Next Monday, Ward 12 Councilman Terrence M. Hassett will join Marshall Properties for the opening of a new ALDI supermarket in Smith Hill.
The supermarket, ALDI’s fourth store to open in Rhode Island in recent months, will occupy the long-vacant former Valueland site at 539 Smith Street, which Marshall Properties has renovated over the course of the past year.
Hassett, who has advocated for neighborhood-focused reuse of the property since the old Valueland market closed, said that, “For the last ten years, Smith Hill residents have gone without a local grocery store and have had to put up with a neighborhood eyesore.” He added, ”All that changes next week when ALDI opens its doors.”
Hassett sees the new store as a way to strengthen a sense a community in the area. “This is not just about the convenience of being able to walk around the corner for groceries,” he said. “It is about the sense of community that comes from going to your local store, bumping into your neighbors and feeling connected to the place you live.”
Senator Maryellen Goodwin echoed the councilman’s comments, adding, “It has always been the goal to bring a business to this site that serves the needs of the Smith Hill residents.” Representative John J. McCauley Jr. stressed the importance of improving the local economy, saying, “This addition to our neighborhood will benefit all the businesses along Smith Street by attracting new shoppers to the area and increasing foot traffic.”
ALDI, a German-based discount grocer, entered the U.S. market in 1976 and has nearly 1000 stores nationwide. “A low cost grocer like ALDI is just what this neighborhood needs in this time of great economic hardship,” said Hassett.
The ribbon cutting will take place this Monday, December 15th at 8:30 am. Mayor David N. Cicilline, Senator Goodwin, and Representative McCauley will also be in attendance.
