Dozens of residents joined elected officials to celebrate as the Patel family — longtime owners of Downtown Discount Drugs — cut the ribbon Sept. 17 on City Center Market, downtown Rockford’s very own grocery store.
Owned and operated by pharmacists Rajesh Patel and his son, Ashay Patel, the family-owned grocery store has been a dream for years. There was a Rockford Register Star newspaper clipping on display in which Rajesh Patel was talking in 1995 about his hopes of opening a grocery at the location.
“This is something we have been working toward for a very long time,” Ashay Patel said. “What it is, is to address community needs, to address food insecurity, to address the food desert that is in this area. That has always been the cornerstone of our grocery store and our mission here.”
The 8,000-square-foot store features fresh produce with oranges, apples, potatoes and tomatoes on display. There are frozen foods. There are selections of beer and wine. There are dairy products including milk, yogurt and cheese. There are everyday pantry items like peanut butter, coffee, crackers, snack foods and baking products.
And, of course, Downtown Discount Drugs remains in operation inside the City Center Market, serving the community’s needs for a pharmacy.
Urban Equity Properties CEO Justin Fern said his company in conjunction with the Patel family invested $1.5 million into renovating and equipping the new store at 325 W. State St. It combines the space that for years was Downtown Discount Drugs and an empty storefront next door. A $165,491 grant from the Illinois Grocery Initiative program assisted the project.
Fern said the opening of the grocery store is the culmination of 15 years of work. Fern had reached out to local and national grocery store chains in an effort to recruit them to downtown Rockford. Deals got close but then fell apart at the last moment.
“I am super excited that after 15 years, we have a grocery store downtown,” Fern said. “Thanks to Ashay and Raj for sharing the same vision I had years ago.”
Rockford Ald. Tamir Bell, D-13, said City Center Market would be participating in a planned mobile grocery store that travels to neighborhoods that do not have easy access to fresh food.
“How great does this place look? Isn’t this amazing?” said State Rep. Dave Vella, D-Rockford. “This was necessary for the area to keep growing.”
State Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Loves Park, said this could be a turning point for downtown Rockford with passenger rail returning and a Davis Park renovation proceeding.
“I look at this as another piece of the puzzle for the redevelopment of downtown Rockford,” Stadelman said.
Mayor Tom McNamara said the store would fill a growing need downtown.
“There are so many people who need this grocery store,” McNamara said. “And truthfully, there are people from different walks of life who need this grocery store for very different reasons.”
Jeff Kolkey writes about government, economic development and other issues for the Rockford Register Star. He can be reached via email at jkolkey@rrstar.com and on X @jeffkolkey.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Downtown Rockford welcomes grocery store featuring fresh produce, pantry staples
Reporting by Jeff Kolkey, Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
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