West Coast-based chain Grocery Outlet Bargain Market says it will open a new supermarket in Milford Mill, Md., with the help of $2 million from Baltimore County, which is the latest government contribution to help revitalize western Baltimore County.
The new store will be in the Milford Mill Shopping Center, on the site of the former Giant supermarket. It's set to open in the spring of 2024, creating up to 40 jobs, and, most importantly for many residents, bring back a supermarket to what some have called a "food desert," reports WMAR.
The redevelopment would also bring new landscaping, redesigned entrances, and other improvements that the county says will "enhance the gateway through picturesque streetscaping and reimagined pathways for pedestrians."
"The food desert on this end is slowly coming to an end. We still got a lot of work to do. I'm hoping that liberty road brings back that vibrancy of life, where you can work, play and live," said Ryan Coleman, President of Randallstown NAACP.
Grocery Outlet has more than 400 stores throughout the West Coast and in Pennsylvania and New Jersey; it also has a store in Hagerstown. This would be the chain's second Maryland location.
Randallstown NAACP formed a task force this summer to revitalize the Liberty Road corridor. Meanwhile, the county was also planning to spend $10 million to revitalize the deserted Security Square Mall, part of a $20 million overall funding package. A new state bill created a "West Baltimore County Redevelopment Authority" that lets the county buy and redevelop rundown Woodlawn-area properties, reports WMAR.
The funding will go toward partly demolishing the existing building and renovating it. It includes $1.4 million from the county's Revolving Loan Fund and $600,000 in federal COVID-related (American Rescue Plan Act) funding.