Press Releases

After collaboration with more than 700 residents, Simon’s Supermarket announces grand opening and invites community to attend celebration
 
The grand opening of Simon’s Supermarket in Cleveland’s Buckeye-Shaker neighborhood will be held at noon Saturday (Oct. 6), featuring a variety of festivities in celebration of a full-service grocery store in the area.
 
“All neighborhoods deserve access to the basic necessities that contribute to a better quality of life. Access to a supermarket with affordable and healthy food options is integral to that,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson. “I am pleased that residents of the Buckeye area now have a new neighborhood store to patronize to provide for their families.”
 
When the site’s previous grocery store announced in January 2017 that it was closing its location at 11501 Buckeye Rd., the owner of Simon’s Supermarket, Basharat Hussain, saw an opportunity to expand his small grocery store chain – two in Cleveland and one in Euclid. The Buckeye store, he said, will be his fourth and his biggest. Eager to fill the void created by the loss of the store, the City of Cleveland departments of Economic Development and City Planning worked with Simon’s to bring a new store to the plaza, as part of the City’s plan to revitalize the area.
 
“This is a very welcoming asset to the community. When Giant Eagle pulled out of this site more than a year and a half ago, it posed an immediate and serious hardship to area residents, primarily to the seniors,” said Ward 6 Councilman Blaine Griffin. “Simon’s has now become the anchor tenant of Buckeye Plaza shopping center. This will create much needed foot traffic and positive energy throughout the Buckeye Road retail district.”
 
The total development cost for the project is approximately $2.2 million. The City provided $988,000 in financial assistance to the project through a Vacant Property Initiative Forgivable Loan and an Economic Development Grant. The Ohio Finance Fund provided a $895,000 loan through the Healthy Food for Ohio program. The project is expected to create 40 full-time jobs at the store.
 
“A neighborhood without close access to a grocery store is barely a neighborhood,” said Ward 4 Councilman Ken Johnson, who was one of a group of protestors confronting Giant Eagle when it closed. “We’re thankful that Simon’s is filling a void here in our community. The last thing we need is an empty store.”
 
The event is free and open to the public. Residents of the area are encouraged to attend. Music and food will be provided. Representatives from city agencies will also be present with information about services available to residents.
 
Who: Cleveland Mayor Frank G. Jackson; Councilman Blaine Griffin; Councilman Ken Johnson; representatives from city agencies and others
 
What: Ribbon cutting for grand opening of Simon’s Supermarket
 
When: noon, Saturday, October 6, 2018
 
Where: 11501 Buckeye Rd., Cleveland
 
Contact: Daniel Williams, Director of Media Relations Office of the Mayor 216-664-4011; Councilman Blaine Griffin, 216-664-4234; cell 216-857-1649 or Councilman Ken Johnson, 216-664-4941