Acme Will Build Store on Former Defense Site

PHILADELPHIA, -- Acme Markets, Inc., a unit of Albertsons, has purchased a prominent portion of the former Defense Supply Center Philadelphia and plans to erect a 50,000 sq. ft. combo store on the South Philly site. Food-drug combo stores, such as its Albertsons Sav-On and Jewel-Osco formats, form the Boise, Idaho-based chain's key strategy for growth.

The 3.5-acre Acme purchase borders an 86-acre tract also known as the "Quartermaster's Depot," that includes 1.7 million square feet of buildings and 45 acres of cleared land. Since its closure by the U.S. Army in 1999, the cleared tract has been under agreement for retail development.

The new combo store will employ 125-150 people. Groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for November 2002, with opening planned for late summer of 2003.

This will be Acme's 12th supermarket in the City of Philadelphia. Acme is a native Philadelphia corporation, having begun in 1891 as the Acme Tea Company. At its peak in 1932, it operated some 2,977 corner grocery stores
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