store Hours: Monday-Saturday (8 a.m.-9 p.m.) and Sunday (8 a.m.- 6 p.m.)
Equal Exchange Coffee Bar Hours: Monday-Friday (6:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.) and Saturday-Sunday (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)