Just a year after opening, Salem's Market in the Hill District's future is in doubt
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The future of a grocery store in the Hill District is in doubt just a year after it opened.
Salem's Market opened to great fanfare, replacing a Shop 'N Save which had closed years earlier, filling a food desert.
Now, they tell KDKA-TV they are placing their operations on pause as they work to restructure. When KDKA-TV asked a spokesperson if they can guarantee community members they will reopen, they responded by saying they can't say.
Shoppers told KDKA-TV they'd hate to see the store close.
"I'm here three times a week at least," said Ernie Rabb.
Another shopper, Shayln Calloway, said they don't believe a spokesperson calling the closure "temporary."
"When they are doing things like this I think they are just closing for good," she said.
The spokesperson said there are multiple reasons for the pause in operations.
Shoppers said without the store, they would have to go to the Southside. They will miss being able to walk to the grocery store. A few shoppers were especially worried about senior citizens.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority helped to fund the store's creation.
"In our partnership with Salem's Market and the City of Pittsburgh, we've learned that it's not the right time for a full-service grocery store to be supported," a spokesperson for the authority said in a statement. "We know community members are disappointed by the news of the store pausing its operations, and we share those feelings. The URA is committed to supporting Salem's during this transition as they identify next steps for the future of the Hill District location."
The spokesperson told KDKA-TV's partners at the Post-Gazette that they hope to reopen a smaller version of the store.
The store will pause operations sometime after Sunday, the URA said, citing the owner of the store.
An employee at the market said they were unaware of the store's operations pausing.
Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey said he is in talks with the store about their future.
"We want to be able to help them anyway we can to work things out. We've already started the conversation with them," Mayor Gainey said.
Closure raises questions about taxpayer funding
Millions of taxpayer dollars went to the store's opening. The URA approved almost $1.4 million to help get Salem's open.
"This becomes the gift of taxpayers that keeps on taking. It's, 'this didn't work and we've got to try something,'" Allegheny Institute for Public Policy executive director Frank Gamrat said.
The Allegheny Institute of Public Policy has been against government money helping to fund a store. The conservative think tank wants to see studies be done to find out what people actually want there after multiple grocery stores have failed in the location.
"Instead of shoehorning something in there that wouldn't work, ask around. Do a marketing study. What is it you want? What are you looking for?" Gamrat said.
Other funds included $200,000 in federal grant money and another $250,000 in grants from the Neighborhood Allies group in the city. According to the Allegheny Institute, once that money is used, it's gone.
"We're now at a point where you keep throwing money at this thing hoping something's gonna work," Gamrat said.
